The food quiz of the year: from sexualised mac’n’cheese to celebrity doughnuts

1. Before we had a pandemic to stress about, bakers in southern India entered Guinness World Records by baking the world’s longest cake. Roughly how long was it?

   1. 65 metres

   2. 650 metres

   3. 6.5km

   4. 65km

2. According to a spoof WhatsApp message that went viral in March, why was the government about to requisition Wembley stadium?

   1. To turn it into a food bank

   2. To host its own version of Bake Off

   3. To cook the world’s biggest lasagne

   4. To use as storage for the nation’s leftover sourdough

3. Muse in Belgravia, London, was this year labelled the most pretentious restaurant in Britain. Which of these is not a real item on the menu?

   1. Conquering the beech tree (langoustine, pork fat, burnt apple)

   2. Neither black nor white (cauliflower panna cotta, pickled gold raisins, caviar)

   3. A date with Pablo (’nduja, thyme mist, polenta)

   4. Mother’s puzzle (lemon, fennel pollen, yogurt)

4. Which public figure did Donuts Delite in Rochester, New York, pay tribute to with a special doughnut bearing their likeness?

   1. Donald Trump

   2. Bernie Sanders

   3. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

   4. Dr Anthony Fauci

5. This year the Guardian ran a widely commented on guide to making the perfect burger at home. According to Honest Burger’s Tom Barton, where should the pickle in a burger go?

   1. Under the meat patty

   2. Above the meat patty but under the cheese

   3. Outside the bun, as a side accompaniment only

   4. In the bin – there’s no place for pickles on a burger

6. What started going missing from boxes of Quality Street after Covid-19 disrupted production lines?

   1. The chocolate caramel brownie

   2. The purple hazelnut caramel

   3. Wrappers around each individual chocolate

   4. The orange one that no one likes anyway

7. This year Kraft was accused of “sexualising mac’n’cheese”. What had it done?

   1. Placed billboards featuring models bathing in the creamy pasta dish

   2. Set up a promotion encouraging fans to “send noodz”

   3. Added “sexy” anthropomorphic pasta shapes to the package design

   4. Mistakenly advertised its snacks on a pornographic website

8. What was described by this newspaper as “Jamie’s Oliver’s worst nightmare”?

   1. An EU law banning the use of the word “pukka” on food items

   2. Toploader splitting up

   3. Uber Eats getting banned from delivering on Vespas

   4. The return of the Turkey Twizzler

9. Who did chef Tom Kerridge blast as “selfish” and “disgraceful”?

   1. Dominic Cummings

   2. Customers who fail to show up for their reservations

   3. Diners who refuse to socially distance

   4. People who don’t tip

10. Which would-be food critic came out with the unforgettable take down: “One thing I will say about Italy in general … the food is actually shocking! It’s meant to be the home of pizza and pasta and I really can’t see how”?

    1. Selling Sunset’s Chrishell Stause

    2. Fitness guru Joe Wicks

    3. Love Island’s Molly-Mae Hague

    4. Nigel Farage

11. 2020 saw the return of the “wine window” … but what is it?

    1. A tiny crack in a wine bottle that allows the precious drink to seep out undetected

    2. A house window that uses bottle-green instead of clear glass

    3. A hole in a wall through which wine can be passed to people on the street

    4. The brief period of time in which parents can have a sneaky glass while their kids are napping

Solutions

1:C - The vanilla cake was 10cm wide, weighed about 27,000kg and didn’t fit in with the wellness trend., 2:C - Londoner Billy McLean, 29, said he originally sent the message to show how easily misinformation can spread online., 3:C - The tasting menu claims to provide “clues and anecdotes on what you will be served” rather than, you know, telling you., 4:D - Fauci’s likeness was surrounded by white frosting and topped off with “patriotic sprinkles”., 5:A - Barton says he came to this conclusion after a decade of eating burgers., 6:A - Nestlé said the disruption was caused by the absence of staff who were shielding or looking after children during lockdown., 7:B - In a statement, Kraft said: “For National Noodle Day last Tuesday, we encouraged adults to send free noodles to loved ones … We sincerely appreciate and hear all of your feedback. The content will be removed from our channels.”, 8:D - Bernard Matthews' “healthier” reboot will contain between 67% and 70% turkey, rather than the original version’s rather grim 34%., 9:B - Kerridge made his comments after 27 people failed to turn up to his Bar & Grill at the Corinthia hotel in central London without letting the restaurant know., 10:C - The disappointed reality star made her comments on an Instagram post of a gelato with the sign-off: “Even this ice cream was grim.”, 11:C - The buchette del vino first emerged during the Italian plague of 1629-1631 and have been making a timely comeback for Covid-19.

Scores

1. 11 and above.

   100%! You deserve a (socially distanced) meal out to celebrate!

2. 8 and above.

   You’ve clearly spent isolation gorging yourself stupid (on food knowledge)

3. 0 and above.

   Oh dear, have you spent your year eating nothing but homemade sourdough?

4. 4 and above.

   Your correct answers came around as often as an Ocado slot during lockdown