[For Seniors] Fun Trivia Quiz with Autumn Foods! A Collection of Little-Known Facts

leather shoes

The distinctive aroma of matsutake mushrooms is appetizing to many Japanese people, but overseas it’s sometimes said to smell like leather shoes. Because of that, matsutake aren’t always very popular outside Japan. Differences in how we perceive scents come down to culture and familiarity.

ginkgo nuts

Ginkgo nuts often appear on the table in dishes like chawanmushi in autumn, but eating too many can cause poisoning due to a compound called ginkgotoxin. Older adults and children especially need to limit how much they eat at one time, and in the worst cases it can be life-threatening, so caution is necessary!

Used the oil for lighting

In the Edo period, Pacific saury were used more for extracting oil than for eating. That oil was used for lighting devices such as andon (traditional lanterns). In an era before electricity, people made use of familiar resources like fish oil and rapeseed oil for illumination.

Temperature changes and summer fatigue

Autumn is a comfortable season, but due to temperature changes and lingering summer fatigue, older adults are more likely to feel unwell and experience autumn fatigue. This quiz may help deepen your knowledge about autumn fatigue. Using photos and illustrations to present easy-to-understand quiz questions could make it easier to grasp and more enjoyable. After the quiz, having everyone share recommended health practices or the health tips they are currently putting into practice may further deepen knowledge about health.

doctor

Persimmons are a nutrient-rich fruit. The proverb “When persimmons turn red, doctors turn pale” means that when nutritious persimmons ripen in autumn, people become healthier and doctors have less work—so doctors grow worried and turn pale. It reflects traditional wisdom about autumn foods and health.

yellow

Fresh Pacific saury have a clean, bright yellow tip on their lower jaw. As they lose freshness, the yellow becomes dull and turns black or grayish. When choosing saury at the supermarket, check the color at the tip of the lower jaw.

Ones with black lumps or blemishes at the cut surface

Sweet potatoes are a classic taste of autumn, and this is the perfect time to choose and enjoy the most delicious ones. So what should you look out for when selecting sweet potatoes, and what are the key points for spotting good ones? The answer is to check for black lumps or discoloration at the cut end or on the surface. This blackening is caused by a component called “yarapin,” a type of sugar, and if wounds have turned black, it indicates the potato contains plenty of it. However, if the potato is covered in wounds or the surface is entirely black, it may be spoiled, so be sure to examine it carefully with that in mind.