Deepen your knowledge of food! A three-choice trivia quiz

bitter water

It comes from the Mexican word chocolatre, meaning “bitter water.” Originally, it’s said that Indigenous peoples of Mexico crushed cacao beans and drank them as a medicinal beverage. After it made its way to Europe, it evolved into forms with added sugar and eventually into something to eat.

sanpō (a Japanese term meaning “three sides/directions”; also a traditional wooden offering stand used in Shinto/Buddhist rituals)

A sanpō is a stand used in traditional Japanese ceremonies and Shinto rituals, and during the New Year it is used to hold kagami mochi. It is a wooden, square-shaped stand characterized by openings on three of its sides, with the remaining side facing the altar. Offering kagami mochi on a sanpō to the deities expresses gratitude and wishes. It is an essential New Year decoration and an important item that conveys Japanese culture and customs.

herring

Kazunoko is herring roe. The kazunoko used in osechi cuisine is considered an auspicious food that symbolizes wishes for fertility and family prosperity, making it an essential ingredient for the Japanese New Year. Because herrings lay a large number of eggs, their roe, kazunoko, is eaten with the hope of being blessed with many children. Its popping texture is also distinctive, and it has long been cherished as a traditional New Year’s dish in Japan.

root

Sweet potatoes are vegetables in which we eat the enlarged “root” part of the plant. Their stems and leaves grow above the ground, while the edible parts grow large underground, so they are dug out of the soil at harvest time. The portion of the root that stores nutrients and grows bigger in the soil is what we eat as sweet potatoes.

Because it's lucky

Dango on a skewer often come in odd numbers like three or five. This is considered lucky because odd numbers cannot be evenly divided. Incidentally, this custom is mainly seen in the Kansai region, while in the Kanto region skewered dango typically have four pieces.

Vitamin C

Persimmons contain a lot of vitamin C. Just one persimmon can provide almost the entire daily requirement of vitamin C. They even have more than mandarins, making them useful for preventing colds and caring for your skin. Let’s get plenty of vitamin C and build a healthy body.

Apple

There’s a saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” and apples are known as a very healthy fruit. They’re rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber, and they’re in season in autumn. With their crisp texture, they’re delicious eaten raw or used in treats like apple pie.