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

Because it’s sour.

Sushi, a food that represents Japan, got its name from the word for “sour,” su. Today, sushi vinegar is used to add acidity to the rice (shari), but in the past, people would ferment the rice and marinate fish in it.

cooled white rice

Because cooled white rice contains an increased amount of a component called resistant starch, it is considered effective for dieting. Resistant starch is a type of starch that is difficult to digest; it functions like dietary fiber in the intestines, helping to moderate spikes in blood sugar while also improving gut health. By cooling freshly cooked rice once, the starch changes, which can reduce both caloric intake and absorption efficiency for the same portion size. For this reason, it is recommended for people who are mindful of diet and overall health.

South Korea

In Korea, there is a custom of eating seaweed soup called miyeok-guk on one’s birthday. It is said to originate from the tradition of mothers drinking seaweed soup after childbirth to help them recover their strength. Out of gratitude for being brought into this world, people are said to eat seaweed soup on their birthdays.

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.