the getAwayZ Podcast

European Trivia Showdown: Food Edition

the getAwayZ – European Travel Podcast Season 2 Episode 19

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0:00 | 21:56

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Erin hosts a fast paced European food trivia showdown with Lisa, Dylan and Meghan, and it got competitive fast. From iconic dishes to regional specialties and a few trick questions, this episode puts European food knowledge to the test.

We cover classic foods people think they know, regional details that spark debate, and questions guaranteed to make you second guess yourself. Play along and see how you stack up before the answers are locked in.

A fun break from traditional travel episodes and perfect for anyone who loves European food, travel trivia, or yelling answers at their phone.

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SPEAKER_01

Hi, and welcome back. I'm Lisa.

SPEAKER_00

And I'm Aaron.

SPEAKER_02

And I'm Dylan.

SPEAKER_00

And I'm Megan. And this is the Getaways Podcast. Okay, so we're back today with another trivia episode. Yay. And today I'm the host, Erin. We're going to do European food. All right. Trivia. Bring it on, man. So, and I'm taking this very seriously. I have 35 questions, one lightning round at the end. Wow. And I need my paper, please, because I'm going to be keeping score because there are prizes.

SPEAKER_01

You should just put on the winner. All right. So we're doing our names and then you pick who's first. Is that what you that the deal? Or are you just going to pick me and I'll just blurt it out?

SPEAKER_00

No, you just need to say your name. Okay. All right. Okay. So round one is easy but fun. It's a warm-up. Okay. Question number one. What country is and then I'm going to give quick answers, but then we're just going to keep going. All right. So question one. What country is credited with inventing the croissant, even though most people associate it with France? Lisa. Lisa. Belgium. No. Dylan? Dylan.

SPEAKER_03

Poland?

SPEAKER_00

No. Megan? Yeah. Italy. No. The answer is Austria. The croissant evolved from the Austrian Kipferl. Of course it didn't. It made its way to France where butter and the technique turned into the icon we know today. So does the French admit that? I doubt it. All right. Question two. What Italian food literally translates to little worms? Oh come on, people, I know this.

SPEAKER_01

Because you have the answers.

SPEAKER_00

Megan, spaghetti. No.

SPEAKER_01

Is it a long poster?

SPEAKER_00

No. Oh yes. Kinda. Vermicelli. That's vermicelli. I don't know that's a good idea. Question three. Which country eats the most cheese per person each year? And Megan. The Netherlands. No. The Netherlands cheese. Lisa. Lisa, yes. France. Yes. France. France consistently ranks at the top for cheese consumption per person with hundreds of officially recognized varieties.

SPEAKER_03

Wow.

SPEAKER_00

I think French cheese is better, but I thought the Dutch went harder.

SPEAKER_02

The Dutch love the cheese.

SPEAKER_00

The Dutch have good cheese. They have good cheese. Okay, four. What is the main ingredient in the traditional Spanish? Oh wait, did Lisa got that point? Thank you, Dylan. Thank you for keeping her honest.

SPEAKER_04

No problem.

SPEAKER_00

What is the main ingredient in the traditional Spanish gazpacho that gives it its red color? Lisa. I'm gonna go with Dylan on this one. Oh, you're that was a cheat.

SPEAKER_02

Tomato? Yes. Good work, buddy. All right.

SPEAKER_01

Are you giving stars instead of just a point? Yes. Okay.

SPEAKER_00

I guess that's dumb. I'm into it.

SPEAKER_02

I like the stars.

SPEAKER_00

In which country would you most likely be served chips that are actually thick-cut fries eaten with mayo? Yes, Lisa. England. No. Anyone else? Chips? Lisa. Nope. Lisa already went. If you can't go again, okay, Lisa.

SPEAKER_01

Netherlands.

SPEAKER_00

Now. With mayo?

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

You cannot go again.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, Lisa. Wait, what was the full question?

SPEAKER_00

Which country?

SPEAKER_01

Oh, Dylan.

SPEAKER_00

Yes.

SPEAKER_01

Dylan.

SPEAKER_00

Yes.

SPEAKER_01

It's because I knocked all the others out for you.

SPEAKER_00

Was it with mayo? Was that the other one?

SPEAKER_03

Dorian's dad made the best ones.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Which what French food is traditionally eaten on February 2nd, known as La Chandelaire? Jussifa.

SPEAKER_02

Dylan? Yes. Croque monsieur.

SPEAKER_00

No. We just wanted to say about you. We still wanted to say that. Oh, come on. France.

SPEAKER_02

So we can answer more than once.

SPEAKER_00

February 2nd.

SPEAKER_01

February 2nd.

SPEAKER_00

Megan. Yes. Snails. No. I thought you had it.

SPEAKER_04

I have no idea. Crabs. Crabs.

SPEAKER_00

La Chandelier. Chandelier. Is basically an excuse to eat crepes all day. There's even a superstition about flipping one while holding a coin. Okay. Two more in the easy warm-up category, people. I'm in the city. This is the warm-up. Alright. This one I think is going to be a fight for who gets it first. What country is famous for inventing Nutella?

SPEAKER_02

Dylan.

SPEAKER_00

Yes.

SPEAKER_02

Italy.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. What region? What city? Lisa.

SPEAKER_03

Torino. Does not count, unfortunately. It doesn't. No bonus points.

SPEAKER_00

The last and the easy warm-up is what common breakfast item in the UK? Oh. Is illegal to sell with a toy inside? Breakfast item? I really wouldn't have thought of it. Dylan? Yes. Cereal. No. Megan. Yes. Kinder surprise. Yeah. That is not a breakfast. But that is that's a chocolate treat. That is not a breakfast. Okay, but you wrote these questions yourself? Yes, I did. We didn't have them in the US for a long time, too. No, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Are they now?

SPEAKER_00

Mm-hmm. Okay. So now we're going into round two. And going into round two, Dylan is winning with three points. Lisa and Megan both have one point each. That's about right. All right. Round two. The theme is wait, that's real? Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_04

I didn't know we were gonna have categories.

SPEAKER_00

All right. What country has cheese so smelly it's been banned from public transportation? Dylan. Yes. Iceland. No.

SPEAKER_04

Oh.

SPEAKER_00

Megan. Yes. France. Yes. France. It's called. Iceland. Wait a second. Can we go back to that? Why Iceland?

SPEAKER_03

I was thinking the that fish in the can they have? That's like the world.

SPEAKER_00

Fermented whale.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I was thinking that.

SPEAKER_00

That is not cheese. Yeah, but like I was. I guess it could be if you left it long enough. So a poison. A poisis is so pungent it's been banned from public transportation in some places. Fans say it tastes far better than it smells. All right.

SPEAKER_01

I get my point on this show.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, Megan, yes, you did.

SPEAKER_01

No, I should have cheese.

SPEAKER_00

No, you didn't. Yep. Thank you. All right. Keep an eye on her. All right. What traditional Scandinavian food involves fermented fish? So pungent. It's pungent. It's often eaten outdoors only. Lisa. Yes. Herring. Yes. In Sweden, fermented herring smells so strong that people often open the can underwater. Stromstuming. It's a cultural tradition and a prank food at the same time.

SPEAKER_02

It's called stromsteding.

SPEAKER_00

It's called surströming. How do you know that? How do you know that? That's the thing I was talking about last round. Oh, yeah. Okay, so talk to the mic.

SPEAKER_02

That's the thing I was talking about last round.

SPEAKER_00

You said Iceland. In Iceland, it's fermented whale.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I was thinking that.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, very good. Pardon me.

SPEAKER_02

That should be a bonus point, what I just said.

SPEAKER_00

All right. The next question. What animal's milk is used to make mozzarella di bufala.

SPEAKER_02

Dylan?

SPEAKER_00

Yes. Cow? No. Megan. Buffalo. What kind? Lisa. Yes. Italian buffalo. No, it's water buffalo. I that's a buffalo. I feel like I get that. Megan's gonna get that. All right.

unknown

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03

So what what's the score now?

SPEAKER_00

Uh we'll get to it after each round. You're losing. Mozzarella, huh?

SPEAKER_01

I said you're losing.

SPEAKER_03

But I'm not.

SPEAKER_00

Mozzarella de bufala is richer and tangier than cow's milk mozzarella and it's protected by Italian food laws. And what I will say is when we very first moved to Italy for the first couple years, I felt like cheese was making me sick. So I wouldn't put cheese on my pizza very often, remember?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

But I could eat bufala. Bufala. Mozzarella di bufala.

SPEAKER_01

There's nothing I nothing I hate worse than that word. Bufala? Yes.

SPEAKER_04

I hate it.

SPEAKER_00

All right. Wait, who got that point? Lisa? Lisa. All right. Um wow. Oh no, Megan got it. All right. What countr what country considers snails a festive holiday? Yes. Brawls. Yes. Snails or escargot are especially popular during the holidays like Christmas. I'm marking it down.

SPEAKER_01

Thank you. It takes a while.

SPEAKER_00

They're usually drowned in garlic butter, which helps because when you eat escargot in France, all you taste is garlic butter.

SPEAKER_01

And oil. There's some oil in there too. Yeah. But you know what the hardest part is? What? And Lucy can attest to agree with me. Lucille Ball. Yeah. This show. It's picking it up and getting the little bit of a little bit of a colour. Oh, because again. Yeah. It's not easy because it's it's kind of like surgical.

SPEAKER_00

What Italian city claims to have more gelato shops per square kilometer than anywhere else in Italy.

SPEAKER_02

Yes. Milan?

SPEAKER_00

No. Lisa. Yes. Rome. No. I'm going to say one word, Vanessa. I don't know, Vanessa. You don't. Do you remember Vanessa at Vinci Gelato in Florence? I was going to say Florence.

SPEAKER_01

Megan. Florence. Megan gets that point. And I went through a whole other Vanessa.

SPEAKER_03

But no more one-word hints, because that gives it away.

SPEAKER_00

I know. What is Haggis traditionally stuffed into? Lisa? Yes. Bread. Haggis? Haggis. No. Oh no, that's the sandwich I'm thinking of.

SPEAKER_02

There's your one guess.

SPEAKER_00

What is haggis usually stuffed in? I think haggis comes from the UK, right? Scottish. Scott, yeah. Okay. It's yes.

SPEAKER_02

Stomach?

SPEAKER_00

Yes. Sheep's stomach. Haggis' mixture of meats, oats, and spices traditionally cooked inside the stomach lining.

SPEAKER_01

Lucky guess. Well, it does sound not so fresh.

SPEAKER_00

All right. The last of round two is what European country eats reindeer meat as part of its traditional cuisine. This should be easy. Megan. Yes. Norway. No. Lisa. Yes. Finland. Yes. Okay. I'm happy for you.

SPEAKER_01

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00

I'll take it. At the end of round two, we've got a three-way tie with four points each. People. Round three is short. Six short questions. Restaurant and dining culture. Okay. Okay. Entirely different. In what country is it considered rude to ask for substitutions at a restaurant? Lisa. Yes. France.

unknown

No.

SPEAKER_01

Almost all of Europe. But that's not the answer. Yes. Italy? Yes. Well, I don't think a French chef will like give you a high five. Probably not.

SPEAKER_02

Especially like a like a real fancy one.

SPEAKER_00

All right. Where is tipping considered unnecessary or even confusing in restaurants? It's a trick question.

SPEAKER_01

Again, most places in Europe. Yes, yes, ding, ding, ding. Oh. Most places in Europe. That's it.

SPEAKER_00

Services included, tipping is minim tipping is minimal or unnecessary, and no one is tracking percentages. So don't let people tell you you have to tip in Europe. Just don't, don't, don't let them tell you. Don't be a sucker. What European country has fixed menu lunches that change daily and often include wine?

SPEAKER_02

Dillon.

SPEAKER_00

Yes.

SPEAKER_02

France. No.

SPEAKER_00

Lisa. Yes. Italy. Yes. What? I feel like a lot of places do that though.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, don't suspicious. I can definitely name a few French restaurants that do that.

SPEAKER_01

In your repertoire.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, so that's called the Menu de Jour, is a weekday lunch deal with multiple courses and often wine designed for workers, not tourists. Well, show my show.

SPEAKER_01

Well, and I will say that the name is French. Very French. So voilà. Bonjour madame.

SPEAKER_00

What? In which country will you often be charged extra for bread you didn't ask for? Lisa. Yes. Dylan. Germany. No. Lisa, Italy. Yes.

SPEAKER_02

Also definitely Germany.

SPEAKER_00

I've never been charged for bread for it. You pay for everything in Germany.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

In Italy, it often it often appears anyway on your table and then it shows up on the bill as coperto.

SPEAKER_01

Which is service too. It's like bread and service. And if you're in Tuscany, you should just pass that bread right out.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. Where is dinner commonly eaten as later as 9 or 10 p.m.? Yes.

SPEAKER_03

Spain.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. Very good. Okay. Last question in restaurant and dining culture. In which country is it common to eat fries with peanut sauce? Dylan? Yes. The Netherlands. Yes. Come on, Dylan is killing everything. Well, he's just faster. I knew the last two.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, they also seem a little obvious, so I was like, well, maybe there's some more. I keep thinking it's a trick question. Question.

SPEAKER_03

You guys heard one trick question. You think it's all that.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. All that in a bag of chips. I will say trick question from now on.

SPEAKER_03

If it is true, but then it kind of gives it away then.

SPEAKER_00

All right. So we're looking at five for Megan, seven for Lisa, and eight for Dylan right now. It's anybody's game. It's anybody's game. Round four, weird ingredients and unexpected origins. Oh goodness. That's quite a category. Five questions. I'll take that category for 500. What ingredient was originally used to make pasta black in squid ink pasta? Dylan. Yes.

SPEAKER_03

Squid ink.

SPEAKER_00

That's funny. The question says black in skid ink.

SPEAKER_01

I didn't think it was why I also, yeah, I was like.

SPEAKER_03

But was it squid ink?

SPEAKER_01

It is squid ink. Sure, that's a point. That question makes sense. I think we scratched the bottom. We're scratching them off that one.

SPEAKER_00

We're not doing that one. All right. Number two. Okay. What European dessert was originally invented as a way to use up stale bread? Don't. Dessert. Yes.

SPEAKER_03

Pound cake?

SPEAKER_00

No. Megan. Yes. Cookies. No. Lisa? Yes. Terramisu? No. Bread pudding. No. I don't even know what you like.

SPEAKER_01

I didn't even know that was that checked out.

SPEAKER_00

What country eats blood slashes as a traditional breakfast item? Lisa. Yes.

SPEAKER_01

Ireland? And well, and the UK.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, the UK is what I have. Okay.

SPEAKER_01

But I it was it's all on the menus in Ireland. I was gonna say it is also a big thing in Ireland, and they are a separate country, so I feel like as an Irish passport holder, I should also get a point.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. What cheese is made using maggots as part of the fermentation process?

SPEAKER_03

Dylan.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. You don't know the name of the where is it from? Italy. Where in Italy? Lisa.

SPEAKER_02

Sicily.

SPEAKER_00

Lisa, Sardinia. It's called Casu Marzu. It's a Sardinian cheese fermented with live maggots. It's illegal to sell commercially, but still eaten traditionally. But they definitely still make it. Okay, so this is round five. This is our last official round before lightning round, which is no different than any other round. This is hard mode. This is for food nerds. I don't know if it is. Okay. What European country has the most Michelin-starred restaurants per capita?

SPEAKER_02

Dillon. Yes. France.

SPEAKER_00

No. Lisa. Yes. England. No. Megan, Spain.

SPEAKER_01

No, Luxembourg. Yes. Luxembourg. Luxembourg.

SPEAKER_00

I told you there's a food culture there. Tiny country, huge food scene. Yeah. When you calculate per capita, Luxembourg beats culinary giants. And we'll be there in a few short weeks. Wow. Probably not eating in any Michelin star restaurants, but we'll be there. But we will admire them from afar. What is the protected name for sparkling my wine made specifically in northeastern France?

SPEAKER_02

Dylan.

SPEAKER_00

I'm giving this to Megan. It's champagne. I get it. This is my point. Thank you so much. That is Megan's point. Let's take a cheers for that. Cheers. Cheers.

SPEAKER_01

They are drinking a champagne for those of you at home.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. What Italian food has EU protected status that regulates how and where it can be made? Dylan. Yes. Pasta? No. Lisa. Yes. Wine. No. Food.

SPEAKER_01

Pork products.

SPEAKER_00

No. Pizza Napolitana. The EU regulates the dough, the ingredients, the cooking method, and even the oven temperature. This question is a good one. What country invented the sandwich?

SPEAKER_03

Dillon? Yes. The Netherlands.

SPEAKER_00

No. Megan, Germany. No. Lisa. Yes. I'm going to go England. Okay, you're going to get the point. And I did a lot of this research. How do you define a sandwich? Yeah. Not a hot dog. Here's what I'm going to say. From the research I did on Reddit, the sandwich. The sandwich is named after the Earl of Sandwich who wanted food he could eat without moving the table.

SPEAKER_03

There is no way.

SPEAKER_00

Wait. The Earl of Witch? Sandwich.

SPEAKER_03

Which Reddit was this from?

SPEAKER_01

The Earl of Witch?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, the Earl of Sandwich. The Earl of Sandwich. His name is John Montagu. I just looked this up. He was a statesman and former first lord of the Admiralty of the United Kingdom. He was born in November 13th, Scorpio, 1718. And he died April 30th, 1792. He was and he created it because he wanted to be able to not leave the table.

SPEAKER_01

And what's the case?

SPEAKER_00

But the British are known for appropriating everybody else's food.

SPEAKER_01

So I don't think Mr. Sandwich is the one who invented it.

SPEAKER_00

But his name, oh, I guess, why was he the Earl of Sandwich? Oh, because he was the Earl from Sandwich Kent. So maybe paninis are different than sandwiches, but he because it was from Sandwich, he is credited with creating the sandwich.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, he appropriated it and then named it after himself. You get the point, but I still I don't like it.

SPEAKER_00

I don't agree. I don't agree with that.

SPEAKER_01

You know, the point is all the matters.

SPEAKER_00

So going into the bonus round, Dylan has eight points. Lisa has ten points. Because of your bonus points. Megan has eight points. And the boy took away. The lightning round is four questions, two points each. Two points each. Two points, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I like that. Really kicking it up, aren't you? Oh, because you you see prizes in your eyes, don't you?

SPEAKER_00

They're all true and false. True or false. Ready? True or false. Ketchup was once sold as medicine in Europe.

SPEAKER_02

True. Dylan.

SPEAKER_00

Lisa, true.

SPEAKER_02

I said Dylan first.

SPEAKER_00

All right. That is correct, Dylan. I just read that the other day. True or false is difficult.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I just I literally just read that the other day. Did you see that on Instagram?

SPEAKER_00

Yes. In the 1800s, ketchup was marked as a cure for indigestion.

SPEAKER_03

Dylan's it.

SPEAKER_00

The original pepped up its mouth. Yes.

SPEAKER_03

I thought that was another question.

SPEAKER_00

The same delicious flavor, too. Okay, true or false. The EU regulates the shape of bananas.

SPEAKER_02

Dylan. Yes. False.

SPEAKER_00

Lisa, that's true. True. I'm gonna give it to Megan. She didn't say her name first. The EU once regulated banana classifications for trade. It became an internet legend. Sort of. It's true, sort of. So she gets the points.

SPEAKER_03

Sort of. So sort of true, but also sort of false.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. So she sort of got two points.

SPEAKER_03

So I sort of got one point.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, like okay. True or false. Pasta was brought to Italy by Marco Polo. Lisa. Yes. False. Correct. Pasta existed in Italy long before Marco Polo. This is one of the most persistent food myths. True. Last question. Is anybody's game? Anybody? Well, it could be a tie, and then I'll have to come up with a tiebreaker. Well, the point is if Lisa gets this game over, winner! If either Megan or Dylan get it, then they're tied with Lisa and we go into a tiebreaker. Arm wrestle. No, we go into a tiebreaker. True or false? Some European cheeses are aged in caves.

SPEAKER_03

Dylan. True.

SPEAKER_00

Yes.

unknown

All right.

SPEAKER_00

Sorry, Megan. 50-50. I mean, you still get a prize.

SPEAKER_03

Sorry, Megan.

SPEAKER_01

Rude. And you know somebody who does that, so it's not really interesting. I think we all knew that was true. Yeah. I think we need buzzers for quick next.

SPEAKER_03

So you're trying to take away two points away from me now.

SPEAKER_01

No, you can keep your points. I just think we should also get some. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

You can take some of Lisa's.

SPEAKER_01

You're so generous. Can I just disrupt the tiebreaker now?

SPEAKER_00

Yep.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, you can. You can come in for the win, actually.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. The tiebreaker is going to be worth three points.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_00

So this could put you up. I think it's sudden death, winner, take all.

SPEAKER_03

Not true or false, though. I don't think that would be very anticlimatic for the tiebreaker.

SPEAKER_00

It's gonna be it's gonna be things that you see in like Big Brother and Survivor. It's gonna be a physical challenge. It's gonna be a physical challenge. No, it's gonna be who gets the closest to the number. Oh.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, okay. So sort of like uh Destination X.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. Like all great trivia question shows like this one. All right. Okay. Ready? Yes. It's an Italian question, so I think we all have a better shot.

SPEAKER_03

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

Or do you want to go Irish? No, no, it's okay. Well, it's anybody. How many official recognized pasta shapes are there in Italy? Okay. Lisa? 128. Megan? 30.

SPEAKER_02

82.

SPEAKER_00

Lisa's the winner with 350 shapes of pasta. Thank you. I think you've got to be able to do that. There's 30 in Torino alone. To be honest.

SPEAKER_01

Can we just celebrate that I want?

SPEAKER_00

So the winner is Lisa. And but everybody wins. I've ever thank you for joining us today. Thank you. I think next trivia in a few months, Megan will be the host. Oh. Okay. All right. And then I will be the host next. You're related. But being the host, you gotta come up with categories.

SPEAKER_01

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

Um I will say now I do accept bribes.

SPEAKER_01

Well, thanks for listening.

SPEAKER_00

Check out the website www.thetaways with a Z. And we'll see you next week.com. Dot com.com.

SPEAKER_01

And we will see you next week.

SPEAKER_03

And I'm Dylan.

SPEAKER_01

And you lost. Thanks. Bye.

SPEAKER_03

Bye.