Culinary Pop Culture
In Ratatouille, this rat becomes a chef in this city.
Where is Paris?
This gas is produced by baking soda when it reacts with an acid, causing baked goods to rise.
What is carbon dioxide?
The ancient Mayans and Aztecs used this bitter beverage in spiritual rituals and as currency.
What is chocolate?
This flat utensil flips pancakes and burgers.
What is a spatula?
Often considered a delicacy, this slippery mollusk is served raw on the half shell with lemon or mignonette.
What is an oyster?
This fast food chain’s red-headed mascot appears in memes, ads, and roasts on Twitter.
What is Wendy's?
This process happens when meat browns in a pan, giving it a deep, savory flavor.
What is the Maillard reaction?
This common handheld meal is named after a British noble who didn't want to leave the card table to eat.
What is a sandwich?
This handheld tool is used to blend soups right in the pot.
What is an immersion blender?
This fermented Korean side dish is made with cabbage, chili, and garlic, and it packs both heat and probiotics.
What is kimchi?
In Stranger Things, this Eggo-obsessed girl has psychic powers.
Who is Eleven?
This process preserves food by killing bacteria at 160°F+ without boiling — invented to make milk safer.
What is pasteurization?
This fruit was feared as poisonous in 1600s Europe before it became central to Italian cuisine.
What is the tomato?
This wire/metal tool helps you remove lumps from dry ingredients before baking.
What is a sifter?
This dish includes fertilized duck eggs with partially developed embryos inside.
What is balut?
In Elf, Buddy makes spaghetti topped with these sweet ingredients.
What are Pop-Tarts, syrup, and candy?
This thickener used in sauces and pie fillings is a starch that must be cooked to fully activate.
What is cornstarch?
This burger chain, founded in 1921, is considered the first fast food restaurant in the U.S.
What is White Castle?
Used in baking, this piece of equipment circulates hot air for even cooking.
What is a convection oven?
Popular in Ethiopia, this spongey, slightly sour flatbread is used as both plate and utensil.
What is injera?
“Is butter a carb?” is a quote from this 2004 teen comedy.
What is Mean Girls?
What is the danger zone for bacteria growth in food?
What is 40°F to 140°F?
This tomato-based condiment is now considered American, but its name comes from a Chinese word for “fish sauce.”
What is ketchup?
It’s not a knife, but it slices fruits and veggies with razor-sharp accuracy—just don’t forget the hand guard.
What is a mandoline?
This traditional soup from Vietnam combines bone broth, herbs, and rice noodles and is typically eaten for breakfast.
What is pho?