Italian Food Quiz
Pizza, pasta, Parmigiano, prosciutto: 15 questions on the dishes that made Italy the world's favorite kitchen.
Which Italian city is considered the birthplace of pizza?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Naples
Pizza as we know it grew out of the flatbreads sold to the working poor of Naples in the 18th and 19th centuries, and Neapolitan pizza is now protected by its own EU designation.
Legend says the pizza Margherita was named in 1889 after Queen Margherita of Savoy, with tomato, mozzarella and basil echoing the Italian flag.
Which cheese gives tiramisu its rich, creamy layer?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Mascarpone
Tiramisu layers espresso soaked savoiardi biscuits with a cream of mascarpone, eggs and sugar, then finishes with cocoa. Mascarpone is a soft, high fat cream cheese from Lombardy.
The name tiramisu means 'pick me up' or 'cheer me up', a nod to the lift from the coffee and sugar.
Which Italian city gives its name to a famous dry-cured prosciutto?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Parma
Prosciutto di Parma is a protected ham from the hills around Parma in Emilia-Romagna, cured with nothing but sea salt and aged for at least 12 months.
Pigs destined for Prosciutto di Parma are often fed whey left over from making Parmigiano Reggiano in the same region.
Which ingredient gives risotto alla milanese its golden color?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Saffron
Risotto alla milanese is cooked with saffron threads stirred into the stock, which tints the rice a deep gold and adds a delicate floral flavor to the butter and Parmigiano.
Saffron risotto is the traditional partner for osso buco, and the two are often served together as one Milanese dish.
Pesto, the basil and pine nut sauce, is traditionally associated with which Italian city?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Genoa
Pesto alla genovese comes from Genoa in Liguria, where small leaved basil is pounded with pine nuts, garlic, Parmigiano, pecorino and olive oil. The name comes from the verb pestare, meaning to pound.
Liguria has its own pasta for pesto, trofie, a short twisted shape usually boiled together with green beans and potatoes.
Which pasta shape has a name that means 'little worms' in Italian?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Vermicelli
Vermicelli literally means little worms, from the Italian verme. In Italy it is slightly thicker than spaghetti, although in the United States the name is used for a thinner strand.
Fusilli means little spindles, farfalle means butterflies and rigatoni refers to the ridges that help sauce cling to the tube.
Traditional balsamic vinegar with protected status is produced in which Italian city?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Modena
Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena is made from cooked grape must aged in a series of wooden barrels for at least 12 years, and a version from nearby Reggio Emilia shares the status.
The cheap balsamic in most supermarkets is a different product, wine vinegar mixed with grape must and often caramel, and needs no long aging.
Arancini, the fried rice balls with a filling, are a specialty of which region?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Sicily
Arancini are Sicilian street food: balls of saffron or tomato rice stuffed with ragù, peas and cheese, then breaded and deep fried. The name means little oranges, after their shape and color.
Sicilians argue over the name itself: in Palermo they are arancine, feminine, while in Catania they are arancini, masculine.
Which cheese is used in an authentic Roman spaghetti alla carbonara?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Pecorino Romano
Classic carbonara is made with guanciale, eggs, black pepper and Pecorino Romano, a salty sheep's milk cheese from Lazio. No cream is used; the sauce comes from eggs and starchy pasta water.
Carbonara is a relatively young dish, first recorded in Rome in the years just after the Second World War.
Which pasta dish takes its name from the Italian word for 'angry'?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Penne all'arrabbiata
Arrabbiata means angry, and the sauce earns the name from its generous dose of dried red chili. It is a simple Roman dish of garlic, tomato and chili, usually served with penne.
Pasta alla Norma, from Catania, is named after Bellini's opera Norma and features fried eggplant with ricotta salata.
Panettone, the tall sweet Christmas bread, originated in which Italian city?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Milan
Panettone is a Milanese specialty, a domed sweet bread studded with candied fruit and raisins that is leavened slowly, sometimes over several days, to get its light, airy crumb.
Verona has its own rival Christmas bread, pandoro, a star shaped golden cake dusted with powdered sugar and made without candied fruit.
Which Italian cheese has a name that means 'recooked'?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Ricotta
Ricotta means recooked because it is made by reheating the whey left over from cheesemaking, which causes the remaining proteins to curdle into a soft, mild cheese.
Burrata is a pouch of mozzarella filled with cream and shreds of cheese, a creation from Puglia that dates only to the 1950s.
What does the name of the Puglian pasta shape orecchiette mean?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Little ears
Orecchiette means little ears, after the small cupped shape made by dragging a piece of dough with a knife and flipping it over the thumb. In Puglia it is classically served with cime di rapa.
Linguine means little tongues, and in Bari you can still watch women shaping orecchiette by hand in the doorways of the old town.
Osso buco, the classic Milanese braise, is made from which cut of meat?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Veal shank
Osso buco means bone with a hole and refers to cross cut veal shanks braised slowly with white wine, vegetables and broth until the marrow inside the bone can be scooped out.
The dish is finished with gremolata, a sprinkle of chopped parsley, garlic and lemon zest that cuts through the richness.
Bistecca alla fiorentina is traditionally cut from which breed of cattle?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Chianina
The Florentine steak is a thick T-bone from the Chianina, a huge white breed from the Val di Chiana in Tuscany, grilled over coals and served rare with only salt, pepper and olive oil.
The Chianina is one of the oldest and largest cattle breeds in the world, with bulls that can stand nearly 2 meters (6.5 feet) at the shoulder.
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All Food and Drink quizzes →About the Italian Food Quiz
Italy did not just give the world pizza. It gave us the pizza Margherita, created in Naples and colored like the national flag, plus more than 300 named pasta shapes, a cheese so prized that Italian banks have accepted Parmigiano Reggiano wheels as loan collateral, and a vinegar from Modena that is aged for at least 12 years before it can be called traditional.
These 15 questions start with the crowd pleasers (where pizza was born, what goes into tiramisu) and work up to regional deep cuts about Sicilian street food, the true cheese in a carbonara and the giant white cattle behind Florence's most famous steak. Perfect for home cooks, travelers and anyone who argues about pineapple on pizza.
You will find 15 multiple choice questions here, each with four options. Difficulty: Medium. Most people finish in about 6 minutes, and every answer comes with a short explanation and one extra fact worth keeping.
How to play
Read the question and pick one of the four answers. The correct answer is revealed straight away with a short explanation, then press Next question to keep going. At the end you get your score out of 15 and a full review of your round. Play again any time and the questions arrive in a fresh order. There is no timer and no account.
Good to know before you play
How hard is the Italian Food Quiz?
It is rated Medium. The first few questions on pizza and tiramisu are easy, the middle covers pasta names and cheeses, and the last three test regional knowledge.
Does the quiz cover Italian American dishes?
No. It sticks to dishes as they are made in Italy, which is why the carbonara question asks about pecorino rather than cream or Parmesan.
Can I see the answers after each question?
Yes. Every question shows the correct answer immediately with a short explanation and an extra fact you can use at your next dinner.
Answer key: all 15 questions with explanations
- Which Italian city is considered the birthplace of pizza?
Naples Pizza as we know it grew out of the flatbreads sold to the working poor of Naples in the 18th and 19th centuries, and Neapolitan pizza is now protected by its own EU designation. Legend says the pizza Margherita was named in 1889 after Queen Margherita of Savoy, with tomato, mozzarella and basil echoing the Italian flag. - Which cheese gives tiramisu its rich, creamy layer?
Mascarpone Tiramisu layers espresso soaked savoiardi biscuits with a cream of mascarpone, eggs and sugar, then finishes with cocoa. Mascarpone is a soft, high fat cream cheese from Lombardy. The name tiramisu means 'pick me up' or 'cheer me up', a nod to the lift from the coffee and sugar. - Which Italian city gives its name to a famous dry-cured prosciutto?
Parma Prosciutto di Parma is a protected ham from the hills around Parma in Emilia-Romagna, cured with nothing but sea salt and aged for at least 12 months. Pigs destined for Prosciutto di Parma are often fed whey left over from making Parmigiano Reggiano in the same region. - Which ingredient gives risotto alla milanese its golden color?
Saffron Risotto alla milanese is cooked with saffron threads stirred into the stock, which tints the rice a deep gold and adds a delicate floral flavor to the butter and Parmigiano. Saffron risotto is the traditional partner for osso buco, and the two are often served together as one Milanese dish. - Pesto, the basil and pine nut sauce, is traditionally associated with which Italian city?
Genoa Pesto alla genovese comes from Genoa in Liguria, where small leaved basil is pounded with pine nuts, garlic, Parmigiano, pecorino and olive oil. The name comes from the verb pestare, meaning to pound. Liguria has its own pasta for pesto, trofie, a short twisted shape usually boiled together with green beans and potatoes. - Which pasta shape has a name that means 'little worms' in Italian?
Vermicelli Vermicelli literally means little worms, from the Italian verme. In Italy it is slightly thicker than spaghetti, although in the United States the name is used for a thinner strand. Fusilli means little spindles, farfalle means butterflies and rigatoni refers to the ridges that help sauce cling to the tube. - Traditional balsamic vinegar with protected status is produced in which Italian city?
Modena Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena is made from cooked grape must aged in a series of wooden barrels for at least 12 years, and a version from nearby Reggio Emilia shares the status. The cheap balsamic in most supermarkets is a different product, wine vinegar mixed with grape must and often caramel, and needs no long aging. - Arancini, the fried rice balls with a filling, are a specialty of which region?
Sicily Arancini are Sicilian street food: balls of saffron or tomato rice stuffed with ragù, peas and cheese, then breaded and deep fried. The name means little oranges, after their shape and color. Sicilians argue over the name itself: in Palermo they are arancine, feminine, while in Catania they are arancini, masculine. - Which cheese is used in an authentic Roman spaghetti alla carbonara?
Pecorino Romano Classic carbonara is made with guanciale, eggs, black pepper and Pecorino Romano, a salty sheep's milk cheese from Lazio. No cream is used; the sauce comes from eggs and starchy pasta water. Carbonara is a relatively young dish, first recorded in Rome in the years just after the Second World War. - Which pasta dish takes its name from the Italian word for 'angry'?
Penne all'arrabbiata Arrabbiata means angry, and the sauce earns the name from its generous dose of dried red chili. It is a simple Roman dish of garlic, tomato and chili, usually served with penne. Pasta alla Norma, from Catania, is named after Bellini's opera Norma and features fried eggplant with ricotta salata. - Panettone, the tall sweet Christmas bread, originated in which Italian city?
Milan Panettone is a Milanese specialty, a domed sweet bread studded with candied fruit and raisins that is leavened slowly, sometimes over several days, to get its light, airy crumb. Verona has its own rival Christmas bread, pandoro, a star shaped golden cake dusted with powdered sugar and made without candied fruit. - Which Italian cheese has a name that means 'recooked'?
Ricotta Ricotta means recooked because it is made by reheating the whey left over from cheesemaking, which causes the remaining proteins to curdle into a soft, mild cheese. Burrata is a pouch of mozzarella filled with cream and shreds of cheese, a creation from Puglia that dates only to the 1950s. - What does the name of the Puglian pasta shape orecchiette mean?
Little ears Orecchiette means little ears, after the small cupped shape made by dragging a piece of dough with a knife and flipping it over the thumb. In Puglia it is classically served with cime di rapa. Linguine means little tongues, and in Bari you can still watch women shaping orecchiette by hand in the doorways of the old town. - Osso buco, the classic Milanese braise, is made from which cut of meat?
Veal shank Osso buco means bone with a hole and refers to cross cut veal shanks braised slowly with white wine, vegetables and broth until the marrow inside the bone can be scooped out. The dish is finished with gremolata, a sprinkle of chopped parsley, garlic and lemon zest that cuts through the richness. - Bistecca alla fiorentina is traditionally cut from which breed of cattle?
Chianina The Florentine steak is a thick T-bone from the Chianina, a huge white breed from the Val di Chiana in Tuscany, grilled over coals and served rare with only salt, pepper and olive oil. The Chianina is one of the oldest and largest cattle breeds in the world, with bulls that can stand nearly 2 meters (6.5 feet) at the shoulder.
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