Episode 2 A Question of Taste

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Hello, I'm Kirsty Wark. Welcome to A Question of Taste,

the food show puts the quiz into cuisine.

We have two teams ready to do battle in a supreme culinary clash.

Over five rounds, we'll squeeze out

every little morsel of foodie information they have

by testing them on a huge variety of gastronomic subjects.

Only one team can win.

So before we serve up the first course of questions,

let's meet our culinary quizzers.

First up, we have The Gastronomers and their team captain, Oliver.

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So...introduce your compadres and tell us where you're all from.

My compadres are James and Felicity.

The three of us live in London.

We're all professional food writers, Kirsty.

We write for the national broadsheets.

And James and Felicity have both written books, as well.

So, no pressure(!) Do you eat together?

We often eat together, yes. We know each other very well indeed

through the food scene in London.

Lovely to have you here. The Gastronomers!

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And taking them on this week, we have The Epicurean Fails

and their team captain, Mimi!

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What a great name!

We're certainly not professionals. We're all amateurs.

I write a food blog in my spare time.

I write about Asian food, specifically Burmese food.

This is my friend Donald. He knows a lot about wine.

And this is my friend Paul.

We were both in a competition to cook a pig's head,

-which was judged by Jamie Oliver's butchers.

-A-ha.

-And you all get together in London?

-We all get together in London, yes.

So, where does the Fails come from?

Um...because we don't think we're going to win.

I like to have that positive spirit at the start of a competition(!)

Well, those are the teams,

but there's one more person I need to introduce.

In our Kitchen Corner, or as I like to call it, the scullery,

the man behind one of the UK's most popular culinary publications,

for whom food and drink is his bread and butter, it's William Sitwell!

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So, you're going to be cooking up some treats of trivia for us today.

I'm here in Kitchen Corner.

My job is to elaborate on some of the finer points of the questions,

hopefully serve up some tasty morsels of trivia

for the teams and also for the viewers at home.

Now, let's get quizzing with Round One, See Food.

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This is a fingers-on-buzzers round.

I'm going to ask you 15 questions, each relating to a picture.

If you buzz in with a correct answer,

you'll obviously score a point.

An incorrect answer means the question will be thrown to the opposing side.

Fingers on the buzzers, here is your first question.

Name this style of sushi. Epicurean Fails.

-Nigiri.

-Nigiri sushi. That is the correct answer. A very quick buzz.

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Now, what is the name of this implement?

-Epicurean Fails.

-Dutch urn?

-Incorrect. Gastronomers? Any ideas?

I'm going to have to tell you, it's a poike.

What is the technical term for the culinary knife cut shown here?

-Gastronomers?

-It's, er...diced.

That is incorrect. Epicurean Fails?

-Brunoise?

-I'm afraid it is not brunoise.

The answer is macedoine. What food is harvested alongside this fruit?

-Epicurean Fails.

-Cashew nut?

Cashew nut is the right answer. What is that strange-looking object?

It's a cashew fruit. It's grown in countries such as Brazil and India.

You have to eat it within 24 hours, because it goes off very quickly.

It doesn't taste like a cashew nut, it tastes more like mango.

From which county in Britain does this famously shaped...?

-Gastronomers?

-Cumberland.

-No. I'm afraid that's incorrect.

-Epicurean Fails?

-Cumbria?

-Cumbria is the correct answer.

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What is the missing ingredient from a bechamel sauce? Epicurean Fails?

-Milk.

-That is correct.

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In which month are all these three in season?

-Gastronomers.

-January.

That is incorrect, so I'll put it over to the other side.

December.

Clementines, cauliflowers, endive or chicory,

-December is the right answer.

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Name the chef pictured here.

-Gastronomers.

-Angela Hartnett.

-That's the right answer.

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Which broth is a national dish of this country? Epicurean Fails.

-Cawl.

-Cawl is the correct answer.

-Tell us about cawl.

-It's a stew.

You normally would put lamb or mutton in it.

Bacon, any kind of vegetables you've got to hand.

But specifically leeks. And it's such a key dish in Wales

that they now actually have the Cawl Cooking World Championships.

What is the name of this particular shape of pasta?

-Gastronomers.

-I think it's rotolo.

-It is rotolo. Very well done.

This is the chemical symbol for which cooking ingredient?

-Gastronomers.

-Salt?

That is incorrect. Epicurean Fails?

-Sodium Hydroxide. Baking powder.

-It is indeed.

Who wrote this cookbook?

-Gastronomers.

-Elizabeth David?

Absolutely right. Do you have that book?

I do, indeed.

-She really transformed post-war cooking.

-She was seminal.

Because after many, many years of rationing,

she came back to Britain, having spent a lot of time in France

and the Mediterranean, introduced people to new ingredients.

She was key to a resurge in British food culture in the early days.

Now, what is the Latin name of this ingredient? Epicurean Fails.

-Um... Allium?

-Allium is the right answer.

Very good indeed. Very good indeed.

What food stuff have we zoomed in on here?

-Epicurean Fails.

-Is that asparagus?

-That is incorrect.

-Gastronomers, can you see this correctly?

-Broccoli?

Broccoli is the correct answer. Well done.

This is the final question.

What is the British name for this cut of beef? Epicurean Fails.

-Sirloin.

-Incorrect. Gastronomers, do you know your cuts of beef?

-A rib.

It's the fore rib. That's the right answer. Very well done.

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At the end of that round, William, what are the scores?

The Gastronomers are on five, but succeeding at this part of the game,

the Epicurean Fails have eight points.

Well done. Good start!

Now, the next round is a visual feast. TV Dinners.

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Now, in this round, we'll be showing you six classic

culinary clips from the TV archives, past and present.

The first clip is Delia Smith.

In this extract, we've bleeped out a key word,

and all we want you to do is to buzz in and identify that word.

Here's the delectable Delia.

Cooking the meringue is important.

You preheat the oven to gas mark two,

that's 300 degrees Fahrenheit,

about 20 minutes before you start.

And then, when you put the meringue into the oven,

turn the heat down, this time to gas mark one,

-that's

-BLEEP

-degrees Fahrenheit.

And then you leave the meringue in the oven for one hour exactly.

-Gastronomers.

-130 degrees C?

I'm afraid that is incorrect. Epicurean Fails?

I thought she said Fahrenheit. So I'd say 250.

Let's see what Delia actually said.

Turn the heat down, this time to gas mark one,

that's 275 degrees Fahrenheit.

-Now, who are the bakers among you?

-Not I.

Next up is another missing word for you to identify

from Anthony Worrall Thompson in 1999.

Some lime juice, fresh lime juice,

squeezed off the lime there.

And then the lime rind, which I just grated off that lime.

-OK,

-BLEEP,

-or fish sauce.

-Epicurean Fails.

Nam pla.

Let's see if Anthony Worrall Thompson was talking about nam pla.

OK, nam pla, or fish sauce,

which is becoming more and more available,

but certainly in Oriental supermarkets.

-Mimi, do you cook with nam pla?

-I do.

-Do you cook with it in those quantities?

-No.

That was a scary amount of fish sauce.

It's pretty potent stuff. It's very popular in south-east Asian dishes.

You take very small fishes, they are fermented in vats of brine.

You then remove what's known as the supernatant liquid,

which you then mature in the sun. It is incredibly strong.

And the finest chefs would advise you to use it sparingly.

Now, this time, it is the wonderful Marguerite Patten from the 1950s.

Watch the clip this time, and a question will follow.

That's one great drawback about cooking, isn't it?

We have the time and we have the opportunity

for nibbles between meals.

There's nothing against it, it's one of the really nice things

about being a housewife.

But, and in my case, and I expect in some of yours, too,

those extra snacks do put on weight.

Now, I'm not suggesting we cut them out altogether. Oh, dear me, no.

But what I do suggest is we choose our food carefully.

A wonderful thing about being a housewife

is to have nibbles between meals. And here is the question.

Which fruit has 190 calories per 100 grams?

-Which fruit has 190 calories...? Gastronomers?

-Is it avocado?

-Correct answer. Very well done!

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Well, next up, it's Rick Stein from 1999.

And see if you can guess the bleeped-out word.

Look at that fillet.

I mean, that is pure, beautiful, meaty fish.

And it smells so delicious.

It should, cos I only caught it about an hour ago.

And I'm going to panfry that and serve it with

-BLEEP,

-which is this American-Indian dish.

It's made with sweetcorn and butterbeans

and a little bit of smoked pork.

Now, Gastronomers, you're in fast.

-Succotash.

-Let's see if he's right.

And I'm going to panfry that and serve it with succotash,

which is this American-Indian dish...

-Have you cooked a succotash?

-I've not, no.

But it made sense with an American-Indian dish.

Now, here's those Two Fat Ladies from 1996.

And again, you're looking for the missing word.

-Hey-ho.

-Hey! Hey!

-What wonderful monsters you've got.

-Yes.

-And look, I even found a

-BLEEP!

-Oh, they're lovely.

I really find them delicious.

Now, Gastronomers, you were in pretty smart-ish.

-Trompette de la mort.

-I'm afraid that's incorrect.

Epicurean Fails?

(I haven't got a clue.)

-LAUGHTER

-You haven't got a clue.

Well, let's see what she was actually holding in her hand.

-And look, I even found a shaggy ink cap!

-Oh, they're lovely!

I really find them delicious.

Delicious, but of course, that was definitely a shaggy ink cap.

Now, our final clip is from

one of the world's first ever celebrity chefs.

The inimitable Philip Harben from the 1960s.

Watch the clip this time. A question will follow.

My name is Philip Harben. I want to talk to you about cooking.

It's a most important subject,

not taken nearly seriously enough in this country.

Cooking means applying heat to food in order to gestate.

See what I mean? Cooked.

There we have it. It's all about dropping an egg on a table.

Now, here is the question. Philip was famous for showing housewives

how to make the best of their food rations.

But starting in 1940,

for how many years was food rationed in the UK?

-Starting in 1940, for how many years? Gastronomers?

-16.

I'm afraid that is incorrect. I'll put it over to the other side.

-What do you...?

-14. I think it ended in 1954.

-And 14 is the correct answer!

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At the end of that round, what are the scores?

The Gastronomers are on seven,

and still in the lead, the Epicurean Fails are on ten.

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Well, moving on to Round Three, this is Smorgasbord.

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Now, in this round, each team will take it in turn

to be in charge of a question board.

So, first up, Gastronomers. Let's have a look at your board.

So, we can see ten pictures of food.

All we want you to do is to identify the five hybridised fruit.

You'll get a point for every one you get right.

If you get one wrong, we throw the board over to the opposing team,

and all they have to do is get the first one right

to take away all the points you've earned

and give themselves a bonus point.

So, Willy, before we begin, can we have a little more detail?

So, there's five points on offer. It's very simple.

You're looking for the fruits which are hybridised.

We mean by that fruits that have been crossbred

from either two breeds of the same species

or from two different species.

So, Gastronomers, can we have your first selection, please,

from the smorgasbord?

Pomelo, grapefruit and, er, something else?

It's not an easy one. What do you want to do?

Pineberry looks completely made up, doesn't it?

-Pineberry is our first one.

-You think pineberry is a hybridised fruit.

-Hope so.

-Well, are you right? Let's look at the board.

Good.

William, you know everything there is to know about the pineberry.

The pineberry is a hybrid of two different cultivars of strawberry.

It has an unusual taste in that it looks like a strawberry,

but tastes like a pineapple.

One down, four to go. What's your next selection?

-Boysenberry.

-Boysenberry. A hybrid?

What does the board say?

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Very good. Tell us about the boysenberry.

It's a hybrid of various berries,

including raspberry and blackberry.

Great for jam, in fact. Now, your third selection.

INDISTINCT CHATTER

Blood lime.

Let's see if you're right.

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It's getting tricky because there's two more to go. So think carefully.

-Red pomelo.

-Red pomelo.

Is red pomelo a hybrid?

The red pomelo, William.

The red pomelo, it's a large citrus fruit.

People in south-east Asia will be familiar with it. It's very old.

There's evidence that it goes back in China to as early as 100 BC.

Now, Epicurean Fails, if you get the next one right,

you will get a point and remove the points

the Gastronomers have just earned with their knowledge.

So tell me, there are two left to go.

-What do you reckon?

-Salmonberry.

-Salmonberry?

-You think a salmonberry is a hybrid?

It doesn't ring a bell.

And I've gone through most of the fruit bit of Harold McGee and...

OK. Now, let's have a look and see if you're right.

It's just another kind of fruit, and a relative of the raspberry,

so it's not the hybrid.

Let's look at the board, and we'll give you the final two hybrids.

They are the orangello...

That's a cross between a grapefruit and an orange.

..and finally...the grapefruit.

Which itself is a cross between a pomelo and an orange.

So, because of the failure of the other team

to get that one right, you retain your points.

So at the moment, halfway through this round, you're on ten each.

Epicurean Fails, there's a critical moment for you. Here is your board.

And we want you to identify the five foods

which have either PDO or PGI status.

William, to what does this refer?

So five of these foods can only be made

in a certain geographical location.

You have to apply to the European Commission for it.

PDO status means Protective Designation of Origin.

PGI is Protective Geographical Indication.

So it's rather like Champagne in France

or Parmigiano Reggiano from Italy.

We're looking for the British equivalents. Five of them.

Are you ready, Epicurean Fails?

We'd like to have your first selection.

INDISTINCT CHATTER

-Stilton.

-Let's see if you're right.

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Good start.

Four more PDO or PGI foodstuffs to go.

-Melton Mowbray Pork Pies.

-Melton Mowbray Pork Pies.

Very famous pies, but do they have Protected Geographical status?

-And that was hard-fought.

-There was a man called Matthew O'Callaghan.

He was a local councillor

and he embarked on a ten-year campaign

to try and get PDO status

for the Melton Mowbray pork pie, and he won.

Now, two on the Smorgasbord you've identified,

which means there are three to be identified.

-Cornish pasties.

-Cornish pasties.

Are they particular to Cornwall? Let's find out.

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Now, as with the Gastronomers, it gets a little more tricky here.

So, can I have your fourth selection, please?

-Yorkshire rhubarb.

-Yorkshire rhubarb.

Let's see if you're correct.

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Now...what you could do now

is you could win the five points, or you could get this one wrong

and let the Gastronomers come in with just one tiny little answer.

-So, what's it going to be?

-I've no idea.

What do you reckon?

I'm between Eccles cakes or Wensleydale.

I'm afraid I'm going to have to

hurry this conversation along a little.

-Bakewell. Bakewell Pudding.

-Bakewell Pudding.

But does it have geographical status?

Now, Gastronomers, you just have to get this one right.

-Jersey Royals.

-Jersey Royals.

A particular well-known place for potatoes,

but does it have a geographical status?

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It does indeed.

What does that mean in terms of points at the end of this round?

The Epicurean Fails are on ten.

The Gastronomers are on 11 points.

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OK. The next round is called Food Clues.

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There are two questions in this round. For each question,

I'll reveal a series of clues, all related to a particular food.

The more clues we reveal, the more apparent the answer will become.

You can buzz in at any time and have a guess - however, you're only allowed one guess per team.

If you get it wrong, the other team will have all the successive clues to themselves.

Each question is worth two points.

So, will you be brave, go in early to try to steal the points,

or will you sit back and potentially get beaten to the punch?

Here's your first set of clues.

And as always, clue number one is on the desk in front of you.

You're trying to identify the food associated with the item,

not the item itself.

You OK with that?

Please, take your shiny tops off.

LAUGHTER

INDISTINCT CHATTER

Any ideas?

INDISTINCT CHATTER

I'm going to give you your second clue.

In 1999, Crayola crayons

changed the name of its Indian Red crayon

to be named after this.

Epicurean Fails, very quick off the mark.

-Cherry.

-Cherry.

I'm afraid, Epicurean Fails, you just came in too quickly,

which means the Gastronomers can wait it out,

have all the rest of the clues and then make an educated answer.

Every December in southern Corsica,

there is a festival named after these.

Ardeche is believed to be the main producer in France,

with around 50% of the national production.

They are used to make the confectionary marrons glaces.

At Christmas, they are often roasted on an open fire. What are they?

-Chestnuts.

-They are indeed chestnuts.

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Now, William, what is the implement?

This invention is called a chestnutter.

And in order to cook chestnuts perfectly,

you need to slash a steam vent in it.

So rather than use a knife, what you do is you remove the top,

you place a chestnut in it

and then you press down on the top.

Then you open it up, and what you then have

is a perfect little cross,

which will help it let off steam while it's cooking.

And, of course, what you thought was that it was a cherry pipper.

-Yes.

-Well, it was a good educated guess, but I'm afraid no cigar.

Here is your second set of clues. Reveal the item in front of you.

INDISTINCT CHATTER

Remember, it's the food associated with the item, not the item itself.

I am going to give you your second clue.

One of the first published recipes appeared in 1845 cookbook

Modern Cookery for Private Families by Eliza Acton.

The original Indian version includes blanched almonds and coconut milk.

The English translation

of the original Tamil name is pepper water.

You're all very quiet.

Nothing coming to you?

According to some sources, it was created because

the British in India during colonial times demanded a soup course.

-Gastronomers.

-Mulligatawny.

Mulligatawny is the right answer!

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There's one final food fact to give you.

It's a curry-flavoured soup often thickened with rice.

Well done.

But what's the connection between mulligatawny and that pottery?

Well, obviously, that piece of pottery is a soup ramp,

and it dates back to the Victorian era.

Victorians were very big on their etiquette.

What could be worse when you had a posh dinner party

than having to tilt your plate of soup

as the liquid had reduced?

So, you mount your soup plate on your soup ramp

and then you slurp it happily.

So, William, scores, please.

The scores at the end of that round -

the Epicurean Fails are on ten.

Leaping ahead now, the Gastronomers have 15 points.

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Fortunes have changed between the start

and moving on to the finale.

And now we have a final hectic round called Gastroknowledge.

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Now, you're going to have two minutes of questions on the buzzer.

Lots of points on offer here.

Plenty of chance for the Epicurean Fails to catch up,

or for you, the Gastronomers, to steam ahead.

So, can we have two minutes on the clock, please?

Which French terms refers to a dish of meat that has been boned,

stuffed, rolled and tied?

-Epicurean Fails.

-Ballantine.

-Correct.

Which Indian dish's name literally means two onions? Gastronomers.

-Dopiaza.

-Correct.

What is the name of the type of wine produced from rotting grapes?

-Epicurean Fails.

-Sauterne, or a dessert wine.

-No.

Over to The Gastronomers.

Botrytised.

-What is another name for boiled cornmeal? Gastronomers.

-Polenta.

Correct. What was Mrs Beeton's first name? Gastronomers.

-Sorry...Eliza.

-Incorrect. Epicurean Fails, do you know?

-Elizabeth?

-No. The answer was Isabella.

Tapenade is a paste consisting mainly...?

-Gastronomers?

-Olives.

-Incorrect.

Tapenade is a paste consisting mainly of olives, oil and what?

-Garlic.

-Anchovy.

What involves oysters with herbs, breadcrumbs and butter

-before breaking...? Epicurean Fails.

-Rockefeller.

Oysters Rockefeller is the right answer.

How many times has El Bulli won the world's 50 Best Restaurants award?

-Epicurean Fails.

-Three.

-Incorrect.

-Gastronomers.

-Five?

-Correct.

What B is the name of a skewer

on which meat or vegetables...? Gastronomers?

-Brochette.

-Is correct.

What temperature must be reached in order for jam to be able to set?

-Gastronomers?

-115?

-That's incorrect. Epicurean Fails?

-120.

-I'm afraid it's 104 to 119 Fahrenheit.

Which Scottish liqueur, flavoured with honey,

is the main spirit in a Rusty Nail cocktail? Epicurean Fails.

-Drambuie?

-Correct.

What K is the name of a Middle Eastern or North African meatball? Epicurean Fails.

-Kibber.

-Incorrect.

-Kofta.

-Kofta is the correct answer.

Which dish is comprised of haricot beans

-cooked in a pot with pork rinds...? Epicurean Fails.

-Cassolette.

-Correct.

Fuder and demi-muids are types of what?

GONG

Donald, you'll kick yourself, because it's wine barrel sizes.

So that is it. Time is up.

William, can you please tell us the all-important final scores?

After that nail-biter,

the Epicurean Fails have lived up to their name, they're on 14,

because today, the winners, the Gastronomers, they're on 20.

-Very well done!

-APPLAUSE

This week's losers eating humble pie are the Epicurean Fails.

But proving they were smart cookies,

this week's winners, the Gastronomers!

APPLAUSE

Join us again next time, when we'll meet more food fanatics

hoping to prove themselves on A Question Of Taste.

But for now, from all of us here, goodbye.

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Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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