Tacos, Burritos, and Tamales Olé: A Quiz About Mexican Cuisine
Written by Tom Cohen
Last updated · 7 min play time
Tacos are tasty. So are burritos. Quesadillas? Forget about it! So good. In this quiz, we'll ask you about these staples of Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine. It's time to test your taste buds and see how much you know about this comida deliciosa, from sopa to nueces.
Do you know the history of tacos? Where was the first burrito made? What is the most popular type of Mexican food in the U.S.? If you're as curious about Mexican food as you are hungry for it, this is going to be one delicious quiz.
From tamales to margaritas to tortilla chips, we'll leave no stone unturned in serving up some tasty test questions in these 20 questions. So the next time you're at Taco Bell you can brag to your friends about how much you know about Mexican cuisine.
Vamos!
Quiz written by
Tom CohenI'm a 3-time Emmy-winning game show producer, writer, director and published author. I dig traveling, watching hockey, photographing wildlife and exploring the cultural and social fabric of society.
Mexican Food Quiz Questions
20 Questions · 144 Plays · 1 Comment
Question 1
If you eat this you're eating a "little donkey," or at least that's what the translation suggests. Name this Mexican staple.
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ATaco
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BEnchilada
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CBurrito
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DQuesadilla
Burrito
The Spanish word for donkey is "burro," so naturally a "burrito" would be a little donkey. Of course, burritos aren't actually made with donkey meat. One popular theory is that the food got its name because just like donkeys are able to carry a lot, a burrito has a lot of ingredients in it.
Question 2
A staple of Mexican menus, a little pico de gallo goes a long way. What's another name for this common Mexican food item?
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AMole sauce
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BSalsa fresca
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CChicken broth
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DGuacamole
Salsa fresca
Pico de gallo is typically made from chopped tomato, onion, Serrano peppers, salt, lime juice, and cilantro. It's also known as salsa fresca or salsa cruda. In Spanish, pico de gallo means "beak of rooster," because when you pinch some of it between your fingers they look like a rooster's beak.
Question 3
If you were strolling down the streets of Tijuana chomping on chicharrones, what would you be eating?
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AChocolate cookies
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BRoasted pistachios
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CCarrot sticks
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DPork rinds
Pork rinds
Chicharrones come in a variety of forms, but in some places in Mexico, they are made from pork skin after it's been fried and seasoned. They are often eaten in a taco or a gordita and topped with salsa verde. They are sometimes a snack, sometimes included in a main dish, or even eaten as a main course with their own sauce.
Question 4
Along with great food comes great drink. What's the main thing you need to add to beer to get a Mexican beverage called Michelada?
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ACoconut milk
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BOrange juice
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CRaw eggs
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DTomato juice
Tomato juice
The Michelada is kind of like a Bloody Mary but with beer. To make a Michelada, you simply mix the beer with tomato juice, freshly squeezed lime juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Any hot sauce is an acceptable substitute for Worcestershire sauce.
Question 5
Blanco, Verde, and Rojo are all different varieties of Pozole, a special kind of Mexican soup with what main ingredient?
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ASplit peas
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BBeer
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CHominy
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DChocolate
Hominy
Pozole is hominy and meat soup; hominy is made from dried maize kernels that have been treated with an alkali, in what's known as "nixtamalization". In addition to hominy, pozole often has meat, cabbage, chili peppers, onion, garlic, radishes, and avocado.
Question 6
Unique Mexican foods and drinks come with their own special methods of preparation. Used to prepare some Mexican dishes, what is a "molcajete"?
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AAn s-shaped knife
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BAn oversized wooden ladle
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CStone mortar and pestle
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DExtra thick straw
Stone mortar and pestle
If you've ever been to a fancy Mexican restaurant and ordered guacamole, there's a chance it'll be served in a molcajete, which was used by the Aztecs and Maya to mash up their food. Shaped like bowl, they are traditionally carved out of basalt and supported by three short legs.
Question 7
There are many origin stories for how the beverage known as the margarita came to be, some suggesting it was invented in NYC and others somewhere in Baja California. Whatever the real story, what does the word "margarita" mean in Spanish?
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ASlippery
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BDaisy flower
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CButter
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DLadybug
Daisy flower
There was a very old drink known as the “Daisy" invented some time in the early 1870s in New York, which was basically just booze shaken up with some lemon juice and “orange cordial". As it evolved and became popular in Mexico, tequila was used and the Spanish word for daisy was applied to this new version.
Question 8
You can learn "Elote" about a culture's palate from its street food. In Mexico, what is elote, found frequently at street food markets in the country?
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AA type of donut
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BFried peanuts
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CCrickets
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DCorn on the cob
Corn on the cob
Elote is the Spanish word for Mexican Street Corn, which is a ubiquitous and tasty offering in many of Mexico's street markets. Elote is often prepared by smearing corn on the cob with oil mixed with cayenne pepper and chile powder and then grilled. It's then often topped with mayonnaise.
Question 9
Spanish for "flute," a "flauta" is a delectable little Mexican snack. On a Mexican food menu, what's another word that you might see that refers to the same food?
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AChimichanga
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BTaquito
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CChalupa
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DChurro
Taquito
A flauta is a tortilla that is filled with meat such as beef, cheese or chicken and then deep-fried. Then it's topped with sour cream and guacamole. Come on! How can you go wrong? It's also known as a taquito, tacos dorados, or a rolled taco.
Question 10
With the traditional variety including only a tortilla, cheese, beans, and lettuce, what Mexican dish is named for a small boat or gondola?
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AChalupa
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BCruzana
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CTamale
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DFlauta
Chalupa
A traditional chalupa comes from Cholula, Puebla, and is a small, fried masa topped only with salsa, cheese, and shredded lettuce. Over the years, other parts of Mexico have added other ingredients including meat, refried beans, and onions. It gets its name because its shape resembles a small boat or gondola called a chalupa.
Question 11
Corn tortillas are a mainstay in Mexican cuisine, and they come in three colors. Which of these is NOT a hue of Mexican tortillas?
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ARed
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BYellow
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CGreen
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DBlue
Green
Tortilla comes from the Spanish word for cake with the suffix "illa" which makes it "little cake". They come in red, blue, and yellow, made with the variety of maize kernels that are grown in Mexico. The corn varieties of tortillas were eaten by Mesoamerican peoples, and they precede wheat varieties as wheat wasn't grown until Europeans settled in the New World.
Question 12
Agua de Horchata is a popular Mexican drink, and was immortalized by the band Vampire Weekend on their Contra album. In addition to milk and cinnamon, what do you use to make traditional Horchata?
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APineapple juice
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BOats
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CRice
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DPeanuts
Rice
Horchata is a refreshing sweet rice milk Mexican beverage usually made of rice, milk, cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla. You can use either long grain or white rice. It pairs well with spicy foods and can even be made alcoholic as it tastes smooth with rum, tequila, mezcal, or vodka.
Question 13
Flavored with orange zest, juice, or blossom water, Pan de Muerto is a Mexican treat most often made in the weeks leading up to what holiday?
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AChristmas
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BHalloween
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CEaster
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DNew Year's Day
Halloween
Pan de Muerto literally means "Bread of the Dead," and it's typically eaten to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, which is celebrated on Halloween and the couple of days after.
Question 14
Though there's really nothing light about Mexican food, which of the following staples of Mexico translates roughly to "light lunch" in English?
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AChimichanga
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BTamale
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CGordita
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DTaco
Taco
In Mexican Spanish, "taco" is often used interchangeably for a "light lunch," and some experts have guessed that there is an indigenous origin at play, as the Nahuatl word tlahco means "half" or "in the middle," which may explain the correlation to the midday meal.
Question 15
Since 1897, residents of Oaxaca, Mexico compete for prizes by carving what food into ornate designs every December 23?
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AChocolate bars
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BRadishes
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CLoaves of bread
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DSides of beef
Radishes
The so-called Night of the Radishes is held on December 23 in Oaxaca, Mexico, and residents carve huge radishes to create incredible scenes, like saints, musicians, buildings, and even tiny cemeteries where little radish people can be seen celebrating the Day of the Dead. Radishes were introduced to Mexico by the Spanish when they colonized the country.
Question 16
Corn smut could not sound less appetizing, but in Mexico this fungus that grows on corn plants is used to flavor tacos and other dishes. What is the Aztec word for this mushroom-like delicacy?
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APambazo
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BHuitlacoche
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CShrumachanga
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DMenudo
Huitlacoche
Huitlacoche is also known as corn smut or, to make it sound more fancy, a Mexican truffle. It is essentially a fungus that can be found growing on corn that hasn't been treated by any fungicides. Mexican chefs often use huitlacoche as they might a mushroom in salads, tacos, and other dishes to add a certain flavor.
Question 17
Full of pork, which of these Mexican dishes is akin to Lebanese shawarma (pictured here), and is described as a combo of "Middle Eastern spices with those indigenous to central Mexico"?
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AAlbondigas
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BMole poblano
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CBarbacoa
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DTacos al pastor
Tacos al pastor
Al pastor is a taco made with spit-grilled pork, and is largely based on the shawarma brought by Lebanese immigrants to Mexico. While shawarma is made from lamb, al pastor features pork and is a popular street food that has become popular in the U.S. In some parts of Southern California, it's referred to as "taco de adobada".
Question 18
In Mexico, street food is everywhere, and you can satisfy your craving by grabbing something from a vendor. What word meaning "little cravings" is synonymous with Mexican street food?
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AAntojitos
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BCarnitas
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CDespacitas
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DMezcalitas
Antojitos
In Mexico, antojitos are small, savory bites that are served as appetizers before dinner or as late-night bites after a few cocktails. They are typically sold by street vendors and come in a wide variety of options.
Question 19
Created just about 30 years ago in Guadalajara, Mexico, Bionico is a Mexican dish that most closely resembles what?
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AFruit salad
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BSpinach souffle
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CFish and chips
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DMacaroni and cheese
Fruit salad
As described on AllRecipes.com: "Bionicos are tasty fruit bowls, drizzled with crema - a combination of yogurt, sweetened condensed milk, and Mexican crema. Any seasonal fresh fruit can be used. They originated in street food carts in Guadalajara, Mexico, and are commonly topped with shredded coconut, raisins, and granola."
Question 20
A Pambazo is a special and exceedingly tasty Mexican offering. What makes a Pambazo different from a regular sandwich?
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AIt's deep fried
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BIt's drenched in salsa
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CIt's inside out
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DIt has no bread at all
It's drenched in salsa
The Pambazo is essentially a Mexican Wet Sandwich that's dunked in guajillo salsa and filled with spicy chorizo and potatoes. It gets its name from an early Spanish word meaning "low-class bread”. Excuse me, but my mouth is watering.
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