You’re about to read “Are These Chips Too Delicious?” and “Love at First Crunch.” These two texts share the science behind the snacks you can’t put down. How much do you know about your favorite junk foods? Take this quiz to find out. (Don’t worry if you don’t know the answers. By the time you’re done, you’ll know plenty.)
Test Your Junk Food
Knowledge!
1.
True or false: Potato chips were invented when a chef left sliced potatoes in the sun.
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False. History experts aren’t entirely sure who made the first potato chips. But some people believe we can thank a chef named George Crum for this delicious treat. You’ll read all about how Crum’s “Saratoga Chips” came to be in “Love at First Crunch.”
2.
Which of the following is NOT an ingredient found in Sour Patch Kids Watermelon candy?
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These sweet treats may look like juicy little fruit slices, but there's no actual fruit in them. Many of your favorite candies are made with a mix of sugar and artificial flavors. (Artificial means they're made out of nonnatural substances in a lab. Usually these flavors are made by food scientists called flavorists!)
3.
Imagine you’re munching on a bag of cheese puffs. Which of the following makes you want to keep snacking?
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The answer is D—all of the above—and you can thank flavorists for that! These scientists work hard to figure out what makes you love certain snacks. They experiment with the taste. They study the way a food feels in your mouth. And they know that a little flavor dust on your fingers will make you want more! (This might be the reason why cheese puffs like Cheetos are so popular. The brand even has a special name for that cheesy dust: Cheetle!)
4.
Which of the following is NOT one of the three most popular potato chip flavors in America?
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One company researched the most popular potato chip flavors. It found that more than 191 million Americans snacked on plain potato chips in 2020. The second-most-popular flavor was barbecue, followed by sour cream and onion.
5.
The unique taste of Dr Pepper comes from ____ different flavors.
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There are 23 different flavors in Dr Pepper, but no one really knows what those flavors are. Some soda fans have guesses. These guesses include almond, orange, pepper, and black licorice. (Fun fact: The company that makes Dr Pepper keeps its recipe locked away in a vault! You’ll learn about why flavorists protect their secret ingredients in “Are These Chips Too Delicious?”)
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