Trivia: What Latin American country is the world’s largest exporter of beef?
Argentina
Chile
Colombia
Brazil
The correct answer is Brazil
So why is this answer correct? : Brazil exported nearly 3 million tons of beef in 2021, more than any other country in the world. Next on the list for beef exports are the United States, Australia, India, and Argentina. To support the growing cattle industry, 80% of Brazil’s soy crops also go toward animal feed.
Trivia: Who wrote the famous poem about Paul Revere’s “midnight ride”?
Samuel Adams
Henry Longfellow
Francis Scott Key
Alexander Hamilton
The correct answer is Henry Longfellow
So why is this answer correct? : Boston patriot Paul Revere was the founder of the first American spy network, but he’s perhaps best known for his famous “midnight ride” on April 18, 1775, to warn fellow patriots about the coming British forces. His ride was immortalized in Henry Longfellow’s 1861 poem “Paul Revere’s Ride,” which, though containing some historical inaccuracies, secured Revere’s legacy for centuries to come.
Trivia: What is the key ingredient in Honduran sopa de caracol?
Conch
Sea cucumber
Lionfish
Sea urchin
The correct answer is Conch
So why is this answer correct? : The word “caracol” means snail, and sea snails called conch are the key ingredient in this Honduran soup. Similar seafood soups are popular throughout the Caribbean, including Bahamian chowder and the Haitian dish lambi. In Honduras, the conch meat is combined with plantains, cassava, and other vegetables into a coconut milk broth with garlic and chili.
Trivia: What French aristocrat served as a general under George Washington?
François Joseph Paul de Grasse
Charles Henri Hector d’Estaing
Comte de Rochambeau
Marquis de Lafayette
The correct answer is Marquis de Lafayette
So why is this answer correct? : On March 26, 1777, 19-year-old French aristocrat Marquis de Lafayette left France to either “conquer or perish” for the American cause. He arrived three months later in South Carolina, joined the Continental Army as a volunteer Major General, and saw his first battle in September that same year. After the war’s end, Lafayette sailed back to a country in the throes of its own revolution.
Trivia: Ecuadorian empanadas de viento are filled with what?
Pork
Cheese
Potato
Plantains
The correct answer is Cheese
So why is this answer correct? : Empanadas come in many shapes and sizes, whether sweet or savory, baked or deep-fried. The name of this Ecuadorian dish means “empanadas of the wind” because they puff up when fried, so they’re filled with air. Empanadas del viento are usually lightly filled with cheese and sometimes a bit of onion, then topped with sugar.
Trivia: Where did the Continental Army camp out in the winter of 1777?
Valley Forge
Gettysburg
Saratoga
Concord
The correct answer is Valley Forge
So why is this answer correct? : Over 12,000 Continental soldiers spent the winter of 1777 at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. While the climate was harsh and supplies were limited — thousands didn’t even have shoes — the army’s time at Valley Forge molded a ragtag band into a disciplined unit, and effectively turned the tide of the war.
Trivia: Which South American liquor originated in Bolivia?
Singani
Pisco
Cachaça
Hesperidina
The correct answer is Singani
So why is this answer correct? : Singani is a type of brandy that has been distilled from grapes in Bolivia since the 16th century, with strict rules on geography and production. Pisco is also a type of brandy distilled from fermented grape must, popular in both Peru and Chile. Hesperidina is a bitter aperitif from Argentina flavored with oranges and herbs. Cachaça is distilled from fermented sugar cane juice, and it is the key ingredient in Brazil’s classic cocktail, the caipirinha.
Trivia: What important battle convinced France to side with the American colonies?
Battle of Bunker Hill
Battle of Saratoga
Siege of Boston
Battle of Trenton
The correct answer is Battle of Saratoga
So why is this answer correct? : Without the American victory at Saratoga, there would possibly be no United States today. The Battle of Saratoga began with a British victory under the command of General John Burgoyne. But when the Americans returned with a larger force, Burgoyne surrendered his entire army on October 17, 1777. The stunning victory convinced the U.S.’ biggest ally, France, to join the cause.
Trivia: Argentinian “salsa golf” is a combination of what two sauces?
Chimichurri and mayonnaise
Ketchup and mayonnaise
Ketchup and mustard
Chimichurri and mustard
The correct answer is Ketchup and mayonnaise
So why is this answer correct? : The combination of ketchup and mayonnaise is common around the world, whether it’s called fry sauce, mayochup, or salsa rosada. In Argentina, it goes by the name “salsa golf,” as their version was created at the Mar del Plata Golf Club in 1925 by a teen waiter named Luis Federico Leloir. He combined ketchup and mayonnaise with a bit of cognac and tabasco, and now salsa golf is readily available in supermarkets and fast-food restaurants.
Trivia: Which British general did NOT serve during the American Revolution?
William Howe
Arthur Wellesley
Charles Cornwallis
Henry Clinton
The correct answer is Arthur Wellesley
So why is this answer correct? : At the beginning of the American Revolution, William Howe served as the commander-in-chief of British land forces in the colonies, but was eventually replaced by Henry Clinton. Charles Cornwallis surrendered to the Americans during a prolonged siege at Yorktown. However, Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, was a pivotal commander during the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815).