Potato Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. A cook wants homemade fries with less surface starch and a crisper finish. Which preparation is most helpful before frying?
Rinse or soak the cut potatoes, then dry them thoroughly
Leave the cut potatoes wet so the water creates a crust
Warm the cut potatoes in a sealed container until soft
Coat the cut potatoes in mashed potato
2. What are the “eyes” visible on a potato?
Seeds embedded in the tuber's skin
Openings used exclusively to absorb water
Buds that can develop into new shoots
Scars left by insect pollination
3. A stored potato has turned green after being left in the light. Which explanation is most accurate?
Light caused chlorophyll formation, and greening can accompany increased glycoalkaloids
Green coloring is mold growing beneath the potato skin
The potato is converting all of its starch into protein
Green coloring proves that the potato has become ripe and sweeter
4. You want a baked potato with a dry, crisp exterior rather than a steamed skin. Which preparation best supports that result?
Wrap the wet potato tightly in foil
Place it in a covered dish filled with water
Dry it, lightly coat the skin with oil, and bake it uncovered
Peel it completely and cook it in a sealed bag
5. Botanically, what part of the potato plant is the potato people eat?
A thickened primary root
A swollen underground stem called a tuber
A seed-bearing fruit
A dormant flower bulb
6. Why are waxy potatoes often chosen for potato salad?
They absorb unlimited dressing without changing texture
They tend to hold their shape after cooking
They contain no starch and cannot become soft
They naturally prevent all browning after cutting
7. A batch of mashed potatoes turns unusually gluey after vigorous mixing in a food processor. What most likely happened?
The potato skins released too much dietary fiber
The potatoes lost all their moisture during boiling
The butter prevented the potatoes from absorbing liquid
Overworking released excessive starch from the potato cells
8. You peel potatoes an hour before cooking and want to limit surface browning. What should you do?
Leave them uncovered beside a warm stove
Keep them submerged in cold water for the short wait
Coat them heavily with dry flour
Store them under bright kitchen lighting
9. Which method generally reduces the loss of water-soluble nutrients when cooking potatoes?
Steaming them or microwaving them with little added water
Soaking peeled pieces overnight before cooking
Boiling small peeled pieces in plenty of water, then draining them
Repeatedly replacing the cooking water as they boil
10. You want especially light, fluffy mashed potatoes. Which type is usually the strongest choice?
A high-starch potato such as a russet
A firm waxy fingerling potato
A very young new potato
A dense waxy red potato
11. Which nutrient does a plain potato contribute most prominently among these choices?
Fat
Calcium
Protein
Carbohydrate
12. Which home-storage setup generally helps uncooked potatoes last longer?
An open bowl on a sunny windowsill
A cool, dark, well-ventilated location
A container beside onions at room temperature
A sealed plastic bag in a warm cupboard
13. Which sequence best summarizes how the cultivated potato reached what is now the United States?
It originated in Europe, traveled to the Andes, and then moved north by sea
It was domesticated on the Great Plains and exported directly to Europe
It was domesticated in the Andes, carried to Europe, and later brought to North American colonies
It originated in Asia and arrived in North America across the Bering Strait as a crop
14. In which region were potatoes first domesticated?
The Himalayan region of Asia
The Great Plains of North America
The Mediterranean coast of Europe
The Andes region of South America
15. Which plant disease was chiefly responsible for the potato crop failures associated with the Great Irish Famine?
Wheat stem rust
Potato leafroll virus
Late blight
Clubroot
16. While preparing dinner, you find a potato with extensive green coloring across its surface. What is the most prudent choice?
Boil it longer than usual before eating it
Use it raw because heat intensifies the green compounds
Freeze it first to neutralize the greening
Discard it rather than trying to use it