“An apple a day…“
Question 1: Which of these apples is the sweetest?
- Granny Smith
- Fuji
- Honeycrisp
Correct Answer: Fuji
Fact: Fujis were bred for high sugar content and are the sweetest apple available, even sweeter than Honeycrisp! Granny Smiths are popular for their tartness.
Question 2: Research indicates that apples originated from which region?
- New England
- Mediterranean coast
- Mountains of Central Asia
Correct Answer: Mountains of Central Asia
Fact: Wild apples, known as Malus sieversii, grew in this biodiverse region across modern-day Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and into northwestern China. Eventually, humans began cultivating the fruit.
Question 3: How long have humans been growing apples to eat?
- 400 years
- 1,000 years
- 4,000 years
Correct Answer: 4,000 years
Fact: Archaeological evidence indicates that humans were cultivating apples at least 4,000 years ago, possibly as long as 10,000 years.
Question 4: What role do honeybees and other insects play in helping apple trees bear fruit?
- Scaring away apple thieves
- Pollination
- Aphid eating
Correct Answer: Pollination
Fact: Farmers often rent hives to help the trees in their orchards cross-pollinate. That transfer of pollen is what prompts the plants to fruit.
Question 5: What is the science of growing apples called?
- Fruitarianism
- Pomology
- Crisponomy
Correct Answer: Pomology
Fact: The term refers to studying the botany and cultivation of all fruit—'pom' comes from the Latin word for 'fruit.'
Question 6: What is the name of the party game in which guests try to take a bite from an apple floating in water?
- Apple bobbing
- Apple ducking
- Both are correct
Correct Answer: Both are correct
Fact: There are many variations of the name of the game and the game itself, including hanging the apple from a string instead of floating it in water. In Scotland and Northern England, the game is called 'apple ducking.'
Question 7: The different varieties of apples are known to growers as…
- Trademarks
- Regionals
- Cultivars
Correct Answer: Cultivars
Fact: All farming is based on the idea of selective breeding of plants for human use. Any apple you eat is the direct result of a botanist, farmer, or hobbyist trying to grow or revive a specific cultivar.
Question 8: Who planted the first apple orchard in New England around 1625?
- William Blaxton
- Johnny Appleseed
- Granny Smith
Correct Answer: William Blaxton
Fact: Blaxton was born in England, but was an early settler in New England, including being the first European in what is now Boston. Blaxton kept a farm and soon started an apple orchard, the first in the colonies.
Question 9: Norse mythology tells of the gods eating apples to achieve what?
- Red hair
- Healthy digestion
- Eternal youth
Correct Answer: Eternal youth
Fact: Odin and the other gods of Norse myth weren't just keeping the doctor away, they were keeping age at bay. At least that's their story. And who are we to question it? They're immortal.
Question 10: Which fruit was once known as the ‘apple of paradise’?
- Banana
- Pineapple
- Kiwi
Correct Answer: Banana
Fact: In the parlance of 14th-century Middle English, the word 'apple' referred to all fruit except berries. Things like bananas had qualifiers so people knew which fruit you were talking about.