Can You Identify If These Foods Are From Italy or From Spain?

By: Kennita Leon
Estimated Completion Time
2 min
Can You Identify If These Foods Are From Italy or From Spain?
Image: Alberto Bogo / Cultura / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Spain and Italy are two nations that are known for many things -- their people, their culture and their languages are all incredibly vibrant and exciting and attracts millions of visitors every year. Something else that draws people to these countries is their cuisines. And although people normally confuse the two, we know a foodie like you wouldn't dare. So we're going to test your knowledge of the foods served there in a quiz where we pit the Spanish against the Italians.  Can you really tell us whether these dishes are from Spain or Italy? 

We already know that the Italians take the cake when it comes to all things pasta and that the Spanish love their spices, but if we were to break it down dish by dish, do you think you'd know the difference? Allow us to show you a few platters -- you can use your memory, our clues or just the visual of the pictures to help you decide which country claims each dish.  By the end, we'll know if you're on your way to becoming a foreign food connoisseur or if you should stick to hamburgers and fries. 

Pizza
Alberto Bogo / Cultura / Getty Images
Where would you guess that pizza is from?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A pizza is a savory Italian dish which may be eaten with a knife and fork in formal settings, but held in hand in casual settings. It has a round, flattened base made of leavened wheat dough, topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and other ingredients.

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Lasagna
Wiki Commons by PoiseWinsTitles
Lasagna is a delicious, layered, savory dish. But where is it from?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Lasagna is a savory dish which originated in Italy during the Middle Ages. It consists of stacked layers of pasta filled with alternating layers of sauces, meats, vegetables and cheese, baked in an oven and then served in squares.

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Paella
Carol Yepes / Moment / Getty Images
The rice dish known as paella is from where?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Paella is a Valencian rice dish and one of the region's identifying symbols. There are many types of paella including vegetable paella and mixed paella (seafood, meat and vegetables). The original recipe includes rice, vegetables, meat and seasoning.

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Empanadas
Pixabay / lau96roman
A pastry that can be filled with meat or vegetables, can you tell us where empanadas are from?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

An empanada is a popular Hispanic pastry, fried or baked, that can be traced back to Galicia, Spain. It consists of folded dough stuffed with meat (chicken or beef), cheese, corn or other ingredients.

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Calzone
LauriPatterson / E+ / Getty Images
Which country did the calzone originate in?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Calzone is a sandwich-sized, oven-baked folded pizza which originated in Naples, Italy. It usually consists of salted bread dough and stuffed with salami, vegetables or ham, ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan or pecorino cheese, and an egg.

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Churros
Jakraphan Inchukul / Moment / Getty Images
Can you match churros to the country that it came from?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A Churro is a fried-dough pastry, or choux-based snack that is normally eaten for breakfast dipped in hot chocolate, champurrado, café con leche and dulce de leche. It is a traditional snack in Spain and Portugal which originated in Ibero-America and the Philippines.

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Minestrone soup
Wiki Commons by Katrin Morenz
Where does minestrone soup come from?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Minestrone is a thick Italian soup for which there is no set recipe. It is typically made with vegetables, meat, a meat-based broth, pasta or rice, beans, onions, carrots, tomato and celery.

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Gnocchi
Wiki Commons by Luigi Anzavino
Gnocchi is a pasta dish that looks more like dumplings. Where is it from?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Gnocchi is an Italian dish of which there a variety of recipes and names across the region. This dish consists of many small, thick and soft dough dumplings. It is made with seminola, wheat flour, cheese, potato, egg, breadcrumbs and cornmeal.

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Breadsticks
AlasdairJames / E+ / Getty Images
Breadsticks aren't as American as we think they are. Which of these countries created them?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Breadsticks, also called dipping sticks or grissini is an Italian bread. It is a pencil-sized, crispy dry baked bread that is served as an appetizer, or topped with icing and cinnamon sugar as a dessert.

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Sangria
Brandon Marsh Photography / Moment / Getty Images
An alcoholic beverage with chopped fruits, who made sangria?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sangria is a Spanish alcoholic beverage or punch traditionally made with red wine, chopped fruits (berries, apples, pears, melons, pineapples, peaches, or nectarines) and other ingredients including brandy or orange juice.

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Gazpacho
Wiki Commons by cyclonebill
Which country is responsible for giving us gazpacho?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Gazpacho, also known as Andulasian Gazpacho, is a classic Spanish cuisine widely eaten in Spain and Portugal during the hot summers. It is a cold soup made with including olive oil, vinegar, garlic, tomato, and cucumber and served with bread.

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Ravioli
Antonio Saba / Cultura / Getty Images
Ravioli is a stuffed pasta dish that can contain anything from cheese to meat. Where was it founded?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ravioli is a type of dumpling stuffed with filling and is usually square though may be circular or semi-circular. It is a traditional Italian dish and may be served in a broth or with a pasta sauce.

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Panna cotta
Wiki Commons by hiro
A dessert of cooked cream, which country created panna cotta?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Panna cotta, meaning cooked cream, is an Italian dessert of sweetened cream. It is aromatized with coffee, vanilla or flavorings, thickened with gelatin and poured into a mold and allowed to set.

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Chorizo
Pixabay / Dgraph88
A type of meat, where can you find chorizo in spades?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Chorizo or chouriço, is a type of fermented, cured and smoked pork sausage traditionally made with natural casings made from intestines. It may be grilled, fried, eaten with a sandwich or used as a pizza topping.

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Crostini
Claudia Totir / Moment / Getty Images
An appetizer that is a piece of toasted bread with a topping, where was the crostini discovered?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Crostinis are an Italian appetizer that is believed to have originated during the Medieval times. It consists of small slices of toasted or grilled bread with toppings such as cheese, meat, vegetables or simply presented with a sauce or brush of olive oil and herbs.

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Biscotti
R.Tsubin / Moment / Getty Images
An oblong biscuit that we call biscotti, which country made this treat?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Biscotti is an oblong-shaped Italian almond biscuit that is twice-baked and has a dry, crunchy texture. Originating from the city of Prato, it is commonly referred to as cantucci and is usually dipped in a drink, traditionally Vin Santo.

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Tigres
BURCU ATALAY TANKUT / Moment / Getty Images
Where do tigres (stuffed mussels) hail from?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tigres are Spanish stuffed mussels and a type of tapa that is frequently served for special occasions. It is made with a very thick white sauce stuffed into mussel shells that is then breaded and fried.

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Jamon
Wiki Commons by Valdavia
Cured ham, or jamon, is from which of these two countries?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jamón is the Spanish word for ham that is usually cured for up to 18 months. There are two main commercial types of jamón; jamón Serrano and jamón ibérico, the latter of which is illegal in the U.S.

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Filloas
Wiki Commons by juantiagues
Filloas are similar to pancakes and crepes, but where is it from?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Filloas are Spanish pancakes similar to French crepes, but thinner and made with wheat flour rather than buckwheat flour. It is commonly eaten for breakfast and is a traditional dessert for Carnival and Easter in Spain.

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Pesto
Wiki Commons by â±®
Can you tell us where pesto originated?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Pesto is a sauce originating in Genoa, Italy traditionally made with crushed garlic, Parmesan cheese, pecorino sardo, olive oil, coarse salt, basil leaves and European pine nuts. It is served with pasta such as fettuccine, linguine and cavatappi.

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Salmorejo
Wiki Commons by Tirithel
Salmorejo is a type of puree, but which of the two countries invented it?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Salmorejo is a pinkish-orange, cold-served puree consisting of tomato, oil, bread, garlic, vinegar, sea salt and garnished with Serrano ham and hard-boiled eggs. It originated in Cordoba in Andalucia, southern Spain.

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Cuchifritos
Wiki Commons by Tamorlan
Which country do you think made cuchifritos?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cuchifritos is the common name used in Spanish and Puerto Rican cuisine for foods prepared with pork as the main ingredient. Cuchifritos vendors usually sell the dish with fruit juices such as pineapple, passion fruit and coconut.

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Ciabatta bread
Pixabay / Josch13
Which country is responsible for coming up with Ciabatta bread?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ciabatta bread is an Italian white bread with an elongated, broad and flat shape. It was invented in 1982 by Arnaldo Cavallari in Verona, Veneto, Italy in response to the popularity of the French baguette.

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Torrijas
Cris Cantón Photography / Moment / Getty Images
Which of these two nations made torrijas?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Torrijas is the Spanish version of French toast topped with cinnamon and honey or eaten as is. It may be prepared a variety of ways such as soaked with red wine, milk, or honey and is always served cold.

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Risotto
Wiki Commons by Ordago
Where do you think risotto originated?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Risotto is a northern Italian rice dish cooked to a creamy consistency in a fish, meat or vegetable broth. Risotto may be flavored with butter, Parmesan cheese, white onion and white wine.

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Tiramisu
Wiki Commons by Raffaele Diomede
Tiramisu is a coffee-flavored dessert. But who created it?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tiramisu is an Italian coffee-flavored dessert which translates as pick me up or cheer me up. It consists of ladyfingers soaked in coffee, altered with a layer of whipped sugar, eggs, mascarpone cheese and coffee.

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Patatas bravas
Wiki Commons by Krista
Who gave us patatas bravas?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Patatas bravas is a Spanish dish commonly served in bars as a tapa. It is made with white potatoes cut into small, irregular cubes, fried in oil and then served with a sauce, usually spicy tomato.

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Chicharron
Wiki Commons by Dtarazona
Chicharron is is a meaty snack of pork belly. But where was it created?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Chicharrón, native to Spain, is a finger food snack which consists of fried pork belly or fried pork rinds. It is usually made various cuts of pork, but may be substituted with chicken, beef or mutton.

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Fettuccine alfredo
Eugene Mymrin / Moment / Getty Images
Which country do you think fettuccine alfredo is from?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fettuccine Alfredo, also called fettuccine al burro, is an Italian pasta dish consisting of fettuccine tossed with a smooth and creamy sauce made of cheese and butter. It was created during the 15th century by Alfredo di Lelio I, after who the dish was named.

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Arancini
sbossert / E+ / Getty Images
Stuffed rice balls is the best way to describe what arancini is. Who made it, though?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Arancini are Italian stuffed rice balls that are coated in breadcrumbs then deep-fried. Fillings for the arancini include all ragú, al sugo, mozzarella and or caciocavallo cheese, or ham and mozzarella or besciamella.

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Parmigiano-Reggiano
annick vanderschelden photography / Moment / Getty Images
Parmigiano-Reggiano is a popular kind of cheese created in ___________.
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Parmigiano-Reggiano is a hard granular cheese named after the Italian provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Bologna, where it is produced. It is also known as Parmesan, which is a generic term for the same cheese made outside the traditional regions of production.

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Croquetas
Wiki Commons by Conyann2009
A variant of what the French call croquettes, who gave us croquetas?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Croquetas is the Spanish variant of the French croquette and is made with a thick béchamel. It is traditionally filled with jamón, chicken, cod and less commonly apples, wild mushrooms, tuna, cheeses and cuttlefish.

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Marzipan
Pixabay / missingpinky
Which of these two countries invented marzipan?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Marzipan is a confection which is a traditional Christmas dessert in Spain. It consists of almond meal (ground almonds) and sugar or honey, which is then shaped and painted with food coloring to resemble fruits.

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Carbonara
Ruj Chuchaisangrat / Moment / Getty Images
Where does carbonara hail from?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Carbonara, originating in Rome, is a pasta dish consisting of hard cheese, guanciale or pancetta, egg and pepper. There is no preferred cheese or pasta, though Pecorino Romano and linguine, fettuccine, bucatini or rigatoni are commonly used.

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Gambas al ajillo
Wiki Commons by Javier Lastras
Do you know where gambas al ajillo was founded?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Gambas al ajillo is the Spanish variant of garlic shrimp or pawns. It is a simple dish that is prepared by sautéing the shrimp in olive oil with garlic, with recipes including paprika and a splash of Brandy.

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Spaghetti bolognese
Wiki Commons by Noblige
Where do you think the pasta dish spaghetti bolognese comes from?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Spaghetti Bolognese is an Italian dish frequently served outside Italy. The dish consists of spaghetti served with a sauce made of minced beef, tomatoes, garlic, wines and herbs.

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Escabeche
Wiki Commons by Obsidian Soul
Of the two options, which country is responsible for escabeche?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Escabeche is the common name used for a variety of dishes of Mediterranean and Latin American origin. In Spain, it consists of chicken or meat, served with or without a savory broth.

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Pisto
Wiki Commons by Boca Dorada
Can you tell us who invented pisto?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Pisto is a Spanish dish which resembles ratatouille to a certain extent. It is made with onions, tomatoes, eggplant, red and green peppers and olive oil and served with bread, pieces of cured ham or a fried egg on top.

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Ziti
Brian Yarvin / Photographer's Choice RF
A larger than usual type of pasta, where does ziti come from?
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ziti is an extruded Italian pasta larger than a mezzani, but smaller than rigatoni. It is similar to penne but with the edges cut straight instead of diagonally. It also differs from penne in that it has smooth sides instead of ridges.

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Tortilla Espanola
Wiki Commons by Tamorlan
Tell us where tortilla Espanola hails from.
Italy
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tortilla Espanola, also known as the Spanish omelet, is an omelet consisting of eggs, potatoes, onion, garlic and chives and fried in oil. It may be served hot or cold and as an appetizer or main course.

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