Deserts & Desserts: A quiz on deserts and various delicacies was held under Parakh 2.0: the Quizzing Festival of Quiz Club IIT Patna in August 2022.

1. Deserts
& Desserts
12TH
AUGUST 2022
U25 QUIZ

2. You have to submit the Answer
within 90 seconds after the last
question is closed. There will be
no rerun of questions.
This is an under 25 quiz.
22 questions in the quiz.
Each question carries 10 points.
No negatives. In case of multiple
parts to the question, points will
be divided equally.
You have to write in your
answers in the Paper sheet
only.
Questions
4, 8, 12, 16, 20
are star-marked.
They will be used to resolve ties.
Any unfair means would lead to
immediate disqualification.
A camera icon on the top left
indicates that an image follows
the question slide.
RULES

4. QUES
While this may seem like a sleepy desert town, it is actually a purpose-built facility
and is considered to be one of the best of its kind in the world. Located in Amman,
Jordan, it consists of a wide range of mock-up urban and village spaces to simulate
realistic neighbourhoods featuring residential areas, commercial and industrial
complexes, government buildings, a community center, garages, gas stations, and
office buildings. It also has an Airbus A300 aircraft sitting inside its premises at all
times, and flying isn’t the reason for it being placed here.
What is this facility used for?
01

5. QUES 01

7. ANS
Known as the
“King Abdullah II Special
Operations Training Centre”,
this mock town is a training
facility for counter-terrorism,
special operations and
irregular warfare tactics.
01

8. QUES
A certain famous American multinational food manufacturing company, X
came up with a cereal Y which was believed to be an attempt to bootleg
Cheerios, which were produced by the company’s competitor General
Mills. Y was supposedly a second trial, with the first attempt being at
producing round shaped cereal.
According to some people, Y was initially called as ____ before it had to
be rebranded as Y. This was due to a lawsuit against X which claimed that
the name implied that ____ was a “fruit-based” snack. The sugar
drenched cereal was given its mascot in the form of a Toucan bird which
was given a makeover in 2020.
Name Y. (Lesser points for the initial name :p)
02

10. ANS
Y : Froot Loops
02

11. QUES
It’s considered by most to be more flashy than functional, due to being
expensive, heavy and highly impractical for real life applications.
However, it has become quite iconic and is probably one of the first names
that comes to mind when thinking about products in this category.
Over the years, it has been released in 3 different versions: Mark I, Mark VII
and Mark XIX, with the latest one being available in various different
finishes such as plain Black, Brushed Chrome, Matte Chrome, Polished
Chrome, Satin Nickel, Bright Nickel, 24 Karat Gold, Titanium Gold and the
incredibly bling Tiger Stripe finish.
Having been featured in more than six hundred films, television shows and
video games, it is pretty well known in popular culture. So despite not
being put to use by professionals, it is in high demand among enthusiasts
and has become a part of the public consciousness.
What are we talking about here?
03

13. ANS
The Desert Eagle Semi-Automatic Pistol
03
Chrome finish Tiger Stripe finish The different finishes available
with the Mark XIX version

14. QUES
The dessert ‘X’ finds its origins in Iran. Brought to India in the 13th century by the
Traders of Arabia, this confectionary is now widespread throughout the Indian
Subcontinent with limitless versions and ways to cook and savour it.
The persian style of roasting flour and adding syrup to prepare this is widely
prevalent in North India. In one culture, it is given the name Y and served in holy
places as sacred food. This is one part of the many hospitality protocols
prevalent in the culture.
It is said that Y is generally cooked in such large quantities that the initially light
Golden dessert slowly roasts in its own heat after being removed from the heat,
to turn Dark golden brown, the signature colour of Y.
Name X and Y.
04

16. ANS 04
Kadha Prasad as served on palm in Sikh
Gurdwaras
Y : Kadha Prasad
X : Halwa
Kadha Prasad in making in the
Golden Temple

17. QUES
X is a weather phenomenon commonly occurring in arid and semi-arid areas
of the world. The frequency of occurrence of X is said to have increased
approximately 10 times in the Saharan region over the last 50 or so years, from
a handful per year to reaching high double digits in some places.
The term ‘X’ has also been used outside its literal meaning in popular culture. It
was the name of an operation that was aimed at expelling the occupying
forces in an annexed country in the Middle East in the 1990s.
In the world of sports, the term X will bring back memories of a very special
performance by an iconic Asian player over the course of 2 games, one of
which was disrupted by an actual X.
Give the term X.
05

19. ANS
Desert Storm
05
Tendulkar’s innings in Sharjah
American fighter jets
during Operation Desert
Storm
An actual desert sandstorm

20. QUES
What inspired this dessert made by a masterchef Australia contestant ?
The video below will provide you with these visual clues.
06

22. ANS
Book :
Alice in Wonderland
“Down the Rabbit Hole”
06

23. QUES
The 309th __________ Maintenance and Regeneration Group in the Arizona
desert is home to the largest collection of a type of X, about 3000 in number.
Nearly eight hundred professionals work there to ensure that the X, which get
sent here for long term storage are maintained properly and can be used
when (or if) needed again.
There was a large and sudden spike in the need for storage of Xs in recent
times. For this too, desert locations were the most preferred, and images of
these gigantic things laid out in deserts became viral. One of the widely used
sites was Alice Springs in Australia, which reportedly became a significant local
employer and pumped millions back into the local economy during this
period.The desert climate is ideal for these things, as low rainfall and humidity
reduce the chances of corrosion of the components.
What was being stored in the deserts?
07

25. ANS
Aircraft
07
Aircraft stored at the Asia Pacific Aircraft
Storage Facility near Alice Springs
Military aircraft stored in Arizona

26. QUES
‘A’ is a Swedish origin dessert now popular with its multiple versions
over Europe and North America. ‘A’ is swirly, just like its main
ingredient, with a yeast leavened dough sheet which is filled with a
filling and is sprinkled, rolled, cut into pieces and baked. It is generally
served hot with a simple sugar or cream cheese icing which melts on
the dessert.
Its main ingredient is a fragrant spice which was historically sourced
from Sri Lanka. This spice is especially known for its drying and hot
tendencies. Due to this, it is seldom found in body soaps in contrast to
other fragrances such as Lavender, Sandalwood, Coffee etc.
What is A?
08

28. ANS
A : Cinnamon Roll
08

29. QUES
Mario Irarrazabal is responsible for “The Hand in the Desert” rising out of the
sand in the middle of X. Irarrazabal is known for his works associated with
human suffering and this huge unnerving sculpture that captures a feeling
of loneliness, exacerbated by its desolate and secluded location.
Owing to its otherworldly appearance, X has been used as
experimentation sites on Earth for Mars expedition simulations and as a
location for filming Mars scenes. NASA duplicated the Viking tests in
Mars-like Earth environments and found that they missed present signs of
life in soil samples from X.
Identify X.
09

31. ANS
X :
Atacama Desert,
Chile
09
Mano del Desierto (The Hand in the
Desert), Atacama Desert, Chile

32. QUES
This ricotta-based baked dessert X, has Ancient Greek Origins, but now its
successors have spread throughout the world, with most popular versions
being made in New York and Japan. While the New York variety is creamy,
the Japanese version essentially got viral for being Jiggly and Fluffy.
An Indian dessert Y, is close to ancestral X in terms of the recipe but has
less to no relations with it. Invented by an accident when Indian ricotta was
left on slow fire overnight and a charred, ‘burnt’ form was obtained. The
process later developed to give out Y.
The name of Y is composed of two words, literally describing what it is.
Name X and what does the name of Y mean?
10

34. ANS
Y : Burnt Chenna
10
X : Cheesecake
Chenna Poda

35. QUES
The city X is an internationally renowned tourist destination located in a desert within a
geographically diverse nation. There is one catch though: almost all the tourist attractions
and establishments that people associate with X actually don’t lie inside the city of X at all,
or even what can be officially considered it’s ‘outskirts’; despite the geographical proximity.
There are good reasons why things turned out this way too. In the 1950s, after the state
legalised a certain entertainment activity, numerous establishments which run on said
activity opened up on the desert sands just outside the city borders to avoid city taxes. The
city X was on the verge of bankruptcy during that period, and the mayor tried to incorporate
those areas into the official city borders.
The next level of government (i.e., the county) decided this matter in the favour of the
establishments (the more cynical among us could attribute this to the fact that county
received direct taxes from these establishments under that arrangement) and created an
unincorporated area there to prevent X from ever trying to expand its borders into that
region. This arrangement has continued to this day, and many tourists who say they have
been to X probably haven’t ‘officially’ set foot inside it at all.
Name the city X.
11

37. ANS
Las Vegas
(the establishments obviously
being its world famous casinos)
11

38. QUES
In 2010, to the shock of many, it was announced to the world that Qatar would be
hosting the 2022 World Cup. Since then, an endless amount of controversies have
taken place in relation to this, such as alleged corruption in the bidding process, use
of slave labour and worker deaths during constructions, the government’s anti-LGBTQ
policy and so on.
However, another logistical concern has emerged in the recent months. With about
one million fans, players, officials and mediapersons expected to descend onto Qatar
for the event, the country doesn’t even seem to have enough hotel rooms for
everyone. To combat this, they have taken various measures, ranging from setting up
tents for accommodation, asking fans to stay in neighbouring countries, adding a
large number of flights for matchdays to move fans in and out of the country and
another unique solution that takes advantage of the fact that Qatar, despite being a
desert nation, is atleast not landlocked. With the help of two products of an Italian
company that is based in Geneva and registered in Switzerland, they plan to reduce
the load on Qatari hotels.
What are the products that are referred to here?
12

40. ANS
Two Cruise Ships of the MSC Cruise Line
12
MSC World Europa MSC Poesia

41. QUES
This dessert (X) can be said to be the dinosaur to all desserts, with health benefits
which have made it crawl its way into the Ayurveda and with shelf life and toughness
compared to that of a Tardigrade.
This globe is most popular among the people of the land who were the first to laugh
on Flat Earthers. A large amount of variations and no single recipe to follow, it speaks
the heart of unity in diversity.
This mighty dessert has even been involved in a Gandhian Battle against the British,
to not only oppose with salt but also with sweet. The agenda not only made the
dessert close to tradition but also made it cheaper by bringing a change to the
recipe.
Due to this trickery, it got its name translating to “Cheat’s X”.
Name the Dessert and What was the change in the recipe?
13

43. ANS
Laddoo
The British brought Sugar
was replaced with Indian
Jaggery
13

44. QUES
One of the very popular american sitcoms, have a joke on this dessert
X, that-
“...as American as X, and the childhood obesity it leads to…”
Indeed X has often been associated with a sense of patriotism since
the first World War due to its high popularity in the country. Although
the origins of X contrast this simile. While X was actually invented in
Western Europe, the main ingredient originated in Asia.
While doctors would not suggest to have X frequently, it is ironically
certain that they would do so for the main ingredient due to its health
benefits.
What is X?
14

46. ANS
Apple Pie
14

47. QUES
Located in British Columbia, the Osoyoos Desert is home to many unusual
animals including the Burrowing Owl. Burrowing owls are little birds that
seek out underground residences that were previously established by
animals such as prairie dogs, tortoises, pocket gophers, skunks and ground
squirrels.
These owls possess one extremely handy defence mechanism that helps
them keep predators at bay. While scared, these produce ___ resembling
those of X that dissuades predators from entering their burrows.
Living in underground holes, same as these owls, X are feared by many
animals which helps the owls in scaring the predators away by mimicking
their characteristic sound.
What is this defence mechanism?
15

49. ANS
Imitate the hissing
sound of
rattlesnakes
15

50. QUES
This creature was an autotrophic animal of unknown origins. It lived in the
vast deserts and sand dunes that stretched across the surface of the
planet.
Attracted to the surface by rhythmic vibrations, they would breach in
pursuit of the origin of such vibrations. They were highly protective of their
territory, and this was an effort to defend it.
Their skin was thick, rough, and orange colored. It was comprised of many
scales, each a few feet in size. These scales overlapped and interlocked to
form the armor that protected it against internal sand invasion. Water
was fatal to these creatures, even in small doses.
They supposedly went extinct when certain humans destroyed their
habitat.
What creatures are we talking about/ where would you find them?
16

52. ANS
Sandworms from the famous book series Dune
16

53. QUES
This german bread X is usually served salty but
now has contemporary sweet versions coming
up.
In contrast to other breads, this one is prepared in
a very unique way. The dough is shaped and then
first boiled in caustic soda and finally baked to
give it a crispy outside and chewy inside.
The shaping of dough here is generally similar
with twists but has minute variations as the
variety goes up. As the legend goes, it was
invented by a monk as a prize to reward children
who learned their prayers.
What is X and what does its shape symbolise?
17

54. QUES 17

56. ANS
Pretzel
The shape mimics hands folded
in prayer.
17

57. QUES
In the 17th century during the Ottoman Siege of
Vienna, the Turks had to face a defeat. To
celebrate this, it is said that a Viennese baker
baked a confection in the shape of one of the
emblems of the Ottoman flag to mock the Turks
on their defeat. The shape, however stayed and
was then adopted in French cuisine in another
dessert ‘X’.
The preparation of X uses a technique called
‘Lamination’ to produce thin and crispy layers.
X is hence popular worldwide for its taste and
texture and as well as its unique shape.
Name X.
18
Coat of Arms from the
Ottoman Empire

58. QUES 18
Coat of Arms from the
Ottoman Empire

60. ANS
Croissant
18

61. QUES
In the middle of the Utah desert, you would find these pools of water that keep changing their
colour over time. They would be deep blue to begin with, slowly changing to seafoam green and
later to a dark green, muddy shade before finally leaving behind a white substance. The initial blue
colour results from the addition of copper sulphate to the water when the pond is fresh.
The reason for these ponds existing is similar to what the newly independent US Government’s first
ever issued patent was for. These ponds could be said to be worth billions of dollars, all because of
what is left behind once the water evaporates.
What is the reason for these ponds existing in the Utah desert?
19

62. QUES 19

64. ANS
These man-made pools help in
mining out Potash from deep
under the ground
Water is pumped from the nearby
Colorado river into the underground
deposits, and dissolves the potash
mineral present there. The water is
then pumped up to the surface,
where it evaporates (and changes its
colour gradually) to leave behind the
white crystalline Potash.
19

65. QUES
This Early american psycho-horror thriller is famous for using X as fake
blood in the movie. Apparently X gave the blood a better look on screen
than stage blood due to the high fructose corn syrup and Xanthan gum in
it.
X is one of the most popular of its kind in the commercial market with a
main ingredient being sourced from west Africa. The manufacturer of X
has faced regular backlash on ethical sourcing of this ingredient from
these areas.
Name the product X and why despite not being blood red was it possible
to use it as fake blood.
20

67. ANS
X : Hershey’s Chocolate
Syrup
The movie “Psycho” was shot in Black
and White, hence the dark colour of
syrup mimicked that of blood in the
greytones.
20

68. QUES
This 1960s fiction novel, and later movies (1970s & 2000s) has a story inspired from dirty
corporate enmity and spying between two real-life dessert companies. The author
intertwines fantasy with the art of dessert making and also incorporates a message of
morality by showing how those children who do not behave properly ultimately suffer due
to their deeds.
The former has been acquired by another company which has faced regular controversies
and backlash due to its deeds, one of which include the promotion of formula milk over
breast-milk for infants. P, its most notable product, is not something one would prefer to
give their partner on a date (Until they are Ross Gellar maybe…).
Q, the most notable product of the latter company, is the most sold product holding more
than 70% of market share of the product type in India. Since 2019, the company organized, a
competition for people to customize Q and make their own versions, the best of which,
would end up in the market.
Name the products, P and Q.
21

70. ANS 21
P : Kit Kat Q : Dairy Milk

71. QUES
From exploiting multidimensional spaces for storage to
convenient teleportation and time travel, this 1970s manga (and
now anime) still continues to expand, feeding the imagination of
many. The name of this series is actually the name of its main
character which literally translates to feral feline.
X is the favorite food of the main character with a name very
similar to his. It has a red bean filling, similar to the Japanese
“Mochi” but wrapped inside two pancakes instead of the rice
dough for Mochi.
Name X and the main character of the series.
22

73. ANS 22
X :
Dorayaki /
Dora-cakes
Main character:
Doraemon

74. The quiz was conducted by Quiz Club, IIT Patna
under its Quizzing Festival
HOPE YOU ENJOYED
THE QUIZ!

75. /QCIITP /qc_iitp /QuizClubIITPatna
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