Students and parents tackle questions on food, knowledge, and nutrition

The Lupin Aptivate Achchi Bhookh School Foodie Quiz in Mumbai saw 12 parent-child teams compete in food trivia, promoting healthy eating and family bonding.

From the history of bagels to ratatouille (the film and the stew) and the popstar Rihanna’s infamous omelette gown, 12 parent-child teams battled it out over all things food, at the Lupin Aptivate Achchi Bhookh School Foodie Quiz held in Mumbai on Sunday afternoon.

Students and parents tackle questions on food, knowledge, and nutrition

The contenders gathered from across India for the semi-final and final, with the prizes up for grabs including mountain bikes, a laptop, a tablet PC, and a smartwatch.

The quiz contest, now in its third edition, was organised by HT Labs and presented by food discovery app Slurrp and is open to children from Classes 1 to 6 (aged 5 to 11).

A total of 22,000 students registered online this year, with each then competing alongside a parent.

The aim of the quiz is to foster an engaging approach to food, nutrition and wellbeing in young people and families and to bring parents and children together to discover the joy that food can spark, said Avinash Mudaliar, CEO and co-founder of HT Labs, who hosted the semi-final round. “Food, after all, is a language that unites everyone in India,” he added.

Cheered on by relatives, friends and teachers, these 12 took on food-related questions that also tested their knowledge of history, pop culture, politics, fashion and nutrition.

The final round, featuring six teams, was anchored by celebrity chef and actor Amrita Raichand. Children must develop an early understanding of dishes, ingredients and their history, so that they can connect with the idea of mindful eating, she said. “This is such an interesting and engaging way to do that,” she added.

Questions included: “The name of which common bread roll is used by Jewish students as a term for sleeping 12 hours straight, as a nod to the fact that the hour hand on a clock traces a round shape?” (The bagel.) And: “The soup that Vitaly the Tiger is shown consuming at the end of this video is borscht, a traditional dish cooked with broth combined with beetroot, sugar beet or fermented beet juice. In 2022, it was hastily inscribed on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, because its country of origin was in extreme threat due to certain events. Which in-the-news country does it originate in?” (Ukraine)

Milan Bijoy, a Class 4 student at Dr Pillai Global Academy in New Panvel, emerged as overall winner, with his father Bijoy Rajendrababu, an engineer.

Samkit Gupta, a Class 3 student at St Soldier’s School, Chandigarh, and his mother Anjali Jain, 41, a homemaker, emerged as first runners-up. And Avyukt Doshi, a Class 4 student at Childrens Academy, Mumbai, and his mother Sejal Joshi, a teacher, emerged as second runners-up.

“I enjoy watching food trivia on YouTube and creating my own spin on food I don’t like. So, I’m so excited to win,” said Milan. His father, Bijoy, added that the preparation for the quiz turned out to be a good bonding exercise for the family.

“We’re all foodies, so this contest was right up our alley. My wife Indubala did a lot of research; my son did too. And the three of us sat together to read, watch videos online and learn together,” he said.

The event was peppered with questions for the audience too. “Who really invented butter chicken and the claimants of which restaurant are fighting over it?” (Moti Mahal.) And: “What’s that one iconic dish that was invented for the elite of Mumbai?” (Pav bhaji). Winners were rewarded with goodie bags.

“This quiz is a celebration of healthy eating, curiosity and the joy of learning. There has been an overwhelming enthusiasm from participants, a heartening sign of the impact on young minds and on families,” said Anil V Kaushal, business head at healthcare company LupinLife.