Food Production Interview Questions & Answers

Question 1. What Do You Mean By The Term Bake?

Answer :

To cook food in an enclosed oven

Question 2. What Is Bake Blind?

Answer :

To partially or completely cook an unfilled pastry case. This is done by pricking the base of the case with a fork all over then lining the uncooked case with greaseproof paper and weighting it down with beans. Cooking is between 15 and 30 minutes, depending on the recipe.

Question 3. To Cover A Food With Strips Of Fat, Such As Bacon Or Larding Fat, Which Protects And Bastes It During Cooking? Is Technically Known As?

Answer :

Bard.

Question 4. What Is Baking?

Answer :

The cooking of food/food items by converted dry heat in an oven.

Question 5. Define Braising?

Answer :

Braising is defined as the cooking of whole food or large cuts in a covered container with an appropriate amount of liquid which forms the basis of the sauce. to accompany the dish. Braising usually takes place in an oven.

Question 6. What Is The Purpose Of Braising?

Answer :

To cook meat that is too tough to roast but does not need to be cut into small pieces. Also to tenderise vegetables which contain tough cellulose.

Question 7. Differentiate Brown Braising & White Braising?

Answer :

Brown Braising where the food is browned beforehand and dark ingredients such as brown stock or other red meat, or red wine are used.

White Braising where the food is blanched, refreshed and cooked in a white liquid such as white stock.

Question 8. What Is Meant By Blanching And Refreshing?

Answer :

where the food is covered with cold water, brought to boil, or as in the case of vegetables plunged into boiling liquid and rinsed under cold water to remove sediment and impurities, bitterness, and to stop discolouration.

Question 9. Define Boiling ?

Answer :

Boiling is the cooking of foods in a liquid either at or brought to boiling point.

Although boiling appears to be a simple method of cookery care must be taken to prepare, time and finish the items

Question 10. Boiling Gently With Gentle Surface Motion Is Known As?

Answer :

Simmering

Question 11. Deep Fry Means ?

Answer :

The process of cooking food by immersion in hot fat or oil in a deep pan or electric fryer to give a crisp, golden coating.

Question 12. Fishes Are Also Classified By Their Fat Content Give Example?

Answer :

White fish & Oily fish

Question 13. What Is Oily Fish?

Answer :

These are the fish that are high in their fat content. E.g. eel, mackerel, salmon trout.

Question 14. What Is White Fish?

Answer :

These are the fish that are low in fat content e.g. cod, hake, haddock, whiting, halibut, lemon sole, turbot.

Question 15. Give Example For Round Fish?

Answer :

Cod, hake, haddock, whiting, eel, mackerel, salmon, trout.

Question 16. Flat Fish Are The Fish, Which Have Eyes On The Same Side Of Their Body. They Are Found At Great Depths At The Bottom Of The Sea Can Name Some Fish?

Answer :

Halibut, lemon sole, plaice, sole, turbot.

Question 17. Define River Fish?

Answer :

More nourishing than seawater fish e.g. eel, lamprey, etc and are also more flavourful. 

Question 18. Shellfish Have A Different Classification All Together. They Are Classified Into?

Answer :

Crustacea:  Crab, crawfish, crayfish, lobster, prawns and shrimps.

Mollousca: Cockles, mussels, oysters, scallops.

Question 19. What Are The Points To Bourn In Mind While Selecting The Fish?

Answer :

• Eyes: Should be bright, full and not sunken, no slime or cloudiness.
• Gills: Should be bright red, no bacterial slime.
• Flesh: Should be firm, translucent and resilient so that when pressed the impression goes quickly. It should not be limp
• Scales: Should be flat, moist and plentiful.
• Skin: Should be covered with fresh sea slime, be smooth and moist with sheen and no abrasions or bruising and no discoloration.
• Smell: Pleasant, no ammonia or sourness
• Small fish when held horizontally on the palm, does not drop at the tail and remain rigid.

Question 20. In Case You Are Purchasing Of Fish Fillet What Is To Be Checked?

Answer :

The fillets should be translucent, not milky white, firm and springy to touch with no signs of discoloration. The flesh should be intact.

Question 21. While Frozen Fish If Purchased Should Be Checked ?

Answer :

• No evidence of freezer burn
• Undamaged packing
• Minimum fluid loss during thawing
• Flesh still feeling firm after thawing

Question 22. Fats And Oils, Also Known As ?

Answer :

Lipids

Question 23. Fats And Oils Are Mixtures Of?

Answer :

triglycerides

Question 24. What Are The Basics Two Type Of Fatty Acids?

Answer :

Saturated fatty acids & Unsaturated fatty acids

Question 25. What Is The Basic Different Between Saturated Fatty Acids & Unsaturated Fatty Acids?

Answer :

Saturated fatty acids in which the hydrocarbon chain is saturated with hydrogen.

Unsaturated fatty acids in which the hydrocarbon chain is not saturated with hydrogen and therefore has one or more double bonds.

Question 26. Effect Of Heat :as Fats Are Heated There Are Three Temperatures At Which Noticeable Changes Take Place. Describe It ?

Answer :

(A) MELTING-POINT:

 Fats melt when heated.  Since fats are mixtures of triglycerides they do not have a distinct melting-point but melt over a range of temperature.  The temperature at which melting starts is called the slip point.  Most fats melt at a temperature between 30°C and 40°C.  The melting-point for oils is below normal air temperature.  The more double bonds the lower the melting point.

(B) SMOKE-POINT:

When a fat or oil is heated to a certain temperature it starts to decompose, producing a blue haze or smoke and a characteristic acrid smell.  Most fats and oils start to smoke at a temperature around 200°C.  In general, vegetable oils have a higher smoke-point than animal fats.  Decomposition of the triglycerides produces small quantities of glycerol and fatty acids.  The glycerol decomposes further producing a compound called acrolein.  This decomposition is irreversible and, when using a fat or oil for deep frying, the frying temperature should be kept below the smoke-point.  Smoke-point is a useful measure when assessing the suitability of a fat or oil for frying purposes.  Repeated heating of a fat or oil or the presence of burnt food particles will reduce the smoke-point.  Repeated beating will also produce oxidative and hydrolytic changes in the fat and result in the accumulation of substances giving undesirable flavours to the foods cooked in the fat.

( C ) FLASH-POINT :

When a fat is heated to a high enough temperature, the vapours given off will spontaneously ignite.  This temperature is known as the flash-point.  For corn  oil the flash-point is 360°C.  A fat fire should never be put out with water; this will only spread the fire.  The heat should be turned off and the oxygen supply cut off by covering the container of burning fat with a lid or blanket.

Question 27. Pufa Stands For?

Answer :

polyunsaturated fatty acids

Question 28. Can You Explain In Detail About Margarine?

Answer :

Margarine is an emulsion of water in fat.  The fat is a blend of refined vegetable oils, a portion of which has been hardened by hydrogenation to produce the desired plasticity in the final product.  Fish oils and animal fats may also be incorporated in the blend.  The hydrogenation is carried out by heating the oil in large sealed vessels under pressure.  Hydrogen is bubbled into the oil and finely divided nickel, which is subsequently removed by filtration, is required as a catalyst.  The oil blend is mixed with the water phase, which is skimmed milk,  soured under controlled conditions to give the desired flavour to the product.  Artificial colouring, salt and vitamins A and D are then added.  In Britain these vitamins must be added by law.  This law in necessary because margarine often replaces butter in the diet and butter is an important source of vitamins A and D.  The emulsion is formed in a machine called a votator, in which mixing and cooling occur together, and a fat of the desired consistency is produced.

Question 29. What Is Meant By Lard ?

Answer :

Lard is fat extracted from pigs.  The extraction is carried out by heating or “rendering”.  Lard is almost 100% pure fat.

Question 30. How Butter Is Made ?

Answer :

Butter is made by churning pasteurized cream.  During churning the cream becomes more viscous and finally a mass of solid butter is produced.  The liquid by-product, known as buttermilk, is removed and the butter is mixed to give the desired consistency.  Salt and colouring matter may be added at this stage, although some butter is sold unsalted.

The churning or agitation process reverses the emulsion.  Cream is an emulsion of fat globules dispersed in a water phase.  During churning the fat globules aggregate and form a solid phase which is interspersed by small water droplets.  Butter is therefore a water-in-fat emulsion. 

Question 31. What Are The Fat-soluble Vitamins?

Answer :

vitamins A, D and E.

Question 32. What Are The Basics Types Of Cheeses ?

Answer :

• Fresh Cheeses
• Soft Cheeses
• Semi-hard Cheeses
• Hard Cheeses
• Blue Cheeses

Question 33. What Is Cheese?

Answer :

Cheese is the curd of or the fresh or matured product obtained by enzyme activity and subsequent separation of whey by drainage, after coagulation of milk, cream, partly skimmed  milk, butter milk or a combination of these bases.

Question 34. Word Cheese Is Derived From?

Answer :

The present word cheese is derived from the old English word "Cese" and "Chiese" from the Latin "Caseus". The equivalent words in German" Kase", and French "Fromage", in Spain it is called "Queso", and in Italy "Fromaggio".

Question 35. Word 'chocolate' Is Derived From?

Answer :

The word 'Chocolate' comes from the Mayan word xocoatl,

Question 36. Word ' Cocoa ' Is Derived From?

Answer :

word 'cocoa' from the Aztec cacahuatl.

Question 37. Cadbury's Chocolate Company Creates The First Chocolate Bar In The Year Of?

Answer :

1842.

Question 38. What Is English Name Of “le Gibier”?

Answer :

Games

Question 39. What Are The Basics Two Types Of “honey”?

Answer :

Heather honey or lavender honey.

Question 40. What Are The Uses Of Honey In Cooking?

Answer :

Honey plays a major role in patisserie, being used in gingerbread, nonnettes (small round cakes of iced gingerbread), croquets, crisp almond biscuits(cookies), oriental cakes and various types of confectionery. Grog, egg nogg and certain liqueurs also contain honey and it is used instead of saltpeter in pickling brine for fine delicatessen meats.

Question 41. Quality Of Lamb?

Answer :

• It should be compact and evenly fleshed
• Should have a red colour and fine texture
• There should be even distribution of surface fat, which should be hard and flaky in structure and a clear white colour.
• In the young animal the bone should be pink and porous so the blood is shown when cut.

Question 42. List Down Few Popular Dishes Prepared From Lamb?

Answer :

• Roast leg of lamb served with mint sauce
• Irish stew
• Mussakka
• Shish kebab
• Navarin de agneau
• Shepard’s pie
• North umbrian duck(shoulder boned and stuffed to resemble duck)
• Crown roast

Question 43. Different Types Of Chickens?

Answer :

• Broiler
• Roasting chicken
• Capons
• Poussins

Question 44. Quality Of Chicken ?

Answer :

• Plump breast
• Pliable breast bone
• Flesh firm
• White skin with bluish tint
• Smooth legs with small scales

Question 45. What Are The Different Cuts Of Chicken?

Answer :

• Wings
• Winglets
• Thigh
• Drumstick
• Carcass

Question 46. List Some Popular Chicken Dishes:

Answer :

• Waterzooi- soup with root vegetables, belgium
• Buffalo chix wings- usa
• Cock-a-leekie- scotland
• Coq au vin-france
• Poulet saute Chasseur- mushroom, tomato and wine-france
• Caciatore – tomatoes and green peppers-italy
• Marengo- with mushroom, tomatoes, crayfish and fried egg- france
• Kiev- deep fried suprmes stuffed with herb and garlic butter
• Tetrazini- pasta,cheese, cream and brandy-usa

Question 47. What Are The Major Components Present In Meats?

Answer :

• Lean muscle
• Connective tissue
• Fat
• Bones

Question 48. Definition Of Different Types Of Pigs?

Answer :

• Stag --- male matured animal that has been castrated.
• Barrow ---male immature animal that has been castrated.
• Hog ---very young pigs castrated .
• Boar --- male for breeding purpose.
• Sow--- female which yielded progeny.
• Gilt --- a female pig not conceived.

Question 49. What Are The Points That Are Considered In General While Receiving Meat?

Answer :

• Meat should not fatty.
• No hair on the meat.
• No cyst on the meat.
• Age group
• NO BLOOD HAEMOERRAGE
• Abnormal thickness of fat.
• Abrasion on the skin.
• Contaminated carcass with dirt, hair, insects and maggots..
• Brown pigmented ribs to be rejected.
• Bad odor.
• Carcass other than pale pink colour.
• Spongy and slimy pork

Question 50. List Down Few Pork Products ?

Answer :

• Bacon
• Gammon
• Ham
• Forcemeat
• Sausage
• Salami

Question 51. What Are The Four Method Of Curing Ham?

Answer :

• Brine pumping
• Spray pumping
• Brining and
• Dry curing

Question 52. What Do You Meant By Force Meat?

Answer :

The general definition of forcemeat is ground or pureed flesh combined with fat and seasoning and bound by the process of emulsification or by the addition of binding agents.

Question 53. Define Sausage ?

Answer :

Sausage is a forcemeat enclosed in a tube like casing. The variety is virtually endless. Fresh sausages are made from cured meats. The meat is chopped, or diced and then it is seasoned. It is then stuffed into a casing. This is a raw product and should be cooked before eating. Country sauges, Italian sausages and goan sausages are good example of this type of sausage.

Question 54. What Is Poaching Why It Is So?

Answer :

Cooking food either partially or completely covered by a liquid which is brought to, and maintained at a temperature just below boiling point.

Poaching is an effective way of cooking foods for both hot or cold service, not only does it produce healthy food but it enhances flavour. It can however require considerable skill and judgement particularly with complex shallow poached fish dishes. Some dishes described as poach are strictly speaking a mixture of boiling & poaching for example a whole poached salmon.

Question 55. What Is The Purpose Of Poaching ?

Answer :

The main reasons why foods are poached are because:

• it is a fast method of cooking tender food
• food is moved as little as possible and does not break up or fall apart
• poaching liquid can contribute to taste and make good bases for sauces
• keeps flavour of food well and does not add fats/oils

Question 56. What Are The Basic Two Methods Of Poaching ?

Answer :

Deep Poaching &  Shallow Poaching

Question 57. What Is Stocks ?

Answer :

A stock is a flavorful extract made by cooking meat, fish or vegetables in water. Commercially stocks are prepared by simmering bones in water with addition of some flavoring agents.

Question 58. How Stocks Are Classified ?

Answer :

• STOCK POT
• CHICKEN BROTH
• VEAL BROTH
• VEGETABLE BROTH
• FISH STOCK
• BROWN STOCK
• MEAT GLACE/ GLACE DE VIANDE
• FISH GLACE
• JUS
• ESSENCES

Question 59. How To Prepare White Roux?

Answer :

It is prepared by cooking flour and clarified butter for approx. 5 minutes over slow heat and stirring constantly with a whisk. It is used for Béchamel sauce and thick soups.

Question 60. The Word Pudding Is Derived From?

Answer :

The word pudding probably comes from the French boudin via the Latin botellus, meaning "small sausage," referring to encased meats used in medieval puddings.[1] In the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth countries, pudding is a common term for any dessert.

Question 61. What Is A Pudding ?

Answer :

A pudding is the dessert course of a meal (`pud' is used informally). In Britain, we also use the words 'dessert, 'sweet'' and 'afters'.

Question 62. What Are The Well Known Traditional Home Made Puddings?

Answer :

The more traditional and well known home-made puddings are apple or rhubarb crumble, bread and butter pudding, spotted dick and trifle.

Question 63. What Are The Five Roll Systems In A Flour Mill ?

Answer :

There are five roll systems in a flour mill: break, sizing, midds (for middling), low grade, and residue.