Eat-Q Test: Valentine's Day Candy (answers)

1.    At least ten new conversation heart sayings are introduced each year. Which of these is not a recent addition?

A.    “Yeah Right”
B.    “What-Eva”
C.    “Call Home”
D.    “Puppy Love”

Answer: B. The three others phrases have all been introduced in the past decade. Recent themes have included pets, sports, and the comforts of home.
Source: “Fun Facts About Conversation Hearts.” National Confectioner’s Association Official Website. Accessed 13 December 2010.

2.    Hershey’s Kisses are so named because:
A.    Chocolate is an aphrodisiac.
B.    The noise the machines make while depositing the chocolate during manufacturing.
C.    Milton Hershey invented a new candy as a Valentine’s Day gift to this wife.
D.    The foil wrapper was originally printed with a design of lips.

Answer: B. Though no one knows for sure how the candies, invented in 1907, received their name, a popular theory centers around the sound of the chocolate being deposited during manufacturing.
Source: “Hershey’s Kisses: Our Story.” The Hershey Company Official Website. Accessed 13 December 13, 2010.

3.    Which chocolate company hit upon the idea of increasing sales of Valentine’s Day chocolate by packaging their chocolates in the world’s first heart-shaped candy box?

A.    Milton Hershey
B.    Richard Cadbury
C.    Henri Nestlé
D.    Normaine Ritter

Answer: B. In 1822, John Cadbury opened a tea and coffee shop in Birmingham, England. He soon expanded into chocolate manufacturing, and in 1861 his son Richard greatly increased sales by packaging Cadbury chocolates in the world's first heart shaped candy box for Valentine’s Day.
Source: Ptolemy, Alexander. “The Founding Fathers of the Chocolate Industry.” Associated Content, 3 February 2009.

4.    Although the phrase actually refers to a funeral bouquet, the line “Sweets to the sweet,” from this Shakespearean play, is often used to promote Valentine’s Day candy:

A.    Hamlet
B.    Romeo and Juliet
C.    Macbeth
D.    Twelfth Night

Answer: A. Although the line, uttered by Hamlet’s mother, the Queen, actually refers to the flowers scattered over Ophelia’s grave, this phrase has been used by the candy industry to promote gift giving in more recent years.
Source: Shakespeare, William. Hamlet.

5.    Every year, this television game show includes questions about conversation hearts on its Valentine’s Day–themed episode:
A.    Cash Cab
B.    Wheel of Fortune
C.    Trivial Pursuit
D.    Jeopardy

Answer: D. Each year, the Alex Trebek-hosted game show plans a special holiday-themed show with at least one question focused around conversation hearts.
Source: “Fun Facts About Conversation Hearts.” National Confectioner’s Association Official Website. Accessed 13 December 2010.

6.    True or False: More candy is purchased on Valentine’s Day than on Halloween

A.    True
B.    False

Answer: B. Valentine's Day is the fourth biggest holiday of the year for confectionery purchases (after Halloween, Easter and Christmas).
Source: “Fun Facts About Valentine’s Day.” National Confectioner’s Association Official Website. Accessed 13 December 13, 2010.

7.    Before WWI, conversation hearts were also made in all of the following shapes EXCEPT:

A.    Tophats
B.    Horseshoes
C.    Watches
D.    Baseballs

Answer: A. Before WWI, the candies were made in various shapes, and the hearts were embossed with curlicues. The enlarged shapes allowed for longer imprinted sayings. As time passed, the sayings got shorter and, eventually, they were reduced to one to two lines which fit perfectly on a heart shaped candy.
Source: “Sweethearts History: Did You Know?” New England Confectionary Company Official Website. Accessed 13 December 2010.

8.    How many heart-shaped boxes of chocolate were sold last year?

A.    5 million
B.    14 million
C.    36 million
D.    52 million

Answer: C. Further, a survey conducted by the Chocolate Manufacturers Association revealed that 50 percent of women will likely give a gift of chocolate to a guy for Valentine's Day.
Source: “Fun Facts About Valentine’s Day.” National Confectioner’s Association Official Website. Accessed 13 December 13, 2010.

9.    Production for conversation hearts runs for 11 months of the year, though they are available in stores for approximately this long each year:

A.    Year-round
B.    Six months
C.    Three months
D.    Six weeks

Answer: D. Production for conversation hearts starts right after Valentine’s Day and runs through mid-January the following year. Throughout the year, about 100,000 pounds a day are produced, but usually sell out in just 6 weeks.
Source: “5 Fun Facts About Candy Hearts.” Reader’s Digest Version. Accessed 13 December 2010.

10.    Which group receives the most Valentine’s Day candy and gifts?

A.    Children
B.    Mothers/Wives
C.    Fathers/Husbands
D.    Pets

Answer: A. Children receive 39 percent of all Valentine’s Day candy and gifts. Following them are wives/mothers (36 percent), fathers/husbands (6 percent), grandparents (3 percent), and pets (1 percent).
Source: LaBau, Elizabeth. “Fun Valentine Candy Facts.” About.com Accessed 13 December 2010.

Your Eat-Q Score:

10 Correct: Brilliant with bonbons

6–9: Talented with treats

3–5: Capable with confections

2 or Fewer: A little slow with sweets