A few years ago I read a great book about Scrabble called Word Freak. My mom remembers when Scrabble was so popular people took the game to the beach. Being a bit of a Scrabble fanatic myself I can only imagine what that must have been like. But I came of age during the Trivial Pursuit era.

Do you remember Trivial Pursuit? It was wildly popular when it first came out. Everyone had a copy and it was fascinating, at least initially, to see which of your friends were virtual vaults of trivial information. But like all fads, eventually the excitement died down and the game went into the closet with the rest of the board games. I think the latest trivia game may have a bit more staying power.

Foodie Fight is very much like Trivial Pursuit in that it's a trivia game with a list of categories. But there is no large board instead there are mini boards for each player. There are over 1000 questions ensuring plenty of games with no cards repeated. You can play with as few as 2 people.

The categories are:

Foodiesphere--Food people, world cuisines, and food places

Food Stars--Food on film and on print, music and art

Company's Coming--Party planning, table etiquette, and wine and food pairing

Lab and Field--Cooking science, nutrition and food production

Dining Out--Eateries, chefs, menu matters, and restaurant service

What's Cooking--Cooking tools, techniques, and ingredients

If those categories sound almost like a curriculum, it will come as no surprise that the game's creator has a master's degree in Gastronomy from Boston University. At just under $20 (or $12.89 on Amazon), this is a great gift for anyone who loves learning about food or showing off what they know among friends.

Labels: amy sherman, games