Red Seal Cook exam · Area H

Grains, pulses, seeds, nuts and alternative proteins

11 of the 150 questions on the Red Seal Cook exam. Grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, and plant-based proteins.

What this area covers

In the Red Seal Occupational Standard for Cook, grains, pulses, seeds, nuts and alternative proteins is major work activity H. Its 3 tasks carry these shares of the exam, according to the official exam breakdown:

H-21 Grains and pulses

4 questions

Rice, grains, and legumes: types, ratios, and cooking methods.

  • Quinoa, seeds and nuts belong to task H-22, and tofu and tempeh to H-23.
  • Peanuts and soybeans are also legumes, and both are priority allergens in Canada, so check the labels on bean blends, flours and mixes.

H-22 Seeds and nuts

3 questions

Types, storage, toasting, and allergy considerations.

  • The standard names these seeds: pumpkin, sunflower, flax, chia, quinoa and sesame, and these nuts: almonds, pine nuts, walnuts and peanuts.
  • Peanuts and tree nuts are separate allergens. A guest allergic to one may or may not react to the other, so always ask and never assume.

H-23 Alternative proteins

4 questions

Tofu, tempeh, seitan, bean curd, insects, and other alternative proteins: selecting, processing, and cooking.

  • Alternative proteins are often ordered because of a dietary requirement, so reading labels and preventing cross-contact matters as much as the cooking.
  • Match firmness to the method: the more handling and heat a dish needs, the firmer the tofu should be.

Free grains, pulses, seeds, nuts and alternative proteins practice questions

Try these exam-style questions, then open each one to check your answer and read why it is right.

  1. Question 1 · Task H-21

    What is a pulse?

    • A.Any grain that is cooked in liquid
    • B.The seed of a cereal grass, such as barley
    • C.The dried edible seed of a legume
    • D.A fresh green bean or pea in its pod
    Show answer

    Answer: C. The dried edible seed of a legume

    Pulses are the dried, edible seeds of legumes, the plants that grow their seeds in pods: lentils, dried beans, chickpeas and dried peas. Barley is a cereal grain, and fresh green beans and snow peas are legumes eaten as vegetables, not pulses.

  2. Question 2 · Task H-22

    Which of these is a legume that grows underground, rather than a tree nut?

    • A.Almond
    • B.Peanut
    • C.Pine nut
    • D.Walnut
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Peanut

    Peanuts, also called groundnuts, are legumes that develop in pods underground. They are a separate priority allergen from tree nuts, so an allergen chart lists them separately. Pine nuts are seeds from pine cones, but Canada counts them as tree nuts.

  3. Question 3 · Task H-23

    Which description matches tempeh?

    • A.Cooked soybeans bound into a firm cake by a mould
    • B.Soy milk curds pressed into a block in a mould
    • C.Wheat gluten kneaded and simmered in seasoned broth
    • D.The thin skin lifted from the surface of hot soy milk
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Cooked soybeans bound into a firm cake by a mould

    Tempeh is made by fermenting cooked, dehulled whole soybeans with Rhizopus mould, which grows through the beans and binds them into a firm cake. Pressed soy milk curds are tofu, simmered wheat gluten is seitan, and the skin lifted from heated soy milk is yuba.

  4. Question 4 · Task H-21

    A cook is asked to switch the steamed rice on the menu from long-grain white rice to brown rice. How should the cooking be adjusted?

    • A.Use more liquid and a longer cooking time, because the bran layer slows water absorption
    • B.Use less liquid, because the bran already holds moisture
    • C.Keep the same liquid and the same cooking time
    • D.Soak the rice overnight like dried beans, then cook it for the same time as white rice
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Use more liquid and a longer cooking time, because the bran layer slows water absorption

    Brown rice keeps its bran layer, which slows water absorption, so it needs more liquid and much more time than white rice. The bran does not hold moisture for the cook, and brown rice is not treated like dried beans with an overnight soak.

  5. Question 5 · Task H-22

    A cook serves a quinoa salad and guests say the quinoa tastes bitter and soapy. What most likely caused this?

    • A.It was cooked in salted water
    • B.It was cooled in a shallow pan before dressing
    • C.It was toasted in oil before the liquid went in
    • D.It was not rinsed before cooking
    Show answer

    Answer: D. It was not rinsed before cooking

    Quinoa seeds carry saponins, a natural coating that tastes bitter and soapy. Rinsing well in a fine strainer before cooking removes it. Salting the water and toasting the seeds improve flavour, and cooling in a shallow pan is safe practice; none of these causes a soapy taste.

Red Seal Ready Cook Course

Master grains, pulses, seeds, nuts and alternative proteins for the exam

The course has a full lesson for every task in this area, a practice set with an explanation for every answer, and a timed unit test with the same number of questions as the real exam. One topic in every area is free to try.

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