Humans have made many discoveries that have changed the way we live each day. Few of them are as critical to these changes as the discovery of fire. Fire led to heat and cooking which revolutionized the way we eat and view food.
Nowadays, we can locate and make almost any food that we want and the world has vast options to suit all tastes and cravings. Cooking shows, the internet, and the easy availability of kitchen gadgets and tools have made us all food “experts.”
In this article we are going to see just how much an expert you are by sharing some outrageous and little-known facts about some of our favorite foods. Be honest. Were you aware of these things?
The world’s most expensive pizza can be found in Salerno, Italy. With a price tag of $12,000 dollars only a lucky few will get to taste it. One of these pizzas is less than 8 inches, barely enough for two people to share. What makes it expensive? It is made with organic Arabian flour, Murray River pink salt and takes almost 3 days to prepare. It also comes with pricey toppings like caviar, Norwegian lobster, and several different types of types of cheese.
You would be amazed how many people assume that the beef in their hamburgers comes from one cow. At least one fast food chain shatters this assumption. McDonald’s says a single burger may contain meat from several cows. The burgers are made from whole cuts of beef they get from multiple suppliers. They prepare the patties in bulk-the meat in one hamburger can come from dozens of cows.
Statistics from the Department of Agriculture indicate that Americans can eat up to 1,996 pounds of food per year. The average American consumes 31 pounds of cheese, 650 pounds of dairy products, 185 pounds of poultry and meat, and 197 pounds of grains. Should we be surprised that so many people in America are overweight?
It is carnauba wax, which is a main ingredient in car wax, that gives gummies and fruit snacks that lovely glow. Carnauba wax is made from the leaves of a palm tree and is used to provide a glossy look for the fruit chews, just as it does to cars, surf boards, shoes, and more.
For those vegans out there, spoiler alert, your Oreo cookies might contain Milk! It actually might depend on where you live and where your Oreo’s come from. Oreo’s sold in Japan are made in China and contain milk. If you’re vegan, read the ingredients carefully before snacking on these iconic cookies.
Well, nutmeg may bring you to a new dimension. Nutmeg contains a chemical called myristicin, a natural compound that can make you hallucinate. It is called that “nutmeg high,” and allegedly has similar effects to taking LSD.
Boiling wine, condensing it, and removing existing water, puts wine in a purified state. It can then be used as car fuel. It might not be cheaper than gas but it might be better for the car and the environment.
Have you ever wondered why nearly all crackers have holes? It is not an accident. The holes get poked in the dough before the dough is cooked or baked. The holes allow steam to escape, preventing air bubbles from forming, helping to give crackers their texture and crunch.
Strawberries may have the word “berries” in its name, but they aren’t really berries. They are considered to be something called an aggregate fruit. True berries come from a single flower with a single ovary. On the other hand, watermelons aren’t melons. They are actually “pepos,” which is a very specific part of the berry family. Confusing right? But true!
In 1834, a doctor, under the name John Cooke Bennett claimed that ketchup had properties to cure diarrhea, rheumatism, indigestion, and Jaundice. However, he was never able to prove his claims despite treating many patients with the condiment.
There is a technique of growing Rhubarb, called the “forcing” technique. Using this method, the Rhubarb grow so fast that you can hear it cracking as it gets bigger and taller.
White chocolate isn’t considered chocolate at all. The true definition of chocolate is something that contains cocoa solids. To make white chocolate, cocoa butter is used instead of cocoa solids. Whatever it is, it tastes amazing.
Open sesame! There is allegedly magic in sesame seeds! Hindu’s believe that sesame seeds have the capacity to absorb positive energy and help remove spiritual impurity.
Without adding chemicals in their feed farmed salmon would have white meat. What makes their color reddish-pink is added pigmenting compounds similar to what their counterparts get from their diet in the wild.
Artificial banana flavor may taste good, but the taste isn’t really based on a real banana. The flavoring comes from a chemical called isoamyl acetate.
Have you imagined eating a bug? It might sound gross but if you enjoy Skittles, you have been eating bugs for years. Red Skittles get their color from carmine, which is harvested from beetles. Ew.
During WWII, on January 18, 1943, the Food and Drug Administration banned sliced bread in an effort to conserve resources for the war effort and manage food allocations.
Candies and sweets have always been the prime suspects for causing cavities. But, crackers are allegedly worse than candy when it comes to causing cavities. Many crackers contain highly engineered ingredients that increase their sugar content or glycemic content and could lead to more cavities and other dental damage.
Before coming to America, the pilgrims were making cheddar cheese back in Britain. When they came to America, they used the same process to make cheese here. So, American cheese as we know it began in England. Brits view American cheese as a sub-par variety of cheddar cheese.
Your feet can taste garlic because garlic contains a molecule called Allicin. Allicin can permeate the skin of your feet and travel through the blood stream all the way to your nose and mouth. Weird isn’t it? Try it.
Think about how many hazelnuts are harvested each year. It is incredible to think that 25% of the entire worldwide hazelnut production ends up in Nutella.
These delicious, crispy, go-to snacks have only three ingredients. They are salt, corn oil, and corn. So simple, yet so perfect.
Bees pass nectar to each other using their mouths. Bees that make the nectar into honey regurgitate the nectar into the honey combs. Honey is quite literally bee vomit!
Pistachios are nuts that might spontaneously combust. Their high fat content and low water content make them prone to self-heating and spontaneous combustion!
The French did not invent French fries. They originated in Belgium. According to Belgian lore, Belgians started to fry potatoes during winter because they could not access their main source of food which was fish from the river. Fried potatoes were born.
The dish popularly known as “bird’s nest” is a delicacy to some. In China, some people harvest the nests of swiftlets, which are made from twigs combined with the birds’ saliva. The nests are often made into soup and are believed to have healing and energizing properties.
