Food — Page 11

Nutmeg is extremely toxic to dogs and can cause fatal seizures.

The myristicin and elemicin present in the spice severely affect the central nervous system of canines, potentially…

Honey is highly acidic, which prevents bacteria from growing.

Its pH ranges between three and four and a half, creating a hostile environment for microorganisms, which adds to its…

Ripe cranberries bounce like rubber balls when dropped on the floor.

Farmers use this physical property to test the ripeness and quality of the fruit. If the cranberry does not bounce…

The English "pound cake" gets its name from the original eighteenth-century recipe.

The original recipe called for exactly one pound, or about four hundred and fifty grams, of each of the four main…

Pringles potato chips are not made from real potato slices.

They are made from a dehydrated dough of potato, corn, and wheat, which is pressed into a metal mould to create the…

Nutella was invented to stretch cocoa rations during the Second World War.

Due to cocoa shortages in Italy, baker Pietro Ferrero mixed abundant regional hazelnuts with a small amount of cocoa…

The stickers on fruit are made of edible paper and food-grade glue.

Food safety agencies require these small labels to be safe for accidental consumption, although they should be…

All the colours of Froot Loops cereal taste exactly the same.

Despite the different colours suggesting distinct fruit flavours, the manufacturer confirmed that all the cereal…

Popsicles were invented by an eleven-year-old boy.

In nineteen oh five, Frank Epperson accidentally left a mixture of soda powder and water with a wooden stick on the…

Natural vanilla extract comes from the pods of a specific type of orchid.

The Vanilla planifolia orchid produces pods that, after a long curing and fermentation process, release the complex…

The cashew shell contains a toxic oil similar to poison ivy.

That is why cashews are always sold shelled. The shell contains anacardic acid, which can cause severe skin burns and…

Ketchup was originally sold in the 1830s as a medicine to treat diarrhoea.

American doctor John Cook Bennett declared that tomatoes could cure diarrhoea and indigestion, and sold the recipe as…

Carrots were originally purple or yellow before the orange variety was cultivated.

The orange carrot was developed by Dutch farmers in the 17th century, supposedly to honour the House of Orange and…

In the 1830s, ketchup was sold in the United States as a medicine to treat diarrhoea.

American doctor John Cook Bennett argued that tomatoes cured various digestive ailments and published recipes for…

Outside Mexico, all vanilla pods must be pollinated by hand, one by one.

The vanilla orchid is only naturally pollinated by a specific bee that lives in Mexico. In other producing countries…

Cheese is the most stolen food in the world, with about 4 percent of global production going missing.

An international study revealed that cheese tops the list of the most shoplifted foods, followed by fresh meat and…

Pineapple contains an enzyme that digests the proteins in your mouth while you eat it.

Fresh pineapple contains bromelain, a mixture of enzymes that break down proteins. This is why the tongue can feel…

Peanuts are not nuts, but legumes.

Unlike walnuts or almonds that grow on trees, peanuts develop underground, just like peas or beans. They belong to…

Nutmeg can cause severe hallucinations if consumed in large amounts.

This spice contains myristicin, a compound that, in high doses, affects the central nervous system. Excessive…

Honeydew melons and watermelons belong to the exact same botanical family.

Both belong to the Cucurbitaceae family, which also includes cucumbers, pumpkins, and zucchini. Despite having…

Cashews grow on the bottom of an apple-like false fruit.

The true fruit of the cashew tree is the nut, which develops at the end of the floral receptacle. This receptacle…

The wasabi served in most restaurants is dyed horseradish.

Real wasabi is rare and expensive. Thus, the spicy green paste that usually accompanies sushi is made from…

Fresh cranberries bounce when they are ripe.

Farmers use machines that bounce the cranberries to separate the ripe fruits from the bad ones. Good cranberries have…