Food — Page 5

Apples float in water.

About 25 percent of an apple's volume is air, which makes its density lower than that of water. That is why apples…

Cherry pits contain compounds that release cyanide.

Cherry, plum and apricot pits contain amygdalin, a compound that releases small amounts of cyanide when ingested and…

Bananas release a gas that makes other fruits ripen faster.

Bananas produce ethylene, a gas that accelerates the ripening of nearby fruits. That is why placing a banana next to…

Dark roast coffee has more caffeine than light roast.

Light roast coffee beans generally have more caffeine than dark roast, because longer roasting destroys part of the…

The smell of garlic only appears when the clove is cut or crushed.

Whole garlic contains alliin, an odourless compound. When the clove is cut or crushed, the enzyme alliinase converts…

Rice grows in dry fields.

Rice traditionally grows in flooded fields, where water controls weeds and provides nutrients. However, there are…

Honey can last thousands of years without spoiling.

Honey is hygroscopic, absorbs little water, and has an acidic pH, which prevents the growth of bacteria and fungi…

Lemon juice can prevent apples from browning.

Lemon juice contains ascorbic acid, which is an antioxidant. By covering cut apple with lemon juice, the ascorbic…

Rhubarb leaves are toxic.

Rhubarb leaves contain high levels of oxalic acid, which can cause kidney failure and other serious problems if…

Cinnamon is a root.

Cinnamon is the inner bark of several tree species of the genus Cinnamomum. The bark is removed, dried and rolled…

Coffee is a fruit.

Coffee beans are the seeds of the fruit of a plant of the genus Coffea. These fruits are red or purple berries…

The artichoke is a root.

The artichoke is actually the unopened flower of a plant of the genus Cynara. The part we eat is the fleshy bracts…

The cashew shell contains urushiol, the same substance as poison ivy.

The urushiol in the cashew shell causes severe skin irritation. That is why cashews are always roasted or boiled…

Gelatin made with fresh pineapple sets normally.

Gelatin made with fresh pineapple does not set because bromelain, an enzyme in pineapple, destroys collagen. If the…

Capsaicin in chilli has no taste or smell.

Capsaicin activates heat and pain receptors in the mouth, tricking the brain into thinking the mouth is burning…

Apples turn brown because they lose vitamins.

Apples turn brown due to oxidation, when oxygen in the air reacts with phenolic compounds in the flesh, catalysed by…

Dark chocolate has more antioxidants than milk chocolate.

Dark chocolate, with a higher percentage of cocoa, has far more antioxidants than milk chocolate, because milk…

Maple syrup is classified only by colour.

Before 2015, Canadian and American maple syrup was classified by colour, such as light, medium or dark. The new…

Olives are naturally bitter and need curing to be edible.

Raw olives contain oleuropein, an extremely bitter compound. That is why they must be cured in brine, water or…

The most expensive coffee in the world is made from civet droppings.

Kopi Luwak is produced from coffee beans that have passed through the digestive system of a civet. The civet's…

Da Hong Pao, the most expensive tea in the world, is grown in flooded rice paddies.

Da Hong Pao is grown in rock crevices in the Wuyi Mountains of China. The original bushes are over 350 years old and…

The Yubari King melon from Japan can sell for thousands of euros.

The Yubari King melon is grown only in Yubari, Japan, and is considered a status symbol. A pair of perfect melons can…

The most expensive vegetable in the world is hop shoots.

Hop shoots are the most expensive vegetable in the world, with a price that can exceed 1,000 euros per kilogram. They…

The white truffle is one of the most expensive foods in the world.

The white truffle (Tuber magnatum) is found only in a few regions of Italy, Croatia and Slovenia. It is so rare that…