In the old days, food used to be merely a nutritional need, a need for survival, but now we live in an era where food is much more than that. And this is exactly what we are going to do by sharing eleven of these facts with you.
1. Ketchup Was Once a Medicine
Many popular foods or food groups were once used as medicine, including sugar and Coca-Cola. A lot of people know this, but did you know that ketchup was also sold as a medicine? Yes, John Cook Bennet, a physician from Ohio, used to sell it as a cure for indigestion back in the 1830s, and his inventory also included tomato pills
2. Apples Float Because They’re 25% Air
Those who live in the United States are well aware of the Apple bobbing games on Halloween. But have you ever wondered why Apples float when most other fruits don’t? That is because a quarter of the apple’s volume is made up of nothing but air.
3. Peanuts Aren’t Nuts
With nuts in its name, one would think that peanuts are nuts, wink wink, but the fun fact about this food is that peanuts are not nuts but legumes. So, they are like beans and lentils and grow underground, just like chickpeas and other lentils.
4. White Chocolate Isn’t Technically Chocolate
The most basic or should we say essential component in chocolate is the cocoa bean, which when combined with milk and sugar forms the basis of dark chocolate, but the white chocolate doesn’t contain any cocoa beans, it instead contains cocoa butter, so can we really call it chocolate?
5. Carrots Were Originally Purple
Carrots are one of those few vegetables that most people like, and we know they come in orange colors. But in the ancient times, they used to come in a variety of colors, like purple, yellow, and white, but the modern carrots we know come from the Netherlands, where Dutch farmers created them as tribute to the House of Orange in the 17th century.
6. Cheese Is the Most Stolen Food in the World
Food is one of the basic necessities of life, and it makes sense that people will often steal food of various kinds, but it is cheese that gets stolen the most. But what puts it in the list of fun facts about food is how much cheese gets stolen, and the number is a whopping 4% of all cheese produced.
7. Wasabi Isn’t Usually Real Wasabi
If you like Japanese cuisine, then you are probably familiar with wasabi, which, if you don’t know, comes from the roots of a plant called Wasabia Japonica, but most of the Wasabi sold, especially outside Japan, is made of just horseradish, mustard, and some food coloring.
8. Cows Have Best Friends
This fact is not for vegetarians or the softhearted, but one of the biggest protein sources in the world is beef, which comes from cows, and studies have shown that cows are not only able to form close bonds but also get stressed when separated from friends.
9. Popsicles Were Invented by Accident
On a hot summer day, a sugary popsicle is a treat, but did you know they were created accidentally by an 11-year-old? Yes, you heard that right. In 1905, Frank Epperson left soda powder and water with a stick overnight, and it froze, and that is how we got popsicles.
10. Pineapples Take Two Years to Grow
When it comes to tropical foods, pineapples take the cake, and no amount of pineapple is ever enough, but when you find out that it takes an average of 18 to 24 months for a pineapple to grow fully, it really makes you appreciate it more.
11. Nutmeg Can Be Toxic
Nutmeg is one of the most delicious and prized spices of all and makes for a great holiday treat. But when it comes to nutmeg, never let yourself be carried away, as it has a chemical compound called myristicin, which, when consumed in large doses, can be toxic.
