Food Trivia

The 15th of May is officially the national day of Pisco in Chile.

• Did you know that Germany is slaughtering or butchering 60 million pigs per year.

• Honey Never Spoils:

  • Archaeologists have found pots of honey in ancient Egyptian tombs that are over 3,000 years old and still perfectly edible.

• Bananas Are Berries, But Strawberries Aren't:

  • Botanically speaking, bananas meet the criteria to be berries, while strawberries do not because their seeds are on the outside.

• The Most Expensive Pizza:

  • The world's most expensive pizza, called the "Louis XIII," costs over $12,000 and includes ingredients like caviar, lobster, and 24-karat gold flakes.

• Chocolate Was Once Currency:

  • The Aztecs valued cacao beans so highly that they used them as currency to trade for goods.

• Pineapples Take Years to Grow:

  • It takes about 18-24 months for a single pineapple to mature and be ready for harvest.

• Peanuts Aren't Nuts:

  • Peanuts are legumes, like lentils and beans, because they grow underground rather than on trees.

• Watermelons Are 92% Water:

  • This makes them a hydrating snack perfect for hot summer days.

• Ketchup Was Once Medicine:

  • In the early 19th century, ketchup was sold as a cure for indigestion by a doctor in Ohio.

• Potatoes Were the First Food Grown in Space:

  • NASA and the University of Wisconsin partnered in 1995 to grow potatoes aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia.

• Carrots Weren't Always Orange:

  • Historically, carrots were purple, red, white, and yellow. The orange variety was cultivated in the Netherlands as a tribute to the House of Orange.

• Apples Float Because of Air:

  • Apples are 25% air, which is why they float when placed in water.

• Cranberries Bounce:

  • Fresh cranberries can bounce because they have small air pockets inside, which also help them float in water.

• Cheese Is the Most Stolen Food in the World:

  • According to surveys, about 4% of all cheese produced globally gets stolen.

• An Almond Isn't a Nut:

  • Almonds are seeds of the fruit of the almond tree, closely related to peaches.

• Worcestershire Sauce Contains Anchovies:

  • The tangy condiment is made using a fermented mixture of anchovies, vinegar, molasses, and other ingredients.

• Avocados Are Fruit:

  • Though often used in savory dishes, avocados are technically large berries with a single seed.

• The Original Caesar Salad Had No Anchovies:

  • Caesar Cardini, the inventor, used Worcestershire sauce instead of anchovies in the original recipe.

• Ice Cream Was Once a Luxury:

  • Before refrigeration, ice cream was a rare treat for the wealthy because it required harvesting and storing natural ice.

• Coca-Cola Would Be Green Without Coloring:

  • The caramel coloring gives Coca-Cola its iconic brown hue; otherwise, it would appear greenish.

• Pufferfish Is Deadly If Prepared Incorrectly:

  • Fugu, a delicacy in Japan, contains tetrodotoxin, a poison that can be fatal if the fish is not cleaned properly.

The Minorcans insist that Salsa Mahonesa , which is named after the island's capital was created by one of their own but was sent off to Paris by the French when they took Minorca from the Britisn in the 1750's

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Food trivia is full of surprises! Whether you're curious about history, science, or quirky facts, food has plenty of stories to tell.