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Everyone needs food to survive. It’s something we all think about in our daily lives, but we may be unaware of some of the weirder details about our diet. There’s a lot to learn about ketchup, peanut butter, sardines, and many other things that aren’t taught in school. Keep reading to learn some weird, but true, facts about food!
German Chocolate Cake Doesn't Come From Germany
With a name like “German Chocolate Cake,” you'd expect this dish to come from Germany. The cake's name actually comes from its inventor.
Sam German was the first to invent a type of baking chocolate. He created the recipe in 1852 by adding more sugar than the average semisweet baking chocolate.
Honey never goes bad
Honey is one of the few foods that never goes bad. This is because it contains very little water, which prevents bacteria and microorganisms from taking over.
It is important to store it in a cool, dry place. In addition, the oldest batch of honey ever discovered was found in Georgia. It was more than five thousand years old.
Why Students Give Apples to Teachers
There's a reason teachers receive apples as gifts from their students. According to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, from the 16th to the 18th century, teachers' salaries were extremely low.
So students and their families tried to compensate teachers by giving them apples, a popular crop at that time.
How did chicken noodle soup get its name?
Campbell invented his recipe for broth, chicken and noodles in 1934 and called it Noodle with Chicken Soup.
When a radio announcer promoted the soup, he misinterpreted the text and called it Chicken Noodle Soup. The name stuck, and Campbell's officially changed it to Chicken Noodle Soup a few weeks later.
The most stolen food in the world
Food thefts happen every day, but most often it's cheese. About 4% of all cheese produced in the world is stolen.
There is even a black market for stolen cheese. Some cheeses are also illegal in the United States, such as raw cheese.
The Weird Ingredient in Ranch Dressing
Ranch dressing is commonly found in salads or as a dipping sauce, but it can be important to check the label.
One of the ingredients commonly found in this dressing is titanium dioxide. It is used to make the Ranch even whiter. Titanium dioxide is also found in sunscreen and white paint.
Froot Loops all taste the same
Froot Loops are a popular children's cereal, with colorful pieces in every color of the rainbow. Although there are six different colors in the box, they all taste the same.
This is because each piece is a blend of many fruit flavors, so none of them overpowers the other.
Why Gummy Candies Are Brilliant
Gummies come in many flavors and colors, but consumers will also notice how shiny they are.
They shine thanks to an ingredient called shellac. It's commonly called “confectioner's glaze,” but it's also the same ingredient found in gel nail polish. Shellac is made from the hardened resinous material secreted by the lacquer bug.
Mushrooms cannot be overcooked
Some people can be nervous when cooking because it is very easy to overcook or undercook food. Mushrooms are one of the few foods that cannot be overcooked.
Their cell walls contain a special polymer that keeps them tender. The mushroom capital of the world is also located in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.
Water ice was invented by a little boy
According to NPR, the very first ice cream was invented by 11-year-old Frank Epperson in 1905. He let a mixture of soda and water sit overnight, which froze and transformed the sweet treat.
Epperson originally named his creation “Epsicle,” but changed it to “Pop's 'Sicle” or “Popsicle” as an adult, as that is what his children called him.
Sesame seeds were very valuable
Most people typically see sesame seeds as a topping on a bagel or hamburger bun, but they were once one of the most valuable currencies.
Centuries ago, sesame seeds were considered magical, with people believing they could bring good luck and fortune. They were so highly prized that they were worth more than gold.
Wally Amos did more than invent a cookie recipe
Some may remember Wally Amos as the man who invented the recipe for Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies. While that was a huge accomplishment, he did much more.
Before inventing the cookie recipe, Amos worked as a talent agent and discovered many famous musicians such as Simon & Garfunkel, Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye.
This fast food chain was the largest buyer of kale
Although it may seem unlikely, fast food restaurants must purchase a lot of fruits and vegetables on a regular basis. Pizza Hut was once the largest buyer of kale.
The pizza chain used to buy tons of kale because it was used as a topping in its salad bar. It lost the top spot in 2012 when kale started to become more popular.
Astronaut Smuggles Sandwich Into Space
Astronaut John Young was determined to take his favorite sandwich into space. In 1965, he smuggled a corned beef sandwich aboard his spacecraft for his six-hour mission.
When he pulled it out of his pocket, he realized he had made a grave mistake and quickly put it away. The crumbs and floating debris could have caused serious damage to the shuttle.
McDonald's sells as many hamburgers per year
McDonald's is the world's most popular fast food chain, so it's bound to sell a lot of food. The restaurant chain sells 2.5 billion hamburgers each year.
That's 6.5 million hamburgers per day or 75 hamburgers per second. Additionally, McDonald's feeds 68 million people every day, or about 1% of the world's population.
Almonds are not nuts
One of the most common misconceptions about almonds is that they are nuts. In reality, almonds are seeds and have been classified as drupes.
The Plant Information Center defines drupe as a “fleshy fruit with a stony endocarp.” Additionally, almonds are 100% dependent on wild and domestic bees for crop pollination.
Oysters are still alive when served
Although it may not sound very appetizing to eat food that is still alive, it is sometimes necessary. Oysters are served alive because those that are not alive contain a large amount of bacteria.
This can make people extremely sick. Additionally, oysters change sex throughout their lives from male to female.
Peanut butter can be turned into diamonds
Many people prefer peanut butter when mixed with jelly or chocolate, but it has a whole other use.
Scientists at the Bayerisches Geoinstitut in Germany have discovered that peanut butter, and more specifically Skippy, can be turned into diamonds. This is because it is very rich in carbon. It becomes a diamond after oxygen is extracted from carbon dioxide under enormous pressure.
Sardines are extremely healthy
Sardines feed only on plankton, which means they are low in mercury. The nutrients in sardines are a great way to reduce the risk of heart attack and high blood pressure.
Those looking to get nutrients from fish should look to sardines. They contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins B-12 and D, calcium, iron, potassium and protein.
Ketchup was used as medicine
In the 19th century, ketchup was thought to have medicinal properties. It was believed to cure indigestion and diarrhea.
In 1830, an Ohio doctor concentrated ketchup into pill form to treat various ailments. Ketchup lovers may not know that there are good and bad years for ketchup consumption, depending on the harvest.
