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2. Pineapples take two years to grow – It takes up to 24 months for a pineapple to fully mature.
3. Carrots were originally purple – The first cultivated carrots were purple or yellow, not orange.
4. Apples float because they’re 25% air – This is why they’re a favourite in the game of apple bobbing.
5. Bananas are berries, but strawberries aren’t – Botanically speaking, bananas are classified as berries, while strawberries are not.
6. The world’s most expensive coffee comes from animal poop – Kopi Luwak is made using beans digested and excreted by the civet cat.
7. Potatoes were the first food grown in space – In 1995, NASA and the University of Wisconsin developed technology to grow them in space.
8. Chewing gum stays in your stomach for years is a myth – It passes through your digestive system just like any other food.
9. Chocolate was once used as currency – The ancient Aztecs and Mayans used cocoa beans as a form of money.
10. Peppers can’t burn your tongue – The sensation of spiciness is a chemical reaction, not an actual burn.
11. Almonds are seeds, not nuts – Almonds are the seeds of fruits from the almond tree.
12. Cucumbers are 96% water – That’s why they’re so refreshing!
13. Mushrooms are more closely related to humans than plants – Fungi, like mushrooms, are biologically closer to animals than plants.
14. Coconut water can be used as a blood plasma substitute – In emergency situations, it has been used as an intravenous hydration fluid.
15. Cashews come from a fruit – The cashew nut is actually the seed of the cashew apple.
16. Avocados are poisonous to birds – The toxin persin, which is harmless to humans, can be deadly to birds.
17. Peanuts aren’t nuts – They’re legumes, related to beans and lentils.
18. Tomatoes were once thought to be poisonous – In the 18th century, many Europeans believed tomatoes were toxic.
19. Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth – Yes, it’s a real phobia!
20. A single cup of coffee contains over 1,000 chemical compounds – Many contribute to the flavour and aroma we love.
21. The popsicle was invented by an 11-year-old – In 1905, Frank Epperson left a mixture of powdered soda and water outside, and it froze.
22. Broccoli contains more protein than steak – Per calorie, broccoli has more protein, though you’d need to eat a lot more to match the quantity.
23. Rhubarb leaves are poisonous – The stalks are edible, but the leaves contain toxic levels of oxalic acid.
24. McDonald’s sells 75 hamburgers every second – That’s over 6.5 million burgers a day worldwide.
25. Figs can contain dead wasps – The fruit relies on wasps to pollinate, and sometimes, the wasp gets stuck and digested by the enzymes inside the fig.
26. Honey is made from regurgitated nectar – Bees collect nectar, swallow it, and regurgitate it multiple times to make honey.
27. Eating too many carrots can turn your skin orange – A condition called carotenemia can occur from consuming too much beta-carotene.
28. Humans share 60% of their DNA with bananas – We have surprisingly similar genetic material to the popular fruit.
29. Garlic can reduce the frequency of colds – Studies show that garlic has immune-boosting properties.
30. The red food dye in many sweets comes from insects – Carmine is made from crushed cochineal bugs.
31. Oysters can change gender – Oysters can switch between male and female multiple times during their lives.
32. Apples are part of the rose family – They belong to the same plant family as roses, along with pears and plums.
33. Cranberries bounce when ripe – A ripe cranberry will bounce due to its tiny air pockets.
34. The world’s oldest bottle of wine is over 1,600 years old – It was found in a Roman tomb and remains unopened to this day.
35. Nutmeg is poisonous in large quantities – Consuming too much nutmeg can cause hallucinations or even seizures.
36. Some canned foods can last for decades – As long as the can remains intact, many canned foods can be safe to eat long past their “best before” dates.
37. A pound of dandelion greens contains more calcium than a glass of milk – They’re incredibly nutritious but often overlooked.
38. Vanilla is pollinated by hand – Because vanilla orchids only bloom for a single day, workers must hand-pollinate each flower to produce vanilla beans.
39. Popcorn can pop up to 3 feet in the air – The steam builds up inside the kernel until it explodes, sending the popcorn flying.
40. Watermelons are both fruit and vegetable – They belong to the cucumber family and can be classified as both.
41. There are more than 7,500 varieties of apples worldwide – From sweet to tart, the diversity is incredible.
42. A can of Coca-Cola will sink in water, but Diet Coke will float – This is due to the difference in sugar content between the two.
43. Lemons contain more sugar than strawberries – Despite their sour taste, lemons have more natural sugars than the sweeter strawberry.
44. Peppers produce capsaicin to deter mammals – However, birds are immune to capsaicin and help spread the seeds.
45. Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world – It’s incredibly labour-intensive, with 75,000 saffron flowers needed to produce just one pound of saffron.
46. The largest pizza ever made was over 126 feet in diameter – It was made in Rome in 2012 and named “Ottavia.”
47. Pound cake got its name from its original recipe – The recipe called for a pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour.
48. The fear of cooking is called mageirocophobia – Some people have a genuine fear of preparing food.
49. Some fish can be eaten raw, but not others – Raw salmon is safe to eat, but raw cod, for instance, can carry parasites harmful to humans.
50. The world’s largest strawberry weighed over 250 grams – It was grown in Japan and set a record for its size.
These fun and surprising facts show just how fascinating and diverse the world of food can be!
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