Amazing Facts » Food And Drinks - Lemon, Sugar, Pasta, etc.

Fun Facts About Food

It is a fact that we cannot think well, sleep well, and dine well if one does not eat well. All of us love our food and will perish without it. Here we share with you some interesting information about the thing you love the most. Check out these amazing facts related to food. As they say, dig in and taste it!

LEMON

Lemons are almost a part of our everyday food. Be it as lemon juice or as a dressing for our food, as a healthy option or just to squeeze in the sour taste, lemon is necessary.

However, did you know that the name ‘lemon’ has been derived from an Asian word for sour fruit? Lemons are berries in technical terms and it is believed that they originated in the Mediterranean. In fact, lemons have been available since the first century A.D.

Did you know that lemon trees can produce up to six hundred pounds in a year and can grow about twenty feet tall? California and Arizona produce 95% of the entire lemon crop in the United States. There are three types of common lemons - Bears, Eureka and Lisbon. The British Navy carries sufficient amount of lemons for their sailors. The sailors are required to have an ounce of lemon juice very day, while on the ship.

Did you know how many seeds does an average lemon consist of? The answer is eight.

SUGAR

Sugar is another daily food item. Be it your daily cup of coffee or the mouthwatering chocolates or bakery items, sugar is used in all the desserts to satisfy our sweet tooth.

Did you know that sugar is usually found in the fibers of all plants and it is a by-product of photosynthesis? Sugar occurs in fruits, grains, vegetables and dairy products, naturally. Sugar is found in high concentrations from two plants to make sugar crystals for food consumption. These two plants are sugar beets and sugarcane.

Apart from this, were you aware that contrary to popular belief, a teaspoon of sugar contains only fifteen calories? Yes, it is true, and a person can easily burn of these fifteen calories by socializing with other people. Carbohydrates, which are essential for human and animal survival, is obtained from three different sources. They are sugar, fiber, and starch. Carbohydrates are considered the building blocks of living cells.

Here is another popular myth, which needs to be busted. Sugar does not make a person gain weight. Yes, it is true. It is only consumption of too many calories causes weight gain in a person. This intake of calories can be found anywhere and not necessarily in sugar alone.

BREAD

Did you know that bread contains human hair? Yes, the bread that you eat for breakfast every day, are made out of L-cysteine, which is an amino acid used in baking industry as dough conditioner. The cheapest source of L-cysteine is human hair.

ICE CREAM

Are you aware of beaver flavored ice creams? We all love ice creams. Ice cream flavors are made up of an ingredient called castoreum extract. This extract comes from castor sacs of male and female beavers.

CANDY

We all love candies but did you know about bug based candy glaze? Shellac, which is the secret candy ingredient to make candies smooth and unmalting in your hand, is derived from the secretions of Laccifer lacca. This is a bug living in the forests of India and Thailand. Also, figs make your food red! Food coloring known as carmine is extracted from female cochineal insect shells. Those shells are boiled in ammonia or sodium carbonate solution. Carmine makes your ice creams, yoghurt, candy and fruit drinks red in color.

PASTA

The simple and easy to make, delicious pasta is one of our favorite dish as well. Whenever we look for a tasty and healthy alternative, we think of anything other than the mouth-watering pastas. However, did you know that this cuisine is an Italian staple food? Pasta is a type of noodle used in cooking and it is made from durum wheat flour. Pastas fall under two categories- either it is dry or it is fresh. There are over six hundred different types of pastas and some of them even have 1300 names. The first reference to pasta was made in a book in 1154.

There are three most popular pastas, namely penne, macaroni, and spaghetti. Long pasta, short pasta, al forno pasta, fresh pasta, egg pasta, and minute pasta are some of the varieties of pastas. Fresh egg pasta, which contains egg, becomes very tender when cooked. Pastas can be served in many ways for eating. For example, pastas can be mixed with sauces or fresh condiment. Pastas can also be served by stirring into soups or stew. Pastas can also be baked. Pasta can be served for consumption in these various ways.

PINEAPPLE

Who doesn't love eating pineapples? The sweet and juicy yellow colored fruit is one of the favorites amongst kids. These tropical fruits derived its name “pineapple” way back in 1398 when it used or referred for pinecones. When this tropical fruit was discovered in America, the Europeans found a lot of resemblance to pine cones. Hence, they named this fruit as pineapple.

Did you know that the pineapple is not an apple or pine? It is a berry.

PEA

Peas in the pasta! What can be better than that?

Did you know that the pea is thought to have originated from Middle Asia? Peas are tiny little green vegetables that go well with any kind of dishes. Pisum sativum is the Latin name for the pea. The Romans grew over 37 varieties of peas. 35,000 hectares of peas are grown in the United Kingdom, every year.

Did you know that the oldest pea is in Thailand? In addition, can you even imagine the age of that pea? That pea is three thousand years old.

Did you know the name of the scientist who used peas in genetic research? His name is Gregor Johann Mendel.

Thomas Edward Knight grew the sweet tasting peas for the first time. This dates back to the 18th century. Elizabeth 1 had peas imported for herself, as they were very expensive.

Enjoy these fun food facts and make your lives interesting by incorporating some of these for best results. Eat healthy, stay healthy.