Buzz
Food is always on my mind, and if you’re connected with me on Facebook or follow Mytour, you’ll notice that most of my recent updates are about my culinary adventures. This list, therefore, shouldn’t be a surprise! We’ve explored food facts, debunked food myths, delved into food horrors, and now, we’re sharing food facts that will astonish most readers. If you think we’ve missed any, don’t hesitate to share them in the comments.
10. Fortune Cookies
Fortune cookies were first created in San Francisco in 1909 at the Japanese Tea Garden Restaurant. In 1916, David Jung, a noodle manufacturer from Los Angeles, claimed to have invented them. However, a San Francisco court ruled that Makoto Hagiwara, the caretaker of Golden Gate Park’s Japanese Tea Garden, was the true creator. He served these cookies to visitors of the gardens. [Source]
9. Tonka Beans
The tonka bean, known for its lethal properties, is prohibited in the United States as a food additive. Often used in perfumes as a cost-effective substitute for vanilla, it remains a favorite in France, where it’s used in premium pastries like Jean Paul Hévin’s renowned “Tonka.” While it’s considered highly toxic, only a handful of countries restrict its use in food. The aroma of fresh tonka beans blends bitter almond, vanilla, and clove, creating a unique flavor profile that makes it a coveted ingredient in top European pastry shops. [Image Source]
8. Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken tikka masala, the widely adored Indian curry, actually originated in Glasgow, Scotland. Surprisingly, this beloved dish, often considered a staple of Indian cuisine, hails from the land of haggis and Hogmanay. It holds the title of the most popular “Indian” dish in Britain, according to statistics.
7. Korean Table Manners
In Korea, traditional table manners require younger individuals to show respect to elders by turning their face away and covering their lips with their hand when drinking alcohol. This gesture reflects the deep cultural emphasis on respect. The Korean language further highlights this, with over 600 word endings tailored to different social contexts based on seniority. Despite its straightforward 24-letter alphabet (Hangul), this complexity makes Korean one of the most challenging languages to master.
6. Fish ‘n’ Chips
5. Indoor BBQ
Using charcoal for indoor cooking can be fatal due to carbon monoxide emissions. However, in Japan and Korea, white charcoal (binchotan) is frequently used indoors, as well as in Asian restaurants worldwide, including two in California that rely entirely on indoor charcoal grills. With proper ventilation, white charcoal is safe for indoor use, even in confined spaces. It emits no smoke because of its unique production process, imparting a clean, delicate flavor to grilled meats. Although the US Center for Disease Control warns against indoor charcoal use, including white charcoal, due to carbon monoxide risks, this hasn’t deterred Asians from maintaining their millennia-old tradition. White charcoal, distinct from black charcoal, is incredibly durable—comparable to steel—and can be reused multiple times, even after being doused with water.
4. Tea Time
If someone invites you for tea in the British Empire or its Commonwealth nations, you might be in for a surprise. For many in the Commonwealth and even some Brits, 'tea' refers to the main evening meal, not the afternoon ritual of tea and scones (pronounced 'shone,' not 'moan') enjoyed by the upper class. How did this shift happen? The answer likely lies in the Titanic’s menu:
The upper and second-class menus featured breakfast, luncheon, and dinner. Meanwhile, the third-class menu listed breakfast, dinner, TEA (the main meal), and supper.
Since most Commonwealth settlers were from the third class, this terminology stuck. To explore what each class ate on the Titanic’s final voyage, you can read the menus here.
3. Jelly? Jell-o? Jam? Conserve?
Jelly and jam are distinct. Jam consists of cooked, crushed fruit with sugar, while jelly is gelatinized fruit juice with sugar, known as Jell-o in the United States (where US jelly is essentially jam without fruit pulp). To add to the confusion, there’s conserve—a whole fruit jam made from one or multiple fruits cooked with sugar. Creating conserve is more challenging than making jam or jelly, as the fruits must retain their whole form during cooking. Fun fact: gelatin is derived from animal hooves.
2. Lobster Color
Lobsters are inherently red. Before cooking, they appear grey-blue, but heat transforms them into a pink hue. This change isn’t due to a color shift—the red pigment, astaxanthin, is already present in their shells. The grey and blue pigments surrounding it break down when heated, while the red pigment remains stable. [Image Source]
1. Hot or Cold
Ever bitten into a peppermint while inhaling and felt a burning sensation? Surprisingly, your mouth is actually cooling down! Peppermint contains high levels of menthol (the primary source of menthol, along with spearmint), which activates your mouth’s cold receptors. In contrast, chili peppers stimulate the heat receptors. For a bizarre experiment, try chewing a chili and a peppermint simultaneously. Interestingly, while the mint tricks your brain into sensing cold, the actual temperature in your mouth stays unchanged before, during, and after eating.
