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Back in December, we shared a list of the Top 10 Incredible Food Facts, which was incredibly popular. Now, we're excited to bring you a second batch of even more fascinating food facts. Feel free to share any interesting facts you have in the comments!
10. Butter Tea
Fascinating Fact: In Tibet, butter tea is a common beverage made from yak butter, salt, and tea.
The average Tibetan consumes between 50 and 60 cups of butter tea each day! The process starts with drying Chinese tea in the road for several days to enhance its flavor. The tea is then boiled for up to half a day, churned in bamboo churns, and combined with salt, a pinch of soda, and rancid butter. When drinking the tea, the scum from the butter can be blown away from the cup’s edge before sipping. Some Tibetans also add 'tsu,' a mix of hardened cheese, butter, and sugar, similar to how we add milk and sugar. When sipping, your host will keep refilling your cup, as it should never be empty. Moving from one drink to another, let’s talk about hot chocolate:
9. Hot Chocolate
Fascinating Fact: The ancient Mayans made hot chocolate by adding chilies and corn!
The earliest evidence of chocolate used for drinking comes from residue discovered in ancient Mayan pots, dating back to the 5th century AD. This drink was crafted by grinding chocolate beans into a paste, which was then mixed with water, chili peppers, cornmeal, and spices. The concoction was poured back and forth between a cup and a pot to create a foamy top. It was served cold, and people of all social classes consumed it regularly. Unlike today’s sweet hot chocolate, it was spicy and bitter. When chocolate reached the West, it was extremely costly—about $50 to $70 per pound in today’s U.S. dollars. If you ever visit Paris, don't miss out on the world’s finest hot chocolate at Angelina, particularly the Chocolat l’Africain (recipe below).
In a saucepan, combine 3/4 cup of whole milk, 1/4 cup of heavy cream, and 1 teaspoon of confectioners’ sugar. Heat it over medium-high heat until bubbles start to form around the edges. Remove from heat and stir in 4 oz of the finest bittersweet chocolate (72% cacao), chopped into pieces. Stir until fully melted (if needed, return to low heat). Serve with whipped cream.
8. The Mysterious History of Donuts
Fascinating Fact: The true inventor of the donut and its exact origin remain a mystery.
Donuts (or doughnuts in British English) were originally made as long twists of dough rather than the familiar ring shape. In England, donuts were often shaped into balls and filled with jam after frying, a practice that still exists today. Both the ball and twist forms of donuts cook themselves, flipping over when the underside is done. The ring donut that’s popular in America seems to have appeared without much explanation. Hansen Gregory, an American, claimed to have invented the ring donut in 1847 while traveling on a steamboat. Dissatisfied with the texture of the donut’s center, he used the ship’s pepper box to create a hole in the middle.
7. Apple, Potato, or Onion?
Fascinating Fact: Apples, potatoes, and onions all have the same taste when your nose is blocked.
As a child, I remember a science experiment where we were blindfolded, had our noses pinched shut, and were given either an apple or an onion to eat. We weren’t told which one we had. Surprisingly, no one was able to distinguish which was which. This demonstrates just how crucial the sense of smell is to our sense of taste. The fact that these three foods have a similar texture makes it almost impossible to tell them apart without smelling. A word of caution: once you unblock your nose, you'll definitely know what you’ve just eaten.
6. Floating Eggs
Fascinating Fact: If an egg floats in water, it has spoiled and should not be eaten.
As eggs age, gases build up inside the shell, making it more buoyant. This is the most reliable method to test whether an egg has gone bad without having to break it open and risk the unpleasant odor. A fresh egg will lie flat at the bottom of a glass of water. Over time, the egg will start to tilt upwards and eventually float when it’s no longer good. Fresh eggs have firm whites, while older eggs have watery whites. This is why fresh eggs are best for poaching and frying, while older eggs are still fine for omelets or scrambling.
5. Vanilla Junkie
Fascinating Fact: Consuming natural vanilla triggers the release of catecholamines, including adrenaline, making it mildly addictive.
When vanilla plants were first introduced to regions outside Mexico, they would flower but fail to produce vanilla pods. It was discovered that only a bee native to Mexico could pollinate the flowers of this special orchid species. Efforts to transplant the bee elsewhere were unsuccessful. However, it wasn’t until a slave boy discovered a method of artificial pollination that the monopoly Mexico held over vanilla was broken. In addition to its addictive qualities, vanilla has been found to help prevent bacterial infections.
4. Banana Trees
Fascinating Fact: Despite their appearance, banana trees are not actually trees – they are giant herbs.
The large stem often mistaken for a trunk on a banana plant is actually a "pseudostem" – a "false stem." Each pseudostem produces a single bunch of bananas, which can be yellow, green, or red. Once the bananas are harvested, the pseudostem dies and is replaced by a new one. Smaller banana clusters, such as those found in stores, are called "hands," while larger ones (which can weigh up to 50 kilograms) are called "bunches." The bananas sold commercially are specially cultivated to be seedless, meaning you can't grow a new banana tree from a typical store-bought banana. Wild bananas, on the other hand, contain large, hard seeds (see above).
3. Feel Good With 7-Up
Fascinating Fact: The original 7-Up, created in 1920, contained lithium – a drug now commonly prescribed to those with bipolar disorder.
7-Up was initially marketed as a remedy for hangovers, largely due to the inclusion of lithium citrate. Released just before the 1929 Wall Street crash, it was originally known as "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda" – quite a mouthful! After a short period, the name was changed to 7-Up, but lithium remained a key ingredient until 1950. There are several myths surrounding the name, but the most likely explanation is that it referred to the seven ingredients in the original recipe (with the "up" referencing lithium's atomic number of 7).
2. Ancient Sauce
Fascinating Fact: Ketchup was originally a fish sauce that originated in the Orient.
The words "ke-tsap" and "kio-chiap" from the Fujian region of China were used to describe both a fish brine/sauce and a tomato sauce – and both bear a striking similarity to the word "ketchup". In the early days, Western ketchups were made using fish and spices, or mushrooms. In fact, mushroom ketchup is still available in the UK and is highly valued by some chefs for its natural inclusion of monosodium glutamate, a substance known to stimulate the 5th human taste sensation, umami (savory).
1. Brain Freeze
Fascinating Fact: The term 'brain freeze' was coined by 7-11 to describe the pain felt when drinking a Slurpee too quickly.
Believe it or not, there's an actual scientific name for 'brain freeze' – it's called sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia (good luck saying that five times fast!). When something very cold (usually ice cream) touches the roof of the mouth, it causes blood vessels to constrict. The nerves then signal the brain to reopen them, and this rapid reopening leads to a fluid buildup in the tissues, causing slight swelling in the forehead and resulting in pain. The discomfort typically lasts for 30 to 60 seconds until the fluid drains, easing the pain.
