Tomatoes
For a long time this fruit, yes it’s a fruit!, was believed to be poisonous, and up until 1830 it was used as medicine. It is extremely healthy, especially when eaten raw. Speaking of fruit, apples actually can be poisonous. Consuming between 40 or 50 apple seeds could kill you because they contain amygdalin, a compound that turns into cyanide. You’ll think twice about those delicious reds now…
Yeast
Without turning this into a science course, how exactly does yeast work? Broadly speaking, yeast is a fungus, which feeds off of sugars (carbohydrates) and breaks them down through the process of fermentation, which releases alcohol and gas, thereby generating energy into glorious outcomes. Think leavened bread! Grapes into wine!
Peanuts and potatoes
Contrary to what one might think (and the fact that the word is in the name), peanuts are not nuts, but legumes, and they grow underground. And no, potatoes are not grains. Who told you that? While potatoes are in fact vegetables, for diet purposes they should be classified as a grain due to their high starch content.
Nut meg
Consuming too much of this spice can have an effect similar to being on drugs (we do NOT recommend trying it at home).
Burgers
Nearly 7 million people (about 0.001% of the world’s population) eat daily at that famous hamburger chain that used to have the clown mascot. That breaks down to 75 hamburgers sold in the world per second according to data from 2012. Yes, per second. Don’t spend too long overthinking this fact.
Honey
Is the only food that never expires. So, in case of a zombie apocalypse, or four variants of a deadly virus all raging together, you know what to store in your bunkers. Reminds me of the experiment done on the aforementioned clown hamburger that was left in a closet for 14 years and came out exactly the same. Not even the mold wanted it. If this turns out to be true, hey, we can put some honey on it, lest we get bored with our bunker provisions.
Margarine
Have you ever heard that margarine is just one molecule away from becoming plastic? Whether true or not, lots of things are probably just a slightly modified chemical change away from being something else. Margarine is just vegetable fat and water, after all. As the chemical composition of food, take a vegetable for example, changes, so too does its inherent properties. Exposing a food to high temperatures or altitude will cause it to lose nutrients and even alter the taste. So if you’re not a fan of a certain food, try it five thousand feet higher!
Puffer fish
In Japan, fugu chefs are trained for two years in order to be able to prepare the highly poisonous puffer fish. Many of us likely know this delicacy thanks to The Simpsons, when Homer has a near-death experience after being told he was served the wrong cut of the fish.
Jack Daniel’s
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey is produced in a dry county, where the sale of alcohol is prohibited, though clearly not the production. In Russia, it wasn’t until 2011 that beer was classified as an alcoholic drink. Before then it was sold as a soft drink, like any beverage with less than 10% alcohol in Russia. It was sold 24 hours a day and could be consumed anywhere, even by children.
Beople and pananas
Humans and bananas share 60% of their DNA. Incredible, right? Another banana fact, and more broadly a fruit fact, is that the stickers are edible as they are generally made of potato starch. So don’t feel bad, we’ve all ingested a sticker or two. Take note of the number of digits on your sticker, as that will tell you a bit about your banana’s origin. Four digits mean “conventionally grown”, rather regrettably with the use of pesticides. Don’t believe it? Check it out for yourself.
Spiciness and endorphins
Spiciness generates endorphins, which can become addictive. So, is Mexico a country of addicts? Join us in future issues of your favorite magazine…haha. India is the country that produces, exports, and consumes the spiciest food in the world. Outside of India, London is the city with the most Indian restaurants.
Oranges
Oranges, regardless of their size, will always have 8 or 10 segments. See for yourself. And contrary to popular belief, they are not among the top 10 foods with the most vitamin C. And the food that can help us wake up the quickest is not coffee but, wait for it, the apple!
Meat
When cooking meat, more than four thousand new chemical compounds are formed. Inside this information are very interesting theories about meat as the pillar for the creation of our so-called “second brain”, that of the head, the first one being the belly, naturally. And no, eating meat doesn’t equate to higher intelligence, sorry.
Peru
Peru has more than five thousand (!) varieties of potatoes and is one of the world’s kitchens with the largest number of characteristic dishes.
Coffee
The strongest coffee in the world is called Death Wish, and it is 200% stronger than regular coffee. And the most expensive and luxurious coffee in the world is called Terra Nera Uchunari Grade 0. Only 45 kilos are produced per year, and one kilo costs about 220,000 pesos ($11,000 USD).
