Whether you consider food solely as fuel or you eat to taste every flavor and texture, everyone needs food to survive and carry out their daily tasks. In fact, every American eats about 1,996 pounds of food per year. How insane is that? Whether you crave Hershey kisses or reach for a plate of carrots, here are 100 fun facts about food that might surprise you. To learn other interesting foodie tidbits, check out these facts about food.
The tall chef’s hat is called a toque. Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth. In South Africa, termites and ants are often roasted and eaten by the handful, like popcorn. Every time you lick a stamp, you consume 1/10 of a calorie. Pearls melt in vinegar. The ’57’ on the Heinz ketchup bottle represents the number of pickle types the company once had. Ketchup was sold in the 1830’s as medicine.also read: Amazing Facts: Interesting facts about technology
Dry swallowing one teaspoon of sugar can commonly cure hic-ups. In Kentucky, it is illegal to carry an ice cream cone in your back pocket. The fear of cooking is known as Mageirocophobia and is a recognized phobia. The tea bag was introduced in 1908 by Thomas Sullivan of New York. A survey showed 29% of adults say they have been splashed or scalded by hot drinks while dunking biscuits. Ortharexia Nervosa is an eating disorder where the sufferer is obsessed with eating healthy food. Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth. In South Africa, termites and ants are often roasted and eaten by the handful, like popcorn. Every time you lick a stamp, you consume 1/10 of a calorie. Pearls melt in vinegar. The ’57’ on the Heinz ketchup bottle represents the number of pickle types the company once had. Marmite was first introduced into the UK in 1902. Almonds are a member of the peach family. If you boil beetroot in water, and then massage the water into your scalp each night, it works as an effective cure for dandruff. In the United States, lettuce is the second most popular fresh vegetable. Grape growing is the largest food industry in the world as there are more than 60 species and 8000 varieties of grapes. The average person eats eight pounds of grapes each year. There are more than 7,000 varieties of apples grown in the world. Onion is Latin for ‘large pearl’. Apples, pears, cherries and strawberries are all members of the rose family. The word vegetable has no scientific definition, so it’s still acceptable to call a tomato a vegetable. In the Philippines, it is considered good luck if a coconut is cleanly split open without jagged edges. When cranberries are ripe, they bounce like a rubber ball. The highest number of grapes eaten in 3 minutes is 133. This record was set in 2001 by Mat Hand, from the UK. There are more than 10,000 varieties of tomatoes. In 2001, there were more than 300 banana-related accidents in Britain, most involving people slipping on skins. If you want to speed up the ripening of a pineapple, so that you can eat it faster, then you can do it by standing it upside down (on the leafy end). Carrots have zero fat content. A row of corn always has an even number. The pumpkin originated in Mexico about 9,000 years ago. Square watermelons sell for about $85. Turnips are high in fiber, Vitamin C, Calcium and Potassium. Eating a lot of beetroot turns your pee into a pink color. Biting a wooden spoon whilst chopping an onion will stop your eyes from watering. The Arabs invented caramel. Before Walkers owned Wotsits, they sold a rival known as Cheetos on the UK market. Pringles were first sold in America in 1968 but were not popular until the mid-1970s. Saddam Hussein liked Bounty Bars! The Kit Kat was originally made by Rowntree Limited, until 1988 when they were bought out by Nestle. Juicy Fruit and Wrigley’s Spearmint gums are more than 100 years old! Hundreds and Thousands (Sprinkles, Nonpareils, Jimmies) are small round balls of brightly colored sugar used as decorations on cakes, cookies, trifles and other desserts. Their use dates back at least to the early 19th century. Gummy Bears are only 79 millimeters in length. Chocolate can kill dogs; it directly affects their heart and nervous system.