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  1. #1 Carrots were originally purple Wild carrots cultivated in central Asia centuries ago were typically purple before orange varieties were selectively bred. Food Strange Foods 100% liked · 3 votes
  2. #2 Cashews grow under cashew apples The cashew nut hangs below a swollen fruit-like stem called the cashew apple. Food Ingredients 100% liked · 1 votes
  3. #3 Vanilla comes from orchid pods Vanilla beans are cured seed pods from orchids, making vanilla one of the few edible orchid products. Food Ingredients 100% liked · 1 votes
  4. #4 Gelatin comes from collagen Gelatin is made by processing collagen from animal connective tissue into a gelling ingredient. Food Ingredients 0% liked · 1 votes
  5. #5 Tomatoes were once feared in Europe as poisonous European elites worried tomatoes were toxic in part because acidic juice leached lead from pewter plates. Food History
  6. #6 Chocolate comes from a fruit that looks like a football Cacao pods are large oblong fruits that grow directly off the trunks and main branches of the cacao tree. Food Strange Foods
  7. #7 Pasta shapes are designed for specific sauces Italian culinary tradition pairs different pasta shapes with sauces designed to cling to their grooves and surfaces. Food Strange Foods
  8. #8 Cheese was discovered when milk was carried in animal-stomach pouches Early travelers reportedly stored milk in stomach pouches whose enzymes turned the milk into curds and whey. Food History
  9. #9 The first soft drink to go viral was Pemberton's coca syrup John Pemberton's Coca-Cola began as a medicinal syrup in 1880s Atlanta before becoming a global beverage. Food History
  10. #10 Nutmeg in large doses is mildly psychoactive A spice common in baking, nutmeg contains compounds that can have hallucinogenic effects when consumed in large quantities. Food Strange Foods
  11. #11 Sushi originally referred to a preservation method The earliest sushi, narezushi, used fermented rice to preserve fish; the modern fresh-fish version is more recent. Food History
  12. #12 Almonds are seeds, not nuts Botanically, an almond is the seed of a drupe fruit, related to peaches and plums, rather than a true tree nut. Food Strange Foods
  13. #13 Some cheeses are washed as they age Washed-rind cheeses are repeatedly brushed with brine, beer, wine, or spirits to encourage pungent microbes. Food Fermentation
  14. #14 Pink peppercorns are often not true pepper Many pink peppercorns come from trees related to cashews rather than the black pepper vine. Food Ingredients
  15. #15 Black pepper starts as a berry Peppercorns are dried fruits from a climbing vine, processed at different stages for different colors. Food Ingredients
  16. #16 Capers are pickled flower buds Capers are unopened flower buds, usually pickled in brine or vinegar for their sharp flavor. Food Ingredients
  17. #17 Cloves are dried flower buds Cloves are aromatic flower buds harvested from a tropical evergreen tree. Food Ingredients
  18. #18 Cinnamon is tree bark Cinnamon sticks are curled strips of inner bark from trees in the Cinnamomum genus. Food Ingredients
  19. #19 Almonds are seeds inside drupes An almond is the edible seed inside a fruit related to peaches and apricots. Food Botany
  20. #20 Pine nuts are seeds from pine cones Pine nuts come from the seeds of certain pine trees, not from true botanical nuts. Food Ingredients
  21. #21 Coconut water is liquid endosperm The clear liquid inside a young coconut helps nourish the developing seed. Food Botany
  22. #22 Nori is dried seaweed The sheets wrapped around sushi are made from edible seaweed that is shredded, pressed, and dried. Food Ingredients
  23. #23 Agar comes from red algae Agar is a plant-based gelling material extracted from red algae and used in food and laboratories. Food Ingredients
  24. #24 Seaweed can make ice cream smoother Carrageenan from red seaweed is used as a thickener and stabilizer in some dairy products. Food Ingredients
  25. #25 Maple syrup is concentrated tree sap Maple syrup is made by boiling sap until its sugars and flavors concentrate. Food Ingredients
  26. #26 Truffles depend on tree roots Truffles grow in partnership with tree roots and rely on animals to dig them up and spread spores. Food Fungi
  27. #27 Earl Grey is scented with bergamot Earl Grey tea gets its signature citrus aroma from oil of bergamot. Food Drinks
  28. #28 Green, black, and white tea come from one plant Processing differences turn Camellia sinensis leaves into many styles of tea. Food Drinks
  29. #29 Coffee beans are seeds of coffee cherries The roasted coffee bean is the seed inside a small fruit often called a coffee cherry. Food Ingredients
  30. #30 Peppers are fruits in botany Bell peppers and chilies develop from flowers and contain seeds, so botanically they are fruits. Food Botany

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