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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 · 2 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 · 2 votes
  3. #3 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 100% liked · 1 votes
  4. #4 Coconut water is liquid endosperm The clear liquid inside a young coconut helps nourish the developing seed. Food Botany 100% liked · 1 votes
  5. #5 Popcorn explodes from steam pressure Water trapped inside a popcorn kernel turns to steam until the hull bursts and the starch puffs outward. Food Food Science 100% liked · 1 votes
  6. #6 Rhubarb leaves are poisonous but stalks are eaten Rhubarb stalks are tart and edible, while the leaves contain high levels of oxalic acid. Food Ingredients 100% liked · 1 votes
  7. #7 Chocolate began as a bitter drink Mesoamerican cultures consumed cacao as a spiced, often bitter beverage long before modern chocolate bars. Food Food History 100% liked · 1 votes
  8. #8 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
  9. #9 Chili heat is pain, not taste Capsaicin activates heat and pain receptors, which is why chili peppers feel hot. Food Food Science 100% liked · 1 votes
  10. #10 Cloves are dried flower buds Cloves are aromatic flower buds harvested from a tropical evergreen tree. Food Ingredients 0% liked · 1 votes
  11. #11 Gelatin comes from collagen Gelatin is made by processing collagen from animal connective tissue into a gelling ingredient. Food Ingredients 0% liked · 1 votes
  12. #12 Yogurt is milk transformed by bacteria Yogurt forms when friendly bacteria ferment lactose into lactic acid, thickening and tangling milk proteins. Food Fermentation 0% liked · 1 votes
  13. #13 Bananas are botanical berries Botanically, bananas qualify as berries because they develop from a flower with one ovary and contain seeds. Food Botany 0% liked · 1 votes
  14. #14 Pineapples take ~2 years to grow a single fruit From planting a crown to harvest, a pineapple plant typically takes 18–24 months to produce its first fruit — and each plant only fruits once. Food 0% liked · 1 votes
  15. #15 Honey never spoils Archaeologists have found pots of edible honey in Egyptian tombs sealed for over 3,000 years. Low water content, low pH, and natural hydrogen peroxide make it inhospitable to micro… Food 0% liked · 1 votes
  16. #16 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
  17. #17 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
  18. #18 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
  19. #19 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
  20. #20 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
  21. #21 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
  22. #22 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
  23. #23 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
  24. #24 Pink peppercorns are often not true pepper Many pink peppercorns come from trees related to cashews rather than the black pepper vine. Food Ingredients
  25. #25 Black pepper starts as a berry Peppercorns are dried fruits from a climbing vine, processed at different stages for different colors. Food Ingredients
  26. #26 Capers are pickled flower buds Capers are unopened flower buds, usually pickled in brine or vinegar for their sharp flavor. Food Ingredients
  27. #27 Cinnamon is tree bark Cinnamon sticks are curled strips of inner bark from trees in the Cinnamomum genus. Food Ingredients
  28. #28 Almonds are seeds inside drupes An almond is the edible seed inside a fruit related to peaches and apricots. Food Botany
  29. #29 Pine nuts are seeds from pine cones Pine nuts come from the seeds of certain pine trees, not from true botanical nuts. Food Ingredients
  30. #30 Nori is dried seaweed The sheets wrapped around sushi are made from edible seaweed that is shredded, pressed, and dried. Food Ingredients

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