Time For Some More Fun Food Facts

I love learning new things, even if it’s only trivia. In fact, trivia are probably the most fun things because they are fun facts no one would ever think of.

1. We’ve all heard of giving teachers apples, but I bet most of you (myself included) didn’t know that from the 16-18th centuries, part of a teacher’s salary was paid in apples.

2. Bees collect nectar in their “crop,” which is like a second stomach, and regurgitate it into the hives to make their honey.

3. French fries weren’t invented in France. They’re actually from Belgium. The popular story is that during a cold winter in the 1680s, when the River Meuse froze, people in the Meuse Valley who usually fried small fish began frying potatoes instead, cutting them into similar shapes. While some historians doubt this specific story due to the scarcity of oil and potatoes at the time, Belgium is generally credited with the invention. The name “French fries” is attributed to American soldiers stationed in Belgium during World War I, who encountered the dish and associated it with the French-speaking part of Belgium.

4. Crushed beetles are the main ingredient in most food dyes; a red food dye called carmine is made from crushed cochineal insects, which are a type of scale insect. These insects are native to Latin America and live on cacti. The red color comes from carminic acid, which is extracted from the crushed bodies of the female insects. Carmine is used in a variety of foods, beverages, and cosmetics, including yogurt, ice cream, candy, and lipstick.

5. Peanuts are an ingredient in dynamite. While you can’t make dynamite directly from peanuts, peanut oil can be processed into glycerol, which is a key ingredient in nitroglycerin, a component of dynamite. This connection is through the glycerol, not a direct use of peanuts in the explosive.

I bet these are all things you never knew before. I know I certainly didn’t know them. See how fun learning can be!

Have a great day and learn something new today, tomorrow and everyday. Stay cool, stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.