16 strange facts about food that will make you look at food differently (17 photos)

Food is not only an integral part of our lives, but also a subject of constant study and discovery. It turns out that even the simplest products that we use almost every day can tell many amazing facts about themselves. Some of them sound funny, some sound wild and even implausible.





A quarter of the world's hazelnut supply is used to make Nutella!



Nutella products have become such a popular brand in recent years that every fourth hazelnut on this planet ends up in jars of chocolate spread.

Mushrooms cannot be overcooked or overcooked





Even if you are an inexperienced cook, you still won’t be able to spoil the mushrooms during cooking. Their cell walls contain a special component - chitin. It is characterized by incredible heat resistance, due to which the mushrooms remain structurally homogeneous under almost any influence.

Pistachios are not nuts at all



Pistachio is a drupe. The same family includes cherry, peach, apricot and plum. So in a sense it is a fruit from which the fruit part has been removed.

Rhubarb grows so fast you can hear it



When rhubarb buds open, an audible sound appears. Some people say they hear constant creaking noises in their gardens during the growing season.

Lemons float and limes sink



The original carrots were purple-yellow, not orange.



Nutmeg may cause hallucinations



A little nutmeg will not harm human health. However, consuming the seasoning in large quantities can change consciousness. And all because of a natural compound called myristicin.

Ketchup was once used as medicine



In the 1800s, a doctor named John Cook Bennett came up with a recipe for ketchup that helped cure some stomach diseases, as well as cholera, jaundice and rheumatism.

Figs are a delicious flower



From a botanical point of view, the fig is a flower, albeit a peculiar one. Its inflorescences are turned inward, the pulp consists of multiple buds, and the seeds are fruits with microscopic seeds.

Gummies are shiny because of car wax.



These sweets acquire a beautiful glossy shine due to the coating with carnauba wax, which, by the way, is also used to coat cars.

Lobsters used to be a peasant food



Lobster did not become a popular food until the mid-19th century.

Green, yellow, orange and red bell peppers are actually the same vegetable, just at different stages of development



Popcorn has been around for thousands of years.



Archaeologists have found popcorn kernels in Mexico that are more than 4,000 years old. There is an assumption that the ancient Aztecs used it not only for food, but also to create various accessories.

Fortune cookies were not invented in China, but in San Francisco, USA.



Chili peppers aren't really hot.



Peppers contain a chemical called capsaicin, which naturally binds to pain receptors on our nerves. It is what makes our brain think that we are eating something spicy.

Ripe cranberries are very elastic and bounce high



Farmers usually throw the berries on the ground to check if they are ripe.