More General Food Facts

1. lettuce is the only vegetable or fruit which is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form but fresh.
2. lobster was so common in Maine in the 18th Century that it was used as fertiliser.
3. margarine was first called Butterine in England when it was introduced.
4. mayonnaise will kill lice and also condition your hair.
5. Mel Blanc (voice of Bugs Bunny) was allergic to carrots.
6. milk from reindeer has more fat than cow milk.
7. milk is the new diet drink since low-fat, high-calcium dairy foods may burn off fat since extra calcium increases metabolism.
8. nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously.
9. olive oil has lots of anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory activity to fight rheumatoid arthritis.
10. olive oil is an oil extracted from the fruit of the olive tree.
11. olive oil is the only vegetable oil that can be created simply by pressing the raw material.
12. orange does not rhyme with any other word.
13. organ meats were known as garbage in the 16th Century, the term then used for the innards of an animal.
14. peanuts are legumes and not a tree nut.
15. peanuts are one of the ingredients in dynamite.
16. pear is a fruit that ripens from the inside out.
17. Pepsi-Cola was invented by Caleb Bradham in 1898. Originally called "Brad's Drink," the beverage was first marketed as a digestive aid and energy booster. It was renamed Pepsi-Cola because of its pepsin and kola nut content.
18. percentage alcohol in a bottle of liquor is estimated by dividing the proof by two.
19. pineapple is the international symbol of hospitality.
20. pizza originated in the early 1700's in Naples, Italy.
21. pizza toppings of squid are the most popular variety in Japan.
22. Popsicle were invented by an 11 year old, Frank Epperson when he left his soda water drink with a stirring stick overnight on his porch.
23. pound cake was so named because of its original proportions of 1 lb (500g) each of butter, sugar, and flour.
24. puffed grain were invented by Alexander Anderson in 1902. Unlike popcorn, a type of corn that naturally pops or puffs up with heat, puffed cereal or snacks are formed by exploding whole grain kernels under high pressure and steam.
25. raisin in a glass of champagne will keep floating to the top and sinking to the bottom.
26. refried beans aren't really what they seem. Although their name seems like a reasonable translation of Spanish frijoles refritos, the fact is that these beans aren't fried twice. In Spanish, refritos literally means "well-fried," not "re-fried."
27. rice paper does not contain one grain of rice - its made from either Rice straw, Bamboo, Hemp, Mulberry leaves, Wingceltis or Gampi.
28. sandwiches are named after John Montagu, the Fourth Earl of Sandwich (1718-92), for whom beef was placed between 2 sliced pieces of bread so that he could stay at the gambling table without interruptions for meals.
29. shredded wheat was the first breakfast cereal to ever be produced.
30. sliced bread was introduced by Otto Frederick Rohwedder who invented the bread slicer, which he started working on in 1912. At first, Rohwedder came up with the idea of a device that held the slices together with hat pins (not a success). In 1928, he designed a machine 1.52m long by 0.90m high that sliced and wrapped the bread in waxed paper to prevent the sliced bread from going stale. On July 7, 1928, the first loaves of sliced bread were made by the near bankrupt baker Frank Bench.
31. soup has its origin as a word from 'sop' or 'sup', meaning the slice of bread on which the broth was poured.
32. soy flour and soya flour are richer in calcium and iron than wheat flour, gluten-free and high in protein. Soy flour is ground from raw soybeans; soya flour from lightly toasted soybeans.
33. spilling salt is considered good luck in Japan.
34. strawberries are the only fruit which has its seeds on its outer skin.
35. swiss cheese ferments with bacteria generating gas which bubbles through the cheese leaving holes; cheese-makers call them "eyes."
36. tea strengthens bones because isoflavonoid chemicals in tea may have a weak estrogenic effect, reducing bone deterioration and osteoporosis risk.
37. ten gallon hats only hold about 6 pints or 2.8 Litres.
38. toasters for bread using electricity were invented by Crompton and Company, Leeds, England in 1893; the first automatic pop-up electric toaster was designed in 1919 by Charles Strite.
39. Tomatoes were considered poisonous.
40. Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny candy in America.
41. traditional italian food is an anagram of radiation, toil, fat and oil.
42. TV dinners were introduced in 1954 by Omaha-based C.A. Swanson and Sons featuring roast turkey with stuffing and gravy, sweet potatoes and peas, selling for 98 cents.
43. Vegemite is an Australian icon which was developed in 1922 by Dr. Cyril Callister. He took used brewer's yeast and blended the yeast extract with ingredients like celery, onion, salt, and a few secret ingredients to make this paste rich in B vitamins; it was developed for the Fred Walker Company which is now Kraft Foods.
44. white chocolate is not a true chocolate because it contains no chocolate liquor, instead its made of sugar, cocoa butter, milk solids, lecithin and vanilla.
45. white shelled eggs are produced by hens with white feathers and earlobes while brown eggs are produced by hens with red feathers and earlobes; the colour has no relationship to the nutritional quality or taste of the eggs.
46. Wrigley's gum was the first product to have a bar code.
47. yelling for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days produces enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee