Food occupies an important place in the life of any person and animal. It is impossible to exist without food. We invite you to learn interesting facts about food and drinks.

Food facts

Let's start with the historical aspects. Food has always been of interest to all generations.

1. Many ancient cultures believed that a cut apple in an upright position resembled female genitalia.
2. Some scientists believe that they arose as a result of mothers passing chewed food to their babies from mouth to mouth.
3. Seafood, such as oysters, are considered aphrodisiacs. Casanova treated his future partners to seafood.
4. In ancient times, fresh milk was considered an item of luxury and abundance due to the difficulty of preserving it.
5. The first soup appeared more than five thousand years ago. It was made from hippopotamus meat.
6. Decorating food with herbs began in ancient Rome. This was considered a talisman against the machinations of the devil.
7. It was believed that lemon juice could dissolve swallowed fish bones. That is why in the Middle Ages fish was always served with lemon.
8. An unusual fact about food is that Hippocrates considered broth from a young dog to be a good and healthy dish for the sick.
9. Cosmonauts believe that the most delicious freeze-dried product is cottage cheese with cranberries.
10. Surprisingly, the banana is not a fruit, but a berry.
11. Neil Armstrong ate turkey from a bag for the first time on the moon.
12. Avocados should not ripen on the tree. To be edible, they need to sit and ripen. At the same time, the tree is used as a warehouse - avocados are stored for several months after ripening.

Interesting facts about food in different countries

1. Eating poppy seed buns frequently may result in a positive drug test result.
2. In Scandinavian countries, dried fish dishes are considered a delicacy.
3. Sugar used to be a luxury in Europe. Then the rich developed a strange fashion to demonstrate their status: they painted their teeth black.
4. In Japanese cuisine there is a delicacy of fugu fish. This fish is poisonous and if cooked incorrectly can cause death.
5. Cranberry means “crane berry” in English.
6. In the 16th century, peas appeared in France. It was brought from Italy by Catherine de Medici after her wedding to Henry II. It was thanks to her that peas became a delicacy.

Interesting facts about food. Many people love to eat, but everyone loves to eat delicious food! Do you know how many incredible recipes have been created, how many myths and fables there are around the world about food? For example, few people know that in France they have been cooking the same soup for more than 100 years. You say, so what? And the fact that the cooking process does not stop for a second: water and food are constantly added to it and never removed from the heat. Let's go further, we have prepared the most interesting facts about food. So, welcome:

1. In those days when still didn't know how to cook food, but cooked food was already consumed from the stomachs of hunted animals.

2. The oldest and largest dish is fried camel. This dish was served in the courts of Moroccan rulers hundreds of years ago and continues to be prepared today at Bedouin weddings. This camel is stuffed with one whole lamb, 20 chickens, 60 eggs and many other ingredients.

12. It was believed that citric acid could dissolve accidentally swallowed fish bones, so in the Middle Ages any fish was served with a slice of lemon.

13. A tomato is inherently an interesting fruit or even a berry, and not a vegetable. It was also the first plant that could be genetically modified and released to the market in 1994. Soon after, more than fifty more genetically modified foods appeared and were found to be “safe” for human health.

14. Beans in some periods of history were a symbol of the embryo and growth. The ancient Egyptians called the place Ka, where the souls of the dead awaited reincarnation, “the bean field.”

15. Chili peppers are so hot because they contain a substance called the alkaloid capsacin and four other related chemical compounds. It is also the main ingredient in pepper sauce.

16. Fresh milk was very difficult to preserve in the Middle Ages, so it was considered a luxury.

17. People have been using garlic to repel mosquitoes long before Bram Stoker's book about Count Dracula was published. Folklorists believe this was due to the fact that vampires had a good sense of smell, and garlic, with its strong smell, discouraged their sense of smell. Garlic has been proven to be effective not only in repelling mosquitoes, but also ticks.

18. Bread has become a symbol of satiety, and breaking the crust often has a symbolic meaning. The word companion comes from the Latin words “com,” which means “together,” and “panis,” which means “bread.”

19. In the Greek cities of Ephesus and Eleusis, temple priestesses were called bees because bees and how they collected honey were interpreted in a religious context. It was believed that bees produced honey miraculously, because there was no need to worry about the safety of honey, since it did not spoil for a long time.

20. Cooking food using heat treatment is one of the greatest revolutionary discoveries in human history, as it not only changed the way food was prepared for consumption, but also became an integral part of human culture.

21. In Delphi, the religious center of ancient Greece, the labor of many cooks was used to prepare sacrifices to the gods.

22. Every day, about 26 million Americans eat obscure American food at McDonald's.

23. Oysters were often attributed aphrodisiac properties, that is, many previously thought that they contained substances that stimulated sexual desire.

24. In the Philippines, it is considered a good omen when a coconut splits into halves without any nicks.

25. Hippocrates believed that it was inconvenient to cook the meat of an adult dog, while at the same time he considered soup from a young puppy useful for the sick.

If you have more interesting facts about food, then share in the comments.

Colonizers and missionaries of South America met the capybara animal in the 16th century - a rodent leading a semi-aquatic lifestyle. They asked the Pope to declare the capybara a fish so that its meat could be eaten during fasting, to which he kindly gave his consent. Eating pies or buns with poppy seeds may cause a positive blood drug test. In Scandinavian countries, dishes made from rotten or fermented fish are common. For example, the Icelandic dish hakarl is made from rotten shark meat, and the Swedish surströmming is made from sour herring.
China has long loved to feast on crocodile meat. On the banks of the Yangtze, small crocodiles were caught and fattened until the tail reached the required length. Thus, the reptile became a domestic animal, moreover, also performing the functions of a watchdog. The fact is that the crocodile was kept at the entrance to the yard in a box like a doghouse, where it was tightly chained by its hind leg with a rather long chain. Until the mid-19th century, restaurants served all ordered dishes at once - this method of service is called service à la française (“French system”). In the 1830s, Russian Prince Alexander Kurakin visited France and taught restaurateurs a different way - to serve dishes gradually, in the order they appear on the menu. In modern restaurants, this system is most popular and is called service à la russe.
Camembert cheese should be consumed as close to the expiration date as possible, but never after this date.
One day, a young doctor, invited to see a hopelessly ill Russian boy, allowed him to eat whatever he wanted. The boy ate pork and cabbage and, to the surprise of those around him, began to recover. After this incident, the doctor prescribed pork and cabbage to a sick German boy, but he ate it and died the next day. According to one version, it is this story that underlies the emergence of the expression “what is good for a Russian is death for a German.”
When sugar arrived in Europe, it was a luxury. To show their status, it became fashionable for rich people to have black teeth.
In the European Union, tomatoes, rhubarb, carrots, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, melons, watermelons and ginger are legally considered fruits. This law allows for the legal production and export of preserves and jams made from these plants, which, according to EU rules, can only be made from fruits.
The most exquisite delicacy in Japanese cuisine is fugu fish. However, if cooked incorrectly, eating this fish can cause fatal poisoning. Scientists have found that the toxicity of puffer fish is not due to innate properties, but solely to its diet - starfish and shellfish, from which it receives poison. If you feed it with non-toxic food, there will be absolutely no deadly poison in it. However, this discovery did not bring joy to the chefs and owners of Japanese restaurants. After all, a portion of fugu is very expensive and attracts tourists precisely because of the opportunity to experience the thrill, and the absence of danger can significantly reduce the price of the dish.
One of the most difficult freeze-dried foods to prepare is tea. And one of the most delicious, according to astronauts, is freeze-dried cottage cheese with cranberries and nuts. It tastes like fresh. Space products are the safest and most natural. They contain neither chemical nor synthetic additives: it is unknown how they will behave in space, where, among other things, solar radiation and magnetic waves are present.
In Japan, it is believed that sushi that is made especially for you by the warm hands of a chef is tastier to eat with your hands. In addition, this is respect and praise for the cook, especially if the sushi was prepared in front of you by the owner of the establishment. This custom is called skinship, “contact through the skin.” In the 19th century, packaging for sweets first appeared in Russia - bonbonniere (from the French word bonbonniere - “candy box”) in the form of boxes of different shapes and sizes. This is due to the fact that the traditional home preparation of “confections” (as we once used to say) began to be replaced by their industrial production and confectionery or biscuit shops appeared everywhere, which became widespread immediately after the end of the War of 1812.
In 1912, the centenary of Napoleon's expulsion from Moscow was widely celebrated in Moscow. For this anniversary, a whole range of drinks and dishes appeared, decorated in a festive way. A new cake also appeared - puff pastry with cream, made in the shape of a triangle, in which Napoleon's famous triangular hat was supposed to be seen. The cocked hat became an obligatory part of the emperor’s image after Lermontov’s poems; He is wearing a triangular hat and a gray field coat. The cake quickly received the name “Napoleon” and universal recognition. This name has survived to this day, although the shape of the cake has become rectangular.
Contrary to the prevailing stereotype, sweets are not so harmful at the beginning of a meal. According to some nutritionists, a cake or pastry can play the role of a kind of anti-aperitif, calming a voracious appetite. It all depends on how hungry you are and how long ago you ate. If you missed another meal, start your meal with a few shares of chocolate, a couple of sweets, a piece of cake, a few spoons of jam or ice cream. This will speed up the saturation of the blood with glucose, reduce the feeling of hunger and prevent overeating.
At the end of the 18th century, a most interesting medical experiment was carried out in Sweden. The local king Gustav III was extremely interested in the question: is coffee harmful or beneficial? In order to solve the problem once and for all, the king pardoned two twin brothers sentenced to death, obliging them to drink their own drink every day; one - coffee, the other - tea. And he assigned two professors to the twins, who were obliged to closely monitor them and report to the king about the slightest changes in their health. And the attitude towards coffee in those days was such that they expected a completely obvious thing from the experiment: in a year or two, the twin drinking coffee was supposed to die in terrible agony. Reality decisively refuted all expectations, and in a rather cynical way. The first of the five to leave were both professors: the third was the king himself; the twins thus lasted the longest, both of whom lived to very advanced years. And the first of them, at the age of 83, to leave the world was the one who drank... tea. It was a surprisingly hot summer in France that year. It was stuffy in the gardens of Versailles. The king was bored, the ladies suffered, fanning themselves. They were not even interested in the unique collection of original dishes that Viscount de Cruchon, a recognized wine connoisseur and famous collector, put on display in the palace park. But then the Viscount took a huge transparent bowl and began to mix something in it. He filled it with light wine, juices, fruits soaked in sugar and chilled champagne, resulting in a refreshing drink with an unusual, exceptionally pleasant taste. The sleepy kingdom came to life, the ladies, one after another, began to admire: “Cruchon! Oh, Cruchon!” And the new drink, which received the name of its creator, which, by the way, is translated from French as “jug,” became popular at court. What ladies and gentlemen did all summer was drain and mix wines, flavor them with spices, and add various fruits. The king took part in the entertainment with pleasure, throwing rose petals there, and his favorites tried to catch them in their glass. Many years have passed since then, not a single generation has changed. But cruchon, an exquisite dessert alcoholic drink served at celebrations, is still in fashion. Since it is served chilled, it is especially good in spring and summer. To prepare it, of course, it is best to use fresh fruits and berries, of which we now have no shortage. However, if you don’t have any on hand, it doesn’t matter; canned, candied, and frozen will do. What else do you need? Light table grape wines, cognac, rum, liqueur. And, as a rule, champagne.
Nicolaus Copernicus is known to everyone as an astronomer, the creator of the heliocentric picture of the world. However, according to medical historians S. Hand and A. Kunin, he deserves no less, and perhaps even greater fame as the inventor of the sandwich. The invention was made by him for medical purposes. The history of the invention of the sandwich is as follows. As a young man, Copernicus studied medicine for two years at the University of Padua in Italy, but did not receive a doctorate. After this, his uncle, Bishop Watzepirrode, in a related way, made him a canon in the Frombork Cathedral and at the same time the commandant of the Olsztyn Castle. The castle was besieged by the army of the Teutonic Knightly Order, and a few months later an epidemic of an unknown disease began within the castle walls. It is known that morbidity was high and mortality was low (only two people died). The medicines used by Copernicus did not produce results. Then he decided to investigate the causes of the disease. The astronomer decided that the reasons may lie in nutrition. He divided the inhabitants of the fortress into small groups, isolated them from one another and put them on different diets. It soon turned out that only one group did not get sick - the one whose diet did not include bread. In this case, it would be reasonable to completely abandon bread in the diet, but it turned out to be impossible to do this in a besieged castle, where there was not a wide variety of supplies. Coarse black bread constituted the main food of the inhabitants of the fortress. Walking along long corridors, climbing narrow spiral staircases to the fortress towers, the defenders of the castle often dropped their ration of bread on the floor. Having picked up a piece, it was shaken off or blown on and eaten. Perhaps, Copernicus reasoned, the infection came from the dirt that fell on pieces of bread from the floor. The astronomer doctor came up with the idea that the slices of bread should be smeared with some light edible substance, against which dirt could be easily seen. Then the stuck dirt could be cleaned off along with the grease. As such a spread, we chose thickly whipped cream without sugar, that is, butter. Thus the sandwich was born. And the infection soon stopped wandering around the castle. The Teutons failed to capture the fortress or learn the secret of the sandwich. When they were forced to lift the siege, the head of the guild of pharmacists and doctors, Adolf Buttenade, came to Olsztyn from Leipzig to learn on the spot about the causes and methods of treating the disease. Copernicus shared his experience with him. Two years after the death of the great astronomer, in 1545, after one war that was fought between numerous and small German principalities, a similar disease appeared in Europe again. Buttenade remembered the Copernican method and began to promote it. As far as we know, sandwiches this time did not help stop the epidemic, but the new dish was to the taste of many and gradually spread throughout all countries.
Pancakes "Suzette" are a wonderful dessert that you should try just once and you will fall in love with them forever. What is their interesting secret - in the recipe, in the spices, in the magic of the cook, in the past? History preserves an incredibly beautiful legend about the birth of this recipe. According to one source, the appearance of this recipe is associated with the name of Suzanne Reichenberg. Few people know that the name of this French theater actress is associated with one of the most beautiful love stories, which also included culinary discoveries... Suzanne Reichenberg (1853-1924) was a French actress of German origin. In one of the plays by the novelist Marivaux, which was staged at the privileged theater of the French Comedy (Comédie Francaise), Suzanne played the leading role. According to the script, she was supposed to eat pancakes. Since the play was popular and was performed on stage every day, Suzanne had to eat pancakes every day. These, as well as other food for the theater, were prepared by a cook named Monsieur Joseph. At some point, he thought about the difficult gastronomic fate that Suzanne endured every time in the name of art, pretending that she was eating disgusting pancakes with pleasure, and especially for the actress he created special, small, almost fluffy sweet pancakes that no one had ever tasted before. could get bored. Rumor has it that Joseph was in love with Suzanne... In 1934, a book of memoirs by Henry Charpentier, a French chef who immigrated to the United States in the early 1900s, was published in New York. and opened the famous Henri Restaurant there, whose guests were the English Queen Victoria, the English King Edward VII, the Italian Queen Margherita, the Belgian King Leopold, Theodore Roosevelt, John D. Rockefeller, Marilyn Monroe, Sarah Bernhardt and many, many other eminent persons. On the other hand, in his book, Henry talked about how the Suzette pancakes were born as a result of an accidental mistake. And this happened on January 31, 1896, when Prince Edward of Wales, the future King of England Edward VII, came to the Cafe de Paris restaurant in Monte Carlo, accompanied by his friends, among whom was a very young lady named Suzette. Whose relationship she was to the prince, alas, is unknown. Perhaps she was his niece, perhaps his goddaughter, and perhaps his illegitimate daughter... The honor of serving such important guests fell to fifteen-year-old Henry Charpentier, a waiter's assistant. One of the dishes that Henry had to serve to the guests was pancakes. All Charpentier had to do was take the finished pancakes to the table, but first heat them in a sauce consisting of orange zest, sugar and a combination of alcoholic drinks. Suddenly the sauce caught fire and the pancakes were flambéed. By luck, Charpentier became the discoverer of a new sensational taste. The prince and his guests were so delighted with the dessert that Edward inquired about the name of the dish. “Princess pancakes,” said a stunned Henry, and that was the first thing that came to his mind. ""Princess"? – Edward was surprised. “Can we name them after our beautiful Lady Suzette?” How could one refuse the future king? The next day, a package arrived for young Charpentier from the Prince of Wales. It contained a ring with precious stones, a cane and a hat. One day, Louis XIV was served wine from his beloved Jean-Paul Chenet for dinner. The wine was excellent, but the bottle was a little crooked. The king became angry and ordered the winemaker to be taken to the Louvre. - What's happened?! Why is it crooked? – Louis asked, pointing his finger at the crooked bottle. - She's not crooked. She is upright, but bows before the brilliance of Your Majesty,” answered the resourceful winemaker. “Yes, indeed, she reminds me of the bow of my lovely ladies-in-waiting,” said the Sun King. - My God, what kind of dent is this? Jean-Paul answered without hesitation: “Don’t your gentle touches leave dents on the fluffy skirts of your ladies-in-waiting?” The king laughed and ordered the resourceful winemaker to be rewarded. Since then, all Jean-Paul Chenet wines have been bottled with a slightly curved neck.
Dried tomatoes were first preserved in oil in southern Italy, and now they can be found almost all over the world. For canning, tomatoes are chopped, salted and dried in the sun so that all moisture is removed from them and the aroma becomes more intense. Dried tomatoes are poured with vegetable oil and spices.
Few people today know that real borscht is a stew made from hogweed, a plant that most people today consider to be a weed. It was the decoction of hogweed with beet kvass that was called borscht in the old days. So we owe the appearance of one of our most favorite dishes to weed.
The name “vatrushka” apparently comes from the word “vatra”, which in most Slavic languages ​​means “fire”, “hearth”. In fact, this name perfectly suits the round open pie, shaped like the sun. After all, it was the hearth for the ancient peoples that was the symbol of this luminary.
Healthy recipes from cookbooks written on the plains turn out to be harmful in the mountains and vice versa. The food that the inhabitants of the plains prepare from books compiled by the mountaineers becomes overcooked. At the same time, mountain dwellers would have to eat undercooked food if they cooked strictly according to recipes written by those living on the plains. This is due to the difference in atmospheric pressure, which causes water to boil at a lower temperature in the mountains. Praised as a hangover cure, menudo soup is actually especially popular in Mexico on New Year's morning. It is cooked from beef stomach films and veal legs, green chilies, peeled corn kernels and seasonings. It is usually garnished with lime wedges, large quantities of chopped chili and onions, and served with hot tortillas. The chrysanthemum, a sacred flower in China and Japan, is edible. Exquisite desserts from chrysanthemum petals are prepared in both countries: fresh petals are dipped in a mixture of beaten eggs and flour, soaked and dipped in hot oil, after which the petals are thrown onto paper to absorb excess oil. In Japan, chrysanthemums were divided into edible and bitter (medicinal). This plant contains a lot of B vitamins, ascorbic acid, carotenes, mineral salts, simple and complex carbohydrates, and a large amount of protein, especially in the leaves. Potatoes were the first vegetable to experience weightlessness when they were grown on the Columbia spacecraft in October 1995.
The English name for cranberry (Cranberry) means “crane berry”. This name was given to cranberries by American settlers. Long, thin cranberry flowers reminded the settlers of the head and beak of a crane. In Russia it was also called stonefly, crane fly, and snowdrop.
Banana is a berry. The banana plant is the largest plant without a hard trunk. The stem of banana grass sometimes reaches 10 meters in height and 40 centimeters in diameter. As a rule, 300 fruits with a total weight of 500 kg hang on one such stalk. Bananas are almost one and a half times more nutritious than potatoes, and dried bananas have five times more calories than raw ones. One banana contains up to 300 mg of potassium, which helps fight high blood pressure and strengthens the heart muscle. Each of us needs 3 or 4 g of potassium per day.
Neil Armstrong's first meal on the moon was a baked turkey dinner in a bag. Before thermometers were invented, brewers had to stick their thumb into the brewing beer to determine the correct temperature to add yeast. Too cold and the yeast won't work. Too hot and the yeast will die. This is where the expression “rule of thumb” comes from.
According to legend, Maslenitsa was the daughter of Father Frost and lived in the North. The fragile girl Maslenitsa met a man. He saw her hiding behind huge snowdrifts and asked her to help people tired of the long winter - to warm them up and cheer them up. Maslenitsa agreed and, turning into a healthy, rosy-cheeked woman, with laughter, dancing and pancakes, made the human race forget about winter bad weather. Avocados do not ripen on the tree - they must be picked and left to rest to be edible. The tree is actually used as a warehouse - the avocado can remain on the tree for several months after ripening.
Catherine de' Medici (1519 - 1589) brought Italian peas to France (along with other cooks) when she married Henry II. Thanks to her, green peas - "petits pois" - became a delicacy in France. Chinese doctors use mangoes to treat dysentery.

Some of the weirdest and most interesting food facts you probably never knew.

Green, yellow and red bell peppers are not actually the same vegetable

These vegetables are not always the same plant. Although some green peppers are unripe red peppers; green, yellow, orange and red peppers are all unique plants with their own seeds.

A typical ear of corn has an even number of rows


Corn cobs have an even number of rows, usually 16.

One cutlet contains meat from different cows


The ground beef we buy at the supermarket consists of an unknown collection of meat from different cows.

White chocolate isn't actually chocolate.


Despite its name, white chocolate does not actually contain any real chocolate ingredients. It consists of a mixture of sugar, dairy, vanilla, lecithin and cocoa butter - without the chocolate solids.

Fruit candies and cars are covered with the same type of wax


Have you ever wondered how gummy candies get that glossy shine? They are coated with carnauba wax, the same wax used on cars to give them a shine.

Ripe cranberries will bounce like rubber balls


Cranberries are commonly called "jumping berries" because they bounce when ripe. In fact, jumping cranberries are a common ripeness test for farmers and consumers alike.

Farmed salmon is naturally white and then dyed pink


While wild salmon are naturally pink due to the high amount of shrimp in their diet, farmed salmon eat differently. To achieve this lovely pink color, farmers add carotenoids (plant pigments) to the feed to mimic the natural hue of wild salmon.

Potatoes can absorb and reflect Wi-Fi signals.


When Boeing wanted to test its wireless signals on new planes in 2012, they placed giant piles of potatoes on the seats. Due to their high water content and chemical composition, potatoes absorb and reflect radio and wireless signals, just as humans do.

The red food coloring used in candy is made from boiled beetles.


Carmine, also known as carminic acid, is a common red food coloring that can be found in candy and even lipstick.
Carminic acid is obtained from the ground up carcasses of a beetle known as Dactylopius.

Raw oysters are still alive when you eat them.


Chances are, raw oysters are still alive when you eat them. Oysters decompose so quickly that chefs have to cook them very quickly - while they are still alive. Some varieties of shellfish can survive out of water for up to two weeks, so oysters are stored in specially regulated conditions. Once they die, they are dangerous to eat.
So yes: if you have a nice plate of fresh oysters, you're probably munching on them while they're still alive. Luckily, oysters do not have a central nervous system, so they do not feel pain.

Every banana you eat is a clone.


Although there are 1,000 varieties of bananas worldwide, the common yellow fruit you see in the supermarket are genetic clones of the Cavendish variety. 'Cavendish' has no seeds - a desirable trait for consumers - and survives longer than its banana relatives.
Because Cavendish has no seeds, farmers must clone it to continue production. Recently, scientists have been concerned that a lack of genetic diversity could soon make the banana vulnerable and lead to its extinction.

Grapes will explode if you put them in the microwave.


The grapes themselves then act as an antenna and conduct electricity in the microwave, turning into little fireballs.

1. Chocolate is an excellent product against high blood pressure. It is enough to eat two sweets to bring your blood pressure back to normal.

2. Chocolate lifts your mood and creates a feeling of love thanks to the phenamine component.

3. White and milk chocolate contain more unhealthy fat and calories, while dark bitter chocolate with a high cocoa content (from 70%) is considered the healthiest.

4. A chocolate bar per month can extend your life by a whole year. But excessive consumption of the product will lead to the development of cardiovascular diseases.

5. One of the most unusual types of meat is mouse. It was eaten in China and also in Ancient Greece.

6. Rice ranks first among consumed foods, as it serves as the main ingredient in the menu of most Asian countries, known for their abundance. There are more than 15,000 varieties of rice, which we are accustomed to dividing into black, white and brown.

7. Refined sugar can be called one of the most harmful foods, since it contains absolutely nothing except carbohydrates and extra calories.

8. Zucchini and pumpkin seeds acquire greater benefits and nutritional value over time. Thus, fresh pumpkin seeds may have 3-4 times fewer calories than those that have been stored for several months.

9. Only 5% of mined salt is used as seasoning. The rest is spent on conservation and even industrial purposes - leather tanning, glass production, road construction.

10. Soup made from natural chicken meat has long been considered an aphrodisiac.

11. Rennet is a natural substance necessary for the production of many types of cheese. It is obtained from the fourth ventricle of small calves.

12. The most unusual snacks, bordering on disgust, are fried termites from South Africa, ants, bees and bull scrotum covered in chocolate - in America.

13. Potatoes and corn were first cultivated in mountainous regions called the Andes.

14. One kilogram of potatoes costs almost 200 times less than 1 kilogram of chips obtained from them.

15. With the advent of the cartoon character Popeye, interest in spinach has greatly increased in America. It was this product in the cartoon that was positioned as a valuable source of energy and vitamins.

16. It has been proven that fresh apples help you get up in the morning better than coffee.

17. Salt and beans in ancient times served as money. Some scammers even tried to fake the latter. But in Europe in the Middle Ages, the main source of money was often... Cows!

18. During the time of Ivan the Terrible, there were their own illegal transportations. Thus, the ambassadors of the Russian Tsar transported valuables from Muslim countries, wrapping them in pork tenderloin. Naturally, Muslims disdained to approach this meat.

19. In the era of Ancient Rome, at one time in history, the authorities came to the conclusion that it was time to fight luxury. Thus, fattening chickens was prohibited. But they forgot to prohibit feeding roosters...

20. In the Middle Ages, the recipe for ice cream was considered one of the most secret. In Europe, only kings could eat it, and the most courageous spies often went for secret knowledge, trying to discover the technology for preparing a delicious dessert.

21. In Ancient Greece, figs were of particular value. It could not be taken out of the country, and citizens who disobeyed could be executed for smuggling.

22. Muslims have long had a controversial relationship with coffee due to its stimulant properties. So, in the Middle Ages it was equated with wine, and it was almost banned.

23. In 1638, the Russian ambassador to China received several bags of strange dry leaves as a gift. The ambassador was very upset by this and a war almost broke out. But someone thought of brewing these fragrant leaves, and since then we can enjoy the aroma of tea every day.

24. In Honolulu, cooks practice a very unconventional method of beating octopus meat: they wash them in washing machines.

25. Any sea and river fish is one of the healthiest foods. It supplies the body with light protein, improves memory and skin condition, and also fights bad cholesterol.

26. Fresh or properly frozen strawberries can improve your mood and give you energy. After all, it contains many vitamins that are responsible for the tone of our body!

27. Potatoes, contrary to the negative opinions of many nutritionists, can be beneficial for the body, but only when boiled and baked. It removes excess fluid and helps get rid of cellulite.

28. Although bananas “came” to Europe from Africa, they are often supplied from India; more than half of all imports come from this country.

29. Apricot, avocado and raspberry are at the top of the list of the healthiest foods on the planet. Moreover, apricots and raspberries are able to retain all their benefits not only in fresh form.

30. Olivier salad was invented in Russia. But a Frenchman came up with the recipe! The salad differed from the modern one in a more refined set of products, including: veal tongue, caviar, pickles and crayfish.

31. In Africa, lemon is a panacea for many diseases. It is believed that the juice of 1 slice of lemon during meals will prevent overeating and help digestion. That's why drinking water with lemon juice before meals is so beneficial!

32. Breakfast should not be easy. It is at this time that preference should be given to the most satisfying and high-calorie dishes.

33. Regular consumption of vegetables, fruits and cereals helps cleanse the blood. However, in harsh conditions, the body simply cannot survive without heavy meat protein.

34. Real borscht was prepared from a plant that today is considered a weed - hogweed.

35. Freshly squeezed juices are stored for only 3-4 hours. Glass and metal containers are not suitable for them.

36. Natural apple cider vinegar is very beneficial for the skin. It is enough to dilute 1 tsp. in a glass of water and drink one hour before meals.

37. Guava is the record holder among vegetables and fruits for vitamin C content.

38. High-quality village cottage cheese contains a minimum of fat with a maximum amount of protein and calcium, which is extremely beneficial for the heart.

39. Cold Scandinavian countries are not at all distinguished by their great love for hot dishes. It is supposed to be eaten there only in the afternoon and only once. The main portion of the diet is cold snacks and a variety of sandwiches.

40. Mangoes and pistachios are the closest “relatives”. They belong to the same family, although there are few similarities between them.

41. All products that are yellow in color serve as natural antidepressants, break down fats and speed up metabolic processes.

42. Blue foods can eliminate insomnia and calm the nerves. They contain a lot of vitamin C. This also includes purple and maroon foods.

43. Green fruits and vegetables help reduce stomach acidity, normalize blood pressure, have a powerful antiseptic effect and strengthen the immune system.

44. Ginger and cinnamon have a powerful effect on the body. You can buy dried spices and add a pinch to tea or coffee: weight loss, increased performance and good mood are guaranteed!

45. Feijoa can compete with various seafood in terms of iodine content.

46. ​​Apples are a faithful friend of people who lead a “table” lifestyle. They contain a lot of useful substances and all this for little money and year-round availability. Apples improve the condition of the nervous system and have a general strengthening effect.

47. Olives and olives are the same thing. Only the first ones have to hang on trees for a long time, but for industrial purposes this is not profitable. Therefore, green olives are often dyed black and sold as olives.

48. Corn helps the body process fatty foods and alcohol. This is one of the rare products that, when canned, retains all its properties.

49. Celery contains very few calories. Moreover, if you eat it fresh, you will spend several times more calories on the chewing process.

50. Almost half of all almond production comes from the production of chocolate products.

51. Cooking grapes and eggs in the microwave can cause an explosion.

52. In 1991, carrots were officially recognized as a fruit in Europe.

53. And in 2001, the same fate befell tomatoes.

54. Mozzarella, tomato sauce and parsley are traditional ingredients of real Italian pizza, imitating the colors of the national flag.

55. Gasoline ranks first in global commodity turnover. And in second place is coffee.

56. The smell of fried bacon can greatly increase your appetite. This is used by various catering establishments.

57. In most restaurants, salmon dishes are prepared from cheap pink salmon or coho salmon, and are presented as expensive salmon or trout.

58. Fat-burning fruits that really effectively fight excess “stock”: kiwi, pineapples, grapefruits.

59. The rate of vegetable consumption per person per year is about 125 kg.

60. Wine was invented by the ancient Greeks more than 3 thousand years ago.

61. In 2006, a limited batch of 36 bottles of beer was brewed from barley sprouts grown in zero gravity. Each costs more than $300.

62. Pomegranate juice is the healthiest non-alcoholic drink.

63. The first bottle of carbonated drink was made from bubbles of fermenting beer in 1772.

64. In Peru, frog tincture is considered a drink of vigor. They drink it almost as often as the Chinese drink tea.

65. Traditional kvass is rarely to the taste of foreigners. Almost everyone refers to it as “a sour, cloudy liquid.”

66. Good dry red wine in an amount of 0.1 liter is good for the heart and can fight cancer.

67. Milk is widely used in the production of adhesives, paints and even plastics.

68. Ice cream is a kind of symbol of rockers. Often original recipes are invented in memory of different artists and groups, for example, Baskin Robins released a product in honor of the Beatles.

69. Most ice cream is eaten on the East Coast of the United States.

70. The world eats several times more margarine than butter.

71. Baskin Robins released ketchup-flavored ice cream.

72. Cheese, according to the majority of the world's population, is the most delicious dish.

73. The first candies were invented by the Egyptians more than 3 thousand years ago. Dates and honey were used for this. A little later, the Romans added nuts and flour to them.

74. In the Middle Ages, chocolate in Europe was considered a witchcraft product.

75. But in Russia, until the 20th century, sweets were the privilege of wealthy nobles.

76. The only candy that has been in space is Chupa Chups. Only she passed all the safety requirements.

77. Most smoked meat products contain modified soybeans.

78. Chicken meat is considered the healthiest. But only if we are talking about natural chicken without hormones and antibiotics.

79. Ice serves as an excellent preservative. Quick freezing of fresh berries, vegetables, fruits and meat can extend the “useful” life of products.

80. Just 12 species of plants and 5 animals provide 70% of all food.

81. Strawberries and raspberries contain in their small specific seeds a substance responsible for the formation of testosterone in the human body. It is this hormone that increases sexual desire.

82. White wine is served with fish, and red wine with any other meat. The exception is tuna, which also goes better with red wine.

83. The juiciest lemon has a thin peel.

84. Sunflower seeds help strengthen the nervous system.

85. Chili peppers, like chocolate, can improve your mood.

86. White and beige eggs are not at all different from each other. Only the hens that laid them are different.

87. Parmesan cheese in Italy serves as collateral when cheesemakers borrow money from banks. Ripe heads are placed in a special storage.

88. In 2003, after America's invasion of Iran and French outrage over it, Washington DC cafeterias renamed the French fries Liberty fries.

89. Cream cheese was invented in New York in 1872. Only it received the name “Philadelphia”.

90. What fell is not lost. Food does not pick up bacteria from the floor within 5 seconds, but only if the floor surface is dry.

91. Pringles chips aren't even half potato. They contain a lot of starch and corn flour, but only 42% potatoes. However, the figure is quite high for a product in this category.

92. There is an ice cream cemetery in the USA. There are tombstones with the names of those tastes that have lost their popularity.

93. Salad with asparagus on Russian shelves is nothing more than a deception. The white pods are obtained from the foam of soy milk and have little in common with asparagus.

94. It was simple vegetables - cabbage, carrots, onions and beets - that helped simple peasants in tsarist times to be healthy, while nobles often suffered from scurvy and other unpleasant diseases due to the lack of simple products in their diet.

95. Druzhba cheese is immortalized in Moscow with a monument. You can find it at the intersection of Rustaveli and Ogorodny Proezd.

96. Vegetable oil a priori does not contain cholesterol.

97. Cunning Englishmen use coffee grounds as fuel at the Kraft Foods chocolate factory.

98. Meat, or rather the need for its proper storage, opened the age of geographical travel. The Turks asked too much for spices, which contributed to the proper preservation of meat products. This prompted sailors to look for the treasured seasonings in new lands.

99. Kopi Luwak is the most expensive type of coffee. It is made from the feces of Asian civet cats that eat coffee beans. But the fruits are not processed, but in the stomach of the animals they are saturated with useful substances.

100. Doctor's sausage appeared in 1936 and was intended to improve the health of people who suffered during the tsarist reign.