Some of us may think that they know everything about food because they carefully read the labels. But not every fact about the food we eat is found on its label. Because of this, we decided to make up a list with some interesting facts about traditional food that will make every single one of you change your idea about food.
The growing of GMC plants is allowed the majority of nations.
There is no scientific proof that genetically modified crops are more harmful to our bodies than the natural one. This is way the cultivation of GMO is allowed in many countries in the whole world. The most common and widely known GMO are soybeans, maize, cotton, canola, and sugar beet.
Authentic balsamic vinegar is never ever affordable
The process by which the balsamic vinegar is made is a long time. Balsamic vinegar is made out of the juice of white grapes, freshly harvested. The juice is boiled down to create a concentrate and then everything is let to ferment at least 3 years. But the best types of balsamic vinegar can ferment for up to 100 years. The price of the vinegar is bigger if the period of fermentation is bigger. So when you are buying balsamic vinegar at a cheap price, then be sure that what you have bought is not genuine.
Fortune cookies do not come from China
Many people think these cookies come from China, but the truth is that they were invented in San Francisco by some Japanese Americans. If you go to China, you would hardly find this kind of cookies there.
Fake wasabi
You can find genuine wasabi only in Japan. The components of wasabi have to be cultivated under certain conditions such as running water at the temperature of 10-17°C. Wasabi roots are only ripened after 3-4 years and 0,5 kilos cost more than $100. Because of the high price, outside of Japan they often use an imitation of wasabi, which is most of the time a combination between mustard, horseradish, starch, and green food coloring.
We consume insects and also do not also find out about it
There is a food coloring that is known under the name of carmine or E120 that gives red color to food. Most of people have probably heard about this product. But how many of us know that it is produced from carmine acid which is generated by some insects such as the cochineal scale.
Ketchup can be created without tomatoes
Even if tomatoes are not an expensive product at all, most of the ketchup producers choose to replace tomatoes with cheaper ingredients (applesauce, thickeners, food coloring or additives). You can distinguish real ketchup by looking at its color it should be red or dark red. Also, its consistency must not be too watery.
Why do biscuits have holes in them?
Have you ever wondered why do crackers have holes in them? Well, if yes, we have the answer for you. The holes are not purely decorative they are made to ensure that the crackers are baked properly, without them the crackers would be thin and crispy.
Some other interesting fact about crackers is that the first cracker that was made in the USA had holes that were done manually. There were 13 holes in the first cracker, representing the number of states of the country at that time.
Canola and rapeseed oil are the same product
The name canola comes from Canadian Oil, Low Acid. It differs from the regular rapeseed oil only by having a reduced amount of erucic acid. This erucic acid affects not only the taste of the product but is also toxic to the heart.
The calorie matter revealed on packs can be unreliable
This happens mostly because the calorie measuring system is out of date. This system does not account for how absorption varies based on the type of food which is consumed or on the individual who is consuming it. Scientists have discovered that actually whole almonds have about 20% fewer calories than they were thought to have and pistachios have 5% fewer calories.
Some foods can vanish permanently
Some foods may disappear forever because of global warming and some other factors. Between these foods are:
- Some types of apples that need colder winters.
- Avocados, because their cultivation is not profitable. To crop 1 pound of this fruit demands 130 gallons of water.
- Bananas were affected by an epidemic of fungal diseases which caused the plants to die quickly.
- Honey: The number of bee colonies has drastically lowered in the past years. The reasons are mites from Asia (introduced 30 years ago), pesticides, and poor bee nutrition.
- As scientists state, the quality of cocoa beans has worsened significantly in recent decades, thus the crops have been reduced by half.