The human tongue contains on average 2,000 to 20,000 taste buds which are constantly regenerating. We have evolved these taste buds as a means of survival – naturally preferring sweet over bitter as sugary foods are high in calories, and poisonous foods usually have a bitter taste. However, there is a lot about food that we don’t know, as can be seen with these 12 astounding facts about food below.
Pineapples contain a protein digesting enzyme called bromelain. This is why we experience a slight tingling sensation while eating one, as the enzyme slowly digests the inner lining of our mouths!(source)
2 A farmer has been experimenting with growing Buddha shaped pears in China, and has done a remarkably good job.
A Chinese farmer by the name of Xianzhang Hao has used molds to successfully shape more than 10,000 pears into miniature Buddhas – a process that has taken more than 6 years to perfect. Despite a price tag of £5 each, locals have been purchasing them quickly which has lead Hao to consider exporting them to Europe.(read more)
3 This is Musa Balbisiana – an ancestor to modern bananas.
Known as the wild banana, musa balbisiana is native to south east Asia and is one of the ancestors of modern cultivated bananas. They are inedible due to the seeds, but it is assumed that they were once cooked to be eaten.(source)
4 The most expensive pizza in the world takes 72 hours to make and costs $12,000.
If you’d like to try the World’s most expensive pizza, you’ll need to move to Italy and be willing to let three pizza chefs turn up at your villa to start the 72 hour process of making what should be the most tastiest pizza ever. The pizza is topped with bufala mozzarella, 3 types of caviar, Norwegian lobster, and is lightly salted with handpicked pink salt grains from the Australian Murray river.(source)
The process of how honey is made may surprise you. Bees extract nectar from flowers using a tube shaped tongue, which is then stored in an extra “crop” stomach. This is so the nectar can react with enzymes in the bees’ stomach to alter the chemical composition and acidity level. Once back at the hive the nectar is regurgitated and the process is repeated until it can finally be deposited on the honeycomb.(source) [td_block_ad_box spot_id=”custom_ad_2″ spot_title=”Advertisement”]
Carrots used to be purple up until the late 16th century until Dutch growers took advantage of mutations and started cultivating orange carrots. It is said that the color was a symbol of Dutch independence and the House of Orange, although there is little evidence of this. One thing is for certain though, which is that orange carrots taste better than purple ones and may be the reason they triumphed.(source)
7 The saying that carrots make your eyesight better is an old wives’ tale.
While carrots are a good source of vitamin A which is essential for the health of our eyes, the rumor that carrots make your eyesight better was started by the British military to hide the fact from the Germans that they had radar. Of course, the government fuelled this myth further when home grown vegetables started replacing rations.(source)
Although not specifically chocolate, cocoa beans were once used as a currency by the Mayans and Aztecs due to the high regard in which they placed the cacao tree. The effects which we appreciate today were very prominent back then, such as increased endurance, stamina and mood. Cacao was even used as an aphrodisiac.(source)
9 The World’s oldest soup recipe is from 6,000 B.C.
Archaeologists recently discovered a soup recipe that dates back to 6,000 B.C. and includes hippopotamus meat as one of the key ingredients. Other ingredients include sparrow meat, vegetables, lentils and various spices.(source)
10 100% real orange juice is always 100% artificially flavored.
If you’ve ever tried to make your own orange juice by squashing oranges, you’ve probably wondered why the taste isn’t quite the same as the cartons you regularly buy from the store. In order to make orange juice keep, orange juice producers have to remove the oxygen which in turn removes the natural flavor. As a result, they re-flavor the juice using “flavor packs” produced by fragrance companies.(source)
Located in an indoor theme park called “Namja Town” lies Ice Cream City – an ice cream parlor that is well known for offering daring flavors. One of these flavors is horse flesh although we aren’t sure why. Other weird flavors they produce includes octopus, squid, cow tongue and snake.(source)
12 The Japanese Yubari King cantaloupe is the most expensive fruit in the world – two melons sold at auction for $23,500.
The Japanese Yubari King cantaloupe is a type of highly prized melon that only grows in the city of Yubari. They are especially valued for their flavor, and typically cost between $5,000 and $20,000 per 8 pound pair.(source)
