View Full Version : Food Trivia
What was the first food crop grown in the Yangzi River ca. 4350 B.C.?
answer: Taro
Taro root (Colocasia esculenta) of the arum family was being grown, and rice ,which was a weed found growing near it, was then cultivated.
http://www.funtrivia.com/submitquiz.cfm?quiz=16214
What is substance in Fava Beans that can kill sensitive individuals?
answer: Glutathione
http://www.funtrivia.com/submitquiz.cfm?quiz=16214
Which Roman person introduced the art of making pork sausage ca. 48 B.C?
answer: Julius Caesar
http://www.funtrivia.com/submitquiz.cfm?quiz=16214
According to First for Women magazine, eating what kind of candy could help relieve stress:
A: Peppermint.
http://halife.com/trivia/food.html
Q: Is spilling salt considered good luck in:
Answer: Japan.
http://halife.com/trivia/food.html
Coffee s the most recognized smell in the world:
The smell more people can identify most often is coffee.
Peanut butter is #2 (research reported by UPI).
http://halife.com/trivia/food.html
Even though almonds are high in calories and fat, they are good for you because they help to lower cholesterol
Almonds contain nutrients to help lower cholesterol (The Walking Magazine).
http://halife.com/trivia/food.html
Natural vanilla flavoring comes from orchids.
from columnist L.M. Boyd
ttp://halife.com/trivia/food.html
Potatoes are a vegetable — unless, of course, they are made into potato chips and used for dips. Then they are, by law, a fruit.
http://health.learninginfo.org/food-facts.htm
Tomatoes are fruits in a salad, but when cooked in a stew – a vegetable.
Technically, a tomato is a type of berry.
http://health.learninginfo.org/food-facts.htm
Do you know where tapioca comes from? It is the starch derived from the roots of a poisonous plant known as bitter cassava.
http://health.learninginfo.org/food-facts.htm
Raw cashews contain poisonous oils. The plant is closely related to poison ivy and poison sumac. The nut is rendered harmless — and tasty! — through the process of roasting.
http://health.learninginfo.org/food-facts.htm
As ridiculous as it sounds, the banana tree isn’t really a tree; it is a herb.
http://health.learninginfo.org/food-facts.htm
What do you call the results of a mash consisting of 85 percent corn, 12 percent malt, and 3 percent rye, which also includes juniper berries, coriander seeds?
Answer: Gin.
http://health.learninginfo.org/food-facts.htm
You’ll be surprised to know that a raw potato placed in each shoe at night will keep the leather soft and the shoes smelling fresh and clean.
http://health.learninginfo.org/food-facts.htm
In 1893 the United States Supreme Court decreed the difference between a fruit and a vegetable. Any plant or part of a plant generally eaten as part of the main course of a meal is a vegetable. Any plant or part of a plant generally eaten as an appetizer, a dessert, or out of the hand is a fruit.
http://health.learninginfo.org/food-facts.htm
Doughnuts:
In the beginning, doughnuts were made of raised dough and
a nut was baked into the center...That is how the word
"doughnut" came about!" The doughnut was one of New England's earliest sweets, although it did not originate in New England.
http://www.foodfunandfacts.com/foodtrivia.htm
Ever Wonder How HushPuppies Got their Name?
Hushpuppies are pieces of fried cornmeal batter which are a great southern tradition. Years ago, pieces of the fried batter were fed to hungry dogs that begged for food. After the scraps were given to the dogs, the owner would say "Now hush, puppy."
http://www.foodfunandfacts.com/foodtrivia.htm
The 4 Classes of Vegetarians:
1. True Vegetarians- Will eat nothing from an animal, cooked or processed.
2. Lacto-Vegetarians- Will eat dairy products.
3. Ovo-Vegetarians- The only animal product allowed to eat is eggs.
4. Pesco-Vegetarians-Will not eat red meat, but will eat fish, chicken, eggs and dairy products.
http://www.foodfunandfacts.com/foodtrivia.htm
Varieties of Cheese
Cheese is obtained exclusively from the milk of animals, and its quality varies with the class, breed, and food of the animal, and the process of manufacture. The most ordinary source of cheese is the milk of the cow, and there are certain varieties of cows which pro-duce much cheese and little butter, as there are others which produce much butter and little cheese. The kind of food given to the cows is very important, for just in proportion to the richness of the milk in casein and cream is the richness of the cheese. The value of cheese as an article of diet has not been entirely established. If we consider its chemical composition, it is one of the richest of foods in nutritive elements ; but Dr. Smith has found that the popular belief that it is not easily digested is true. This objection, however, applies only to the new and poor cheese ; those that are old and rich not only digest easily, but promote the digestion of other food. That which is old and dry (but not decayed) may be given to children to relieve constipation.
VARIETIES IN MARKET.
The following cheeses can generally be found in American markets. It is best to take the advice of a reliable dealer regarding the quantity of any cheese that it is wise to lay in at a time.
Strong, in this list, means of a high flavor and odor, but not necessarily sharp. Most new cheeses are relatively mild, and develop their characteristics, especially sharpness, with age.
American and Canadian Cheeses.—Pineapple, English Dairy (imitations of), Factory, and the homemade Cottage cheese, like the Schmeer Rase of the Germans. None of these are classed among strong cheeses. They are good all the year around, but the Cottage is best in summer.
English Cheeses (Of variable strength, sometimes sharp).— Stilton comes first in fame and price. It is so named from the place where it was first sold. The cheeses are mostly manufactured in Leicestershire. It takes two years to properly mature the cheese for use ; then it becomes decayed, blue, and moist. It is a common trick to hasten its maturity by putting each separate cheese in a bucket and covering it with horse dung. This rapidly gives the required appearance of maturity. In a district of Ross-shire they ripen their cheeses to make them like Stilton, by burying them below high water mark.
Cottenham.— A strong kind of Stilton.
Cheddar (Mild).—Made from new milk, retaining its natural cream.
English Dairy (Medium).
Dutch Cheese.— Dutchman's Head or Edam (Medium). — Not equal to the best cheeses of England, being hard.
French Cheeses are generally for winter consumption, and come to us only from October to May.
Brie Cheeses (Mild).—Are made from cream. Camembert (Strong).—A little like the Swiss. Mont d'Or (Mild).— From Central France. Made from goats' milk.
Pont de Solo (Very strong).
Pont d'Eveque (Mild).-A very pleasant cheese. More flavor than Brie.
Roquefort (Medium and sharp).— Made from the milk of goats and sheep, and ripened with great care in caverns.
Solferino (Strong).
German Cheeses.—Limburger (very strong). Not considered ready for consumption until partly putrefied. Schabzieger or Sap Sago.—Which gets its green color from melilot leaves.
Italian Cheeses.—Livarno (Strong), Parmesan (Medium —slightly sharp). From the most fertile Milanese territory ; they are so full of oil that it has been erroneously supposed that oil was added to the curd. It was formerly supposed to be made from goat's milk, but it is made merely of skimmed cow's milk manipulated in a peculiar way. The best Parmesan is kept three or four years, and none is sent to market until it is at least six months old.
Scotch Cheese.— (Dunlop.)— Which gets its flavor from lovage leaves, is the only one known here.
Swiss Cheeses.—Gruyere is the best of the Swiss cheeses, many of which are celebrated. It is made in the canton of Fribourg. Its peculiar flavor is said to be owing to the herbage of the mountain pastures on which the cows feed.
Neufchatel (Variable).—Is sold in small rolls, covered with tin foil ; it is simply a cream cheese such as is described above.
^^^http://www.oldandsold.com/articles12/cheese.shtml
Coffee Foam
The head of foam you find on a shot of espresso is called crema.
Coffee aficionados claim that the crema has the true flavor of the coffee bean. The crema starts to break down and lose it's flavors in as little as 30 seconds.
^^^http://triviaextreme.com/food/coffee_foam.php
Heinz Ketchup
Exactly how slow is Heinz Ketchup coming out of the bottle?
You could clock the rate at about 25 miles per year.
http://triviaextreme.com/food/coffee_foam.php
In 1893 the United States Supreme Court decreed the difference between a fruit and a vegetable. Any plant or part of a plant generally eaten as part of the main course of a meal is a vegetable. Any plant or part of a plant generally eaten as an appetizer, a dessert, or out of the hand is a fruit.
http://health.learninginfo.org/food-facts.htm
How about mangoes in stir-fried Chinese dishes? Does that classify mango as a vegetable? On the other hand, I don't think spinach in appetizer dips becomes a fruit. These are just two among countless items that contradict the difference between fruits & vegetables cited in the decree.
Well, the above American Supreme Court decree was in 1893...long before chefs came up with yummy recipes of fruits (in main courses) & vegetables (in appetizers & desserts) that we now enjoy.
:HUNGRY:
History of tofu
Tofu history in China - Tofu is very popular in the Orient today but tofu was first used in China over 2000 years ago. The oldest evidence of tofu production is a Chinese mural incised on a stone slab. It shows a kitchen scene that proves that soymilk and tofu were being made in China during the period A.D. 25-220. The oldest written reference to tofu appeared in also in China at about A.D. 1500, in a poem "Ode to Tofu" by Su Ping.
http://www.soya.be/history-of-tofu.php
Tofu history in Japan - Kento priests, who went to China to study Buddhism, brought tofu back to Japan during the Nara era (710-794). Tofu was eaten as part of a vegetarian diet for priests for their protein content. The word "tofu" is first mentioned in Japan in the dairy of the Shinto priest Nakaomi. Tofu was used as an offering at an altar. In 1489 the word "tofu" was first written in the actual Japanese characters. Tofu gradually became popular among the nobility and the samurai class. During the Edo era (1603-1867), tofu became popular among ordinary people. The cooking book "Tofu Hyakuchin" was published in 1782 and sold very well.
http://www.soya.be/history-of-tofu.php
Tofu history in Western world - In 1603 the Spanish dictionary "Vocabulario da lingoa de Iapam" was the first European document with reference to the word "tofu". Domingo Fernandez de Navarrete described in his book "A Collection of Voyages and Travles" how tofu was made. The first English reference to tofu was in 1704, when Navarrete's book was published in English.
Tofu was first produced (non-commercial) in France by Paillieux in 1880. Hirata & Co started to make tofu in San Francisco in 1895. The first Westerner who produced tofu on a commercial scale was T.A. Van Gundy in 1929 when he started the company La Sierra Industries in California.
http://www.soya.be/history-of-tofu.php
A Brief History of Tofu
Extremely popular in the Orient today, tofu was first used in China over 2,000 years ago. Experts believe that its production began sometime during the Han dynasty (http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/prm/blhanconquesta.htm), in the second century B.C. According to one Chinese legend, tofu was invented when a cook decided to experiment by flavoring a batch of cooked soybeans with the compound nagari. Instead of flavored soybeans, he wound up with bean curd. Nagari is frequently used in the production of tofu today. From China, tofu was introduced into Korea, and reached Japan in the eight century A.D.
The process by which tofu is made (http://english-coffee.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.soymilkmaker.com/making%5Ftofu.html) has a lot in common with making cheese. A coagulant is used to curdle soy milk and the curds are then pressed into a solid block. Several types of coagulant are used, from the above-mentioned nagari to calcium sulfate.
http://chinesefood.about.com/library/bltofuhistory.htm
Other name for pomelo..Shaddock???
The pomelo (Citrus maxima or Citrus grandis) is a citrus (http://english-coffee.com/wiki/Citrus) fruit native to South East Asia. It is usually pale green to yellow when ripe, with sweet white (or, more rarely, pink or red) flesh and very thick pudgy rind. It is the largest citrus fruit, 15–25 cm in diameter, and usually weighing 1–2 kg. Other spellings for pomelo include pummelo, and pommelo, and other names include Chinese grapefruit, jabong, lusho fruit, pompelmous, Papanas, and shaddock.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomelo
Jute (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-jute.htm) leaves are the leaves of certain jute plants, used as a food source in Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Africa. In addition to adding a distinct flavor to food, jute leaves also have nutritional value, and they act as thickeners in soups, stews, and sauces. Jute leaves may also be called saluyot or ewedu, depending on the region of the world in which one is cooking. It is possible to grow jute for its fresh leaves in some parts of the world, and some specialty stores also stock it in fresh, frozen, or dried form, depending on their location and size.
Jute is a plant with many uses. All plants in the Corchorus genus are considered jute, although two have particular economic and culinary value, C. olitorius and C. capsularis. The leaves of these plants are simple, and they may have slightly serrated edges. When harvested young, jute leaves are flavorful and tender; older leaves tend to be more woody and fibrous, making them less ideal for consumption.
The stems of jute are used to make rope, paper, and a variety of other products. Jute has been used as an all purpose plant in Asia for several centuries, and Europeans were introduced to jute rope and textiles when they first began to explore India. Jute leaves, however, did not appear to catch on with European explorers. This seems to have been the case with a large number of Asian foods, as many commonplace Asian dishes and foods still seem quite exotic to the Western palate.
People who cook with jute leaves use them in soups, stews, curries, vegetable dishes, and sometimes tisanes (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-tisanes.htm) or teas. The jute tends to get rather gluey and mucilaginous, like okra (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-okra.htm), another common vegetable thickener. It is also said to have its very own distinct flavor, which some people find quite enjoyable. Jute leaves are also a good source of nutrition, particularly beta carotene (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-beta-carotene.htm).
Like spinach (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-spinach.htm) and other leafy greens, jute leaves can be cooked whole as a major component of a dish, or they can be loosely chopped so that they blend better with other ingredients. Some cooks like to salt their jute leaves and rest them before cooking, to draw out some of the slime which can make them troubling to the palate. The longer jute leaves cook, the more slimy and dense they get, so it is important to pay attention to cooking times in recipes which call for jute leaves.
THIS IS SALUYOT IN FILIPINO!!!
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-jute-leaves.htm
Did You Know?
Asparagus is a valuable source of folic acid, which helps your body build new cells. It's especially important for expectant mothers.
tlc.discovery.com
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