17 FOOD TRIVIA NUGGETS
- Aly Austin
- Jun 15
- 5 min read
Are you the ONLY one in the friend group who isn't a foodie?
Do you hate when the conversation lulls at a dinner party?
Have you ever been on a first date at a grocery (it is actually a genius idea, if you think about it) and fear you'll have nothing to talk about?
Your life's problems are solved here! Below are some DID YOU KNOW moments in food. Enjoy, and you are welcome.
DID YOU KNOW every ear of corn / corn cob has an even # of rows?
Usually, that count is between 14-18 rows. The kernel rows start off as ridges of cells that eventually pair off as the corn grows, forming pairs of rows. Don't get too involved...just throw out there the 'even # of rows' part to get the glances in your direction.
DID YOU KNOW there are more than 10,000 types of tomatoes and more than 7,500 types of apples? And somehow, we STILL can't get our daily servings of fruits and veggies in? If you're on that grocery date, here is your shining moment. If you're at the grocery tired and overwhelmed, just think how lucky the options have been narrowed.
DID YOU KNOW the way to tell if cranberries are ripe is to drop them and see what happens? If they bounce like little rubber balls, they're good to go. Had enough of the Mother-in-law in your kitchen "helping" during holiday feast prep? Bounce some berries off of the floor. You'll get an epic eyeroll and probably some solitude.
DID YOU KNOW if your favorite color is pink, and Barbie is your spirit doll, you're in luck! If you eat several large beets or drink a hefty amount of beet juice, you can PEE PINK! This is more likely with those who have iron deficiency, so a bite of beet shouldn't do it (if so, go to the Dr). All in all, I will be adding more beets to my next red smoothie!
DID YOU KNOW apples, onions, and potatoes all have something in common? They basically taste the SAME! Whaaat? Yeah. I tried it. The difference is olfactory (smell). The texture after the first bite is similar, so if you dice them all up, mix them in a bowl, pinch your nose, can you tell which is which? How about THIS for the next baby-shower-you-didn't-want-to-host game?
DID YOU KNOW cabbages are 91% water and apples are 25% air? Cabbages are a cruciferous veggie that have SO MANY health benefits (lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, etc.) and who doesn't want to keep the Dr away? This is another good grocery date talking point. Will they both seem overpriced now?
DID YOU KNOW pumpkins are Mexican food? They have been found in ancient Mayan and Aztec cultures and dated around 7000BC by archeologists...that's 9,000 years ago! When Turkey Day gets bothersome and drone, drop this little tidbit when the pumpkin pie makes its rounds and be the HOLIDAY HERO!
DID YOU KNOW nutmeg has been known to be a hallucinogenic? Wanna try nutmeg instead of LSD for visual fancies? Be warned. You would have to consume 1-3 tsp to get here, but that is considered a toxic amount and lends to nausea, vomiting, dehydration, and body aches. This could be a cute nugget of info around desert at a stuffy business dinner. Just sayin.
DID YOU KNOW that vinegar will dissolve a pearl? Pearls are made of calcium carbonate (the stuff of seashells) and that is reactive to acetic acid in vinegar. This is not an instant thing... no smoke and voila, but still. Should this be used as an info nugget at an uptight dinner party where the boss' wife is taking nasty jabs at you?
CLUTCH YOUR PEARLS, GIRLS!
DID YOU KNOW honey will NEVER go bad? Honey has been found in ancient Egyptian tombs (even Tutankhamun's) dating back to more than 3,000 years ago, and it is STILL EDIBLE! Its long shelf life is due its low moisture content and natural antibacterial properties, which prevent spoilage. You can mention this over your great date desert of chicharrónes or the morning after golden smoothie!
DID YOU KNOW ketchup was thought a cure for diarrhea in the 19th century? The tomato-free recipe born in China ~ 300BCE didn't contain tomatoes until reaching the Americas in the 1700s as pills used for GI issues (odd for an acidic food?). They also were called "love apples", after their maybe aphrodisiac properties. Date Trivia Info? I think, yes. Fries, extra ketchup, please.
DID YOU KNOW watermelons are a fruit & and a veggie? Bananas are berries and strawberries are NOT? Tomatoes are a fruit but "legally a veggie", and almonds are actually SEEDS! Are you a +1 at a foodie dinner party? By all means, spread this knowledge. You won't be alone in the know, but it shows you care - and the conversation with POP OFF. We all know foodies love to show off!
DID YOU KNOW there was sourdough in Egypt about 5,000 years ago? It was made mistakenly by a baker leaving dough in the hot desert sun and coming back later to discover a lovely loaf of sourdough bread - roughly. This one is useful when people make you feel inadequate because you can't compete on a baking show. Throw out some trivia instead of tossing flour around the kitchen.
DID YOU KNOW bell peppers are gender neutral? They are part of the nightshade fam, which have "perfect flowers" meaning each one has both male and female reproductive parts - so they are able to self-pollinate! See how your potential partner reacts to this one on the grocery date. If they have a response you don't care for, perhaps this could be a red flag. Open to it? Nicely done.
DID YOU KNOW some mushrooms could fit in at a rave? This bioluminescent phenomenon is called "FOXFIRE", and attracts the bugs need to spread mushroom spores for new growth. Next dinner party, surely you can find a mushroom in a dish. Don't let it shine brighter than your odd but vast library of food knowledge!
DID YOU KNOW carrots weren't orange until the 16th century? They were purple (and yellow and white) and found in the Netherlands. The Dutch eventually used selective breeding to come up with the sweeter version of the carrot, and now we think orange when we think of the veggie. Stunt at a dinner party and serve rainbow carrots, then serve up the trivia to be a sure hit.
DID YOU KNOW black sapote tastes like chocolate pudding? It is actually known as "the chocolate pudding fruit" and when fully ripened and black, its flesh has a custard-like texture that's a taste doppelgänger and can even be eaten frozen like frozen custard. Love chocolate and at a fancy schmancy restaurant for a dinner party? Ask the waiter for this and look well-traveled and bougee.
References
Comments