We all love food. Some of us love it more than others. Some of us like certain types of food while others of us like something else altogether. But we seldom stop to think about what other people are eating. Perhaps we should. Here are some unusual food facts that might make all of us think twice.
During a large part of the 19th Century, bones were often ground up and put into flour in order to make it last longer.
A normal sized human being will eat in excess of 55,000 pounds of food in his or her lifetime.
Over one billion pounds of pesticides are used on U.S. food products every year. At least half of that finds its way into the foods we eat.
The Japanese like slightly unusual food flavors. Their favorite ice creams include things like crab, octopus and whale. Their favorite pizza topping also comes from the water — squid. The favorite baby food among infants is made from sardines.
In Virginia, the pineapple means hospitality. It is often given as a gift for dinner parties.
Massachusetts was the home of the very first U.S. grown watermelon, in 1629. That state also saw the birth of the chocolate chip cookie in 1930.
To tenderize beef in Argentina, gauchos often put it underneath their saddles as they rode. By the end of the day, it was ready to be cooked.
Lobster was once so readily available that it was known as a “poor man’s food.” Today; however, it is rare enough that a good lobster can range over $100 in some places during the fall months.
Ancient Egyptians once took their oaths holding a common vegetable – the onion.
Ants, crickets, grasshoppers, and mealworms are just a few of the insects commonly used in some foods actually served in restaurants in the United States. Fire roasted ants are eaten instead of popcorn at movie houses in Columbia.
Oddly Mexico isn’t the home to the heaviest consumption of spicy food. That honor goes to Norway.
Ancient Romans weren’t that particular about what they ate. They considered stuffed door mice a rare delicacy.
Shredded Wheat was the first breakfast cereal distributed commercially.
In some countries, including China, food is cooked in the breast milk of human beings.
When frozen vegetables were first introduced, they were referred to as “frosted” rather than frozen. Manufacturer’s thought the word frozen had too many negative connotations.
Kimchi, a popular Korean dish, is buried in clay pots in the ground for several months before it is served.
Both Texas and Oklahoma sponsor annual rattlesnake hunts where people catch snakes for cooking barbecued, fried, roasted and other ways too.
The Dutch consume as much as 75 pounds of candy per individual every year.
Americans use to get iron in their diet from a highly unusual source – – their cast iron skillets.
In Indonesia, bats are considered a delicacy.
Fortune cookies were invented in the United States.
Some cultures consider the eyes the tastiest part of a fish. They are sucked out for eating.
Haggis is a popular Scottish dish. It consists of the small intestines, lungs, liver and heart of a young calf or sheep boiled in the stomach along with onions and peppers.
In America some people like scrambled eggs with catsup. In Hungary; however, they prefer to use the blood of a pig.
In some parts of the southern U.S. squirrel brains are still eaten. They are cooked right inside the head and then opened for consumption.
Food for some is definitely not for others. Maybe reading this will help curb your appetite.
RESOURCE:
1001 Horrible Facts by Anne Rooney, Arcturus Publishing Limited, 2010
