17 amazing facts about food that you probably didn't know (18 photos)

We often hear the phrase: “We are what we eat.” You can perfectly cook delicious and healthy food, know many original recipes, but not know what red food coloring is made of or what color carrots were originally. In this post you will learn interesting information about familiar products.







Carnauba wax is used not only as a food additive (E903) in the preparation of marmalade, but also as an ingredient in car polishing. The only difference is that the total percentage of wax in marmalade is 2%, while in car polishes it is 30%.





The most famous red dye is carmine, sometimes also called carminic acid, Natural Red 4 or E120, produced by female cochineal insects.



Hot chili peppers contain the chemical compound capsaicin. The alkaloid binds to pain receptors in the nerves, causing the brain and body to think that there is actually something hot in the mouth.



The edible part of the quinoa plant is the seeds. And in order to receive them, the plant must bloom.



Many housewives know a lot of culinary recipes using rhubarb. But not everyone knows that raw rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid and if consumed in large quantities, it can be fatal.



White and green asparagus are the same plant. White is grown in the shade, and harvested when it first appears from the ground. Green asparagus grows in the sun for a long time, and when the sprouts turn green, they are picked. There is also purple asparagus - it is softer and sweeter.



Many types of beans are toxic when eaten raw, but red beans are more toxic than others. Its dangerous properties are due to the high concentration of lectins, which in cooking are neutralized by prolonged boiling (from half an hour).



Even though allspice smells like nutmeg and cinnamon, there's no spice involved. Peppers are actually a fruit that is harvested, dried, and sold whole or ground.



Large amounts of nutmeg can cause drug intoxication. The plant contains myristicin, which has hallucinatory properties and serious side effects.



Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and kohlrabi come from the same plant - regular garden cabbage. Breeders have worked on all these species for many years.



Coriander and cilantro are two different names for the same plant. Only coriander is a seed, and cilantro is a green.



In the 19th century, ketchup was sold in tablet form. It was believed that it could help with digestive disorders.



Carrots were originally purple. But at the end of the 17th century, Dutch breeders created the orange variety that we know today.



Almost all the bananas on the shelves come from one variety, Cavendish. The banana plant is a herb, and bananas are berries. They do not contain seeds, which means they can be bred exclusively by cloning.



Most often, restaurants serve a mixture of horseradish, mustard and other spices under the guise of wasabi. This is because real wasabi is difficult to grow, very expensive and must be eaten within 15 minutes.



Lobsters and oysters were once the food of the common people.



Cheese has been recognized as the most coveted food in the world and is the most stolen food from stores.