Fun Facts

The flowers of the dragon fruit plant (Hylocereus undatus), a climbing cactus native to Mexico and Central America, bloom at night, pollinated by moths and bats.

Fun fact! Shallots have more calories than onion but are richer in fiber, vitamin B6, manganese, copper, folate, and vitamin C.

Fun fact! Bell peppers have a higher vitamin C content than citrus fruits. A 100 gram serving of a red bell pepper, for example, will offer more than 100% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C with 127 mg of vitamin C.

Napolean encouraged the European cultivation of sugar beets as a way to combat a British blockage on imported sugar from the West Indies. Click to read more!

Fun fact! Potato salad was first introduced to Europe by Spanish explorers returning from the New World in the 16th century. Click to read more!

Fun fact! Botany defines berries as fruit stemming from one flower with one ovary, making tomatoes, pomegranates, kiwis, and bananas berries but not strawberries or raspberries.

Fun fact! Besides drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated during heat waves, you can also eat food with water content higher than 80%. Click to learn what fruits and vegetables offer the best hydration.

Fun fact! Icelandic yogurt, called Skyr, is made with skim milk rather than whole milk like Greek yogurt. Click to read more!

Fun fact! Each point on the star anise pod is a carpel containing a single seed. Click to learn more!

Fun fact! Pistachios and other oil-bearing nuts or seeds have the potential to spontaneously combust. Click to read more!

Fun fact! English sailors became known as “Limeys” because of the lime juice rations provided to them by the Royal Navy. Click to read more!

Fun fact! Sweet basil has a sweeter, more peppery flavor, while Thai basil is bolder, with flavor reminiscent of licorice. Click to read more!

Fun fact! Honey can have an incredible shelf life due to its low moisture content and acidic pH. Click to learn more!

Fun fact! Tarragon has been used in traditional medicine as a remedy for toothaches. Click to read more.

Fun fact! Fenugreek seeds are used to make imitation maple syrup and flavoring.

Fun fact! During the Han-dynasty in 200 BCE, envoys from Java held cloves in their mouths to perfume their breath during audiences with the emperor.

Fun fact! About 46% of the world’s total fish supply comes from aquaculture, however, aquaculture accounts for more than 52% of total fishery products that are for human consumption.

Fun fact! 3.8 million tons of grapes go toward wine production while 115 thousand tons go toward juice production.

Fun fact! Sorghum originates from Northeastern Africa where it was first domesticated, but made its way to the Americas during the mid-18th century. Click to read more.

Fun fact! Nectarines will sometimes grow on a peach tree. Click to read more.

Fun fact! The value of sugarbeet crops are not measured by the ton, but the sucrose percentage in the sugarbeets.

Fun fact! Guava leaves have been used in Thai folk medicine as a hair loss remedy, but recent research suggests that there may be some truth to this old practice.

Fun fact! Processed tomato consumption is higher than fresh consumption at 73 pounds per capita vs. 20 pounds per capita.

Fun fact! A drought tolerant fruit, dragon fruit is being grown in certain drought-prone areas in place of more traditional crops such as citrus and avocado.

Fun fact! Chocolate has long been associated with love. Click to read more.

Fun fact! Dates are typically left on the palm until completely ripe. That means they are already slightly dry prior to harvest. This is done to prolong shelf life, and the fruits are still considered fresh.

Fun fact! Pomegranate fruit are non-climacteric. This means that they are unable to ripen off the tree and therefore must be picked at full maturity.

Fun fact! The white juices of unripe papaya contains papain, a proteolytic enzyme that breaks down proteins.