Food Trivia | 100 did you know trivia & facts about Food [Part 3]

For sure, we can’t live without food. Without things around us that taste so wonderful. After we find out some things about food in general in the previous parts, it’s time to dive a little deeper in the trivia! Are you ready?

“Seasonal” here refers to the times of year when the harvest or the flavour of a given type food is at its peak
This is usually the time when the item is harvested, with some exceptions
It also appeals to people who prefer a low carbon diet that reduces the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from food consumption
Shelf-stable food is food of a type that can be safely stored at room temperature in a sealed container
This includes foods that would normally be stored refrigerated but which have been processed so that they can be safely stored at room or ambient temperature for a usefully long shelf life
Decreasing the amount of available water in a product, increasing its acidity, or irradiating or otherwise sterilizing the food and then sealing it in an air-tight container are all ways of depriving bacteria of suitable conditions in which to thrive are some of the methods used for this
All of these approaches can all extend a food’s shelf life without unacceptably changing its taste or texture
Common oils and fats become rancid relatively quickly if not refrigerated
Replacing them with hydrogenated oils delays the onset of rancidity, increasing shelf life
This is a common approach in industrial food production
Recent concerns about health hazards associated with trans fats have led to their strict control in several jurisdictions
Even where trans fats are not prohibited, in many places there are new labeling laws, which require information to be printed on packages, or to be published elsewhere, about the amount of trans fat contained in certain products
Space food is a type of food product created and processed for consumption by astronauts in outer space
The food has specific requirements of providing balanced nutrition for individuals working in space
Space food is being easy and safe to store, prepare and consume in the machinery-filled weightless environments of crewed spacecraft
In recent years, space food has been used by various nations engaging on space programs as a way to share and show off their cultural identity and facilitate intercultural communication
The initial idea from The Man in Space Committee of the Space Science Board in 1963 was to supply astronauts with a formula diet that would supply all the needed vitamins and nutrients
Traditional foods are foods and dishes that are passed through generations or which have been consumed many generations
Traditional foods and beverages may be produced as homemade, by restaurants and small manufacturers, and by large food processing plant facilities
Some traditional foods have geographical indications and traditional specialities in the European Union designations per European Union schemes of geographical indications and traditional specialties
The most common ones are Protected designation of origin (PDO), Protected geographical indication (PGI) and Traditional specialities guaranteed (TSG)
These standards serve to promote and protect names of quality agricultural products and foodstuffs
Whole foods are plant foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible, before being consumed
Examples of whole foods include whole grains, tubers, legumes, fruits, vegetables
There is some confusion over the usage of the term surrounding the inclusion of certain foods, in particular animal foods
The modern usage of the term whole foods diet is now widely synonymous with “whole foods plant-based diet”
In this diet, animal products, oil and salt no longer constituting whole foods
The earliest use of the term in the post-industrial age appears to be in 1946 in The Farmer
It was a quarterly magazine published and edited from his farm by F. Newman Turner, a writer and pioneering organic farmer
The magazine sponsored the establishment of the Producer Consumer Whole Food Society Ltd, with Newman Turner as president and Derek Randal as vice-president
Whole food was defined as “mature produce of field, orchard, or garden without subtraction, addition, or alteration grown from seed without chemical dressing, in fertile soil manured solely with animal and vegetable wastes, and composts therefrom, and ground, raw rock and without chemical manures, sprays, or insecticides” having intent to connect suppliers and the growing public demand for such food
Such diets are rich in whole and unrefined foods, like whole grains, dark green and yellow/orange-fleshed vegetables and fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds
Most food has always been obtained through agriculture
With increasing concern over both the methods and products of modern industrial agriculture, there has been a growing trend toward sustainable agricultural practices
This approach, partly fueled by consumer demand, encourages biodiversity, local self-reliance and organic farming methods
Major influences on food production include international organizations, national government policy (or law), and war
Several organisations have begun calling for a new kind of agriculture in which agroecosystems provide food but also support vital ecosystem services so that soil fertility and biodiversity are maintained rather than compromised
According to the International Water Management Institute and UNEP, well-managed agroecosystems not only provide food, fiber and animal products, they also provide services such as flood mitigation, groundwater recharge, erosion control and habitats for plants, birds, fish and other animals
Many scholars claim that the rhetorical function of food is to represent the culture of a country, and that it can be used as a form of communication
According to Goode, Curtis and Theophano, food “is the last aspect of an ethnic culture to be lost”
Many cultures have a recognizable cuisine, a specific set of cooking traditions using various spices or a combination of flavors unique to that culture, which evolves over time
Other differences include preferences (hot or cold, spicy, etc.) and practices, the study of which is known as gastronomy
Many cultures have diversified their foods by means of preparation, cooking methods, and manufacturing
This also includes a complex food trade which helps the cultures to economically survive by way of food, not just by consumption
Some popular types of ethnic foods include Italian, French, Japanese, Chinese, American, Cajun, Thai, African, Indian and Nepalese
Various cultures throughout the world study the dietary analysis of food habits
Religion and social constructs such as morality, activism, or environmentalism will often affect which foods they will consume
Food is eaten and typically enjoyed through the sense of taste, the perception of flavor from eating and drinking
Certain tastes are more enjoyable than others, for evolutionary purposes
Aesthetically pleasing and eye-appealing food presentations can encourage people to consume foods
A common saying is that people “eat with their eyes”
Food presented in a clean and appetizing way will encourage a good flavor, even if unsatisfactory
Texture plays a crucial role in the enjoyment of eating foods
Contrasts in textures, such as something crunchy in an otherwise smooth dish, may increase the appeal of eating it
Common examples include adding granola to yogurt, adding croutons to a salad or soup, and toasting bread to enhance its crunchiness for a smooth topping, such as jam or butter
Another universal phenomenon regarding food is the appeal of contrast in taste and presentation
For example, such opposite flavors as sweetness and saltiness tend to go well together, as in kettle corn and nuts
While many foods can be eaten raw, many also undergo some form of preparation for reasons of safety, palatability, texture, or flavor
At the simplest level this may involve washing, cutting, trimming, or adding other foods or ingredients, such as spices
It may also involve mixing, heating or cooling, pressure cooking, fermentation, or combination with other food
In a home, most food preparation takes place in a kitchen
Some preparation is done to enhance the taste or aesthetic appeal
Other preparation may help to preserve the food
Others may be involved in cultural identity
A meal is made up of food which is prepared to be eaten at a specific time and place
The preparation of animal-based food usually involves slaughter, evisceration, hanging, portioning, and rendering
In developed countries, this is usually done outside the home in slaughterhouses, which are used to process animals en masse for meat production
Many countries regulate their slaughterhouses by law
The United States has established the Humane Slaughter Act of 1958, which requires that an animal be stunned before killing
This act, like those in many countries, exempts slaughter in accordance to religious law, such as kosher, shechita, and dhabīḥah halal
Strict interpretations of kashrut require the animal to be fully aware when its carotid artery is cut
On the local level, a butcher may commonly break down larger animal meat into smaller manageable cuts, and pre-wrap them for commercial sale or wrap them to order in butcher paper
In addition, fish and seafood may be fabricated into smaller cuts by a fish monger
However, fish butchery may be done on board a fishing vessel and quick-frozen for preservation of quality
The term “cooking” encompasses a vast range of methods, tools, and combinations of ingredients to improve the flavor or digestibility of food
Cooking technique, known as culinary art, generally requires the selection, measurement, and combining of ingredients in an ordered procedure in an effort to achieve the desired result
Constraints on success include the variability of ingredients, ambient conditions, tools, and the skill of the individual cook
The diversity of cooking worldwide is a reflection of the myriad nutritional, aesthetic, agricultural, economic, cultural, and religious considerations that affect it
Cooking requires applying heat to a food which usually, though not always, chemically changes the molecules, thus changing its flavor, texture, appearance, and nutritional properties
Cooking certain proteins, such as egg whites, meats, and fish, denatures the protein, causing it to firm
There is archaeological evidence of roasted foodstuffs at Homo erectus campsites dating from 420,000 years ago
Boiling as a means of cooking requires a container
It has been practiced at least since the 10th millennium BC with the introduction of pottery
There are many different types of equipment used for cooking
Ovens are mostly hollow devices that get very hot (up to 500 °F (260 °C)) and are used for baking or roasting and offer a dry-heat cooking method
Different cuisines will use different types of ovens
Indian culture uses a tandoor oven, which is a cylindrical clay oven which operates at a single high temperature
Western kitchens use variable temperature convection ovens, conventional ovens, toaster ovens, or non-radiant heat ovens like the microwave oven
Classic Italian cuisine includes the use of a brick oven containing burning wood
Ovens may be wood-fired, coal-fired, gas, electric, or oil-fired
Various types of cook-tops are used as well
They carry the same variations of fuel types as the ovens mentioned above
Cook-tops are used to heat vessels placed on top of the heat source, such as a sauté pan, sauce pot, frying pan, or pressure cooker
These pieces of equipment can use either a moist or dry cooking method and include methods such as steaming, simmering, boiling, and poaching for moist methods
While the dry methods include sautéing, pan frying, and deep-frying
Many cultures use grills for cooking
A grill operates with a radiant heat source from below, usually covered with a metal grid and sometimes a cover
An open pit barbecue in the American south is one example along with the American style outdoor grill fueled by wood, liquid propane, or charcoal along with soaked wood chips for smoking
A Mexican style of barbecue is called barbacoa, which involves the cooking of meats such as whole sheep over an open fire
In Argentina, an asado (Spanish for “grilled”) is prepared on a grill held over an open pit or fire made upon the ground, on which a whole animal or smaller cuts are grilled