Food trivia | 100 facts about fruits (part 3)

Fruits are tasty, full of energy, and normally used as snacks. We all have one (or maybe more) favorite fruit. But how many things do we know about them?

Let’s find out more about them!

Orange is a type of berry (hesperidia to be exact)
Orange trees are evergreens, seldom exceeding 9 m (30 ft) in height
The sour orange, or Seville, was introduced to the Mediterranean region by the Arabs about the 10th century, and the sweet orange was introduced by Genoese traders in the 15th century
The bergamot orange is primarily grown as a source of oils for cosmetics and flavoring
About 20 percent of the total crop of oranges is sold as whole fruit; the remainder is used in preparing orange juice, extracts, and preserves.
An orange tree can grow to reach 30 feet and live for over a hundred years.
Because Navel Oranges are seedless, they can’t reproduce through pollination and require “budding” or grafting to create new trees.
A single citrus plant can bear as many as 60,000 flowers, but only 1% of those flowers will turn into fruit.
The Washington Navel Orange tree that helped start the California citrus industry is still standing and producing fruit in Riverside, California.
Navel oranges get their name from the belly-button formation opposite the stem end.
Valencia oranges are the most widely planted variety of orange worldwide!
Pummelos are the largest of all citrus fruit and the Chinese believe that eating Pummelos brings good luck, so they are popular during the Chinese New Year.
Contrary to what most of us think, this fruit was not named for its color. Instead, the word orange comes from a transliteration of the Sanskrit naranga. Which comes from the Tamil naru. Which means “fragrant.”
It’s thought that the reason oranges have long been associated with fertility (and therefore, weddings) is that this lush evergreen tree can simultaneously produce flowers, fruit, and foliage.
You will have to eat 7 cups of cornflakes to get the same amount to the fiber you would get from one medium orange!
After chocolate and vanilla, orange is the world’s favorite flavor.
Christopher Columbus brought the first orange seeds and seedlings to the New World on his second voyage in 1493.
Christopher Columbus brought the first orange to America in 1493
Oranges are the largest citrus crop in the World
Orange Trees were first grown in China
A little green on the skin is often caused by re-greening and will not affect the taste
About 25 billion oranges are grown each year in America. Florida grows the most
Each person eats about 12.5 lb of citrus each year!
In the 18th Century, British sailors took sauerkraut and citrus fruits on the ships to prevent scurvy
One orange supplies a full day’s Vitamin C requirement
Oranges are the fourth most popular fruit and orange juice is the most popular juice in America.
The Florida oranges are greener than the California oranges. The warm night climate in Florida causes the chlorophyll pigments to migrate into the orange peel making it greener.
It is possible for more than one plant to grow from a single seed of orange.
Oranges and orange blossoms are a symbol of love.
Oranges were known as the fruits of the Gods. They were often referred as the ‘golden apples’ that Hercules stole.
Coconut is a fruit that comes from the coconut tree.
The coconut tree is a member of the palm tree family.
The scientific name of the coconut tree is Cocos nucifera.
The coconut tree can grow up to 25 meters high.
The coconut botanically is a drupe, not a nut.
The name coconut is actually a combination of nut and the Portuguese word coco.
Coconut grenades used to exist.
These weapons were used in World War II.
They were used by the Japanese.
During World War 2, coconut water was also used to treat dehydration due to short medical supplies.
In 2011, Ho Eng Hui managed to pierce 4 coconuts in 12.15 seconds in Milan.
He set a world record.
The natives of the Kiribati islands, who used woven coconut string to build their suits.
Coconuts, in different forms, are anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-parasite.
The recommended daily amount of fiber an adult should have is 25grams.
The coconut palm is actually the national… tree of The Maldives.
In 2013 police in the Maldives took possession of a coconut.
The reason was that the police believed that it had been cursed with black magic.
In 2016 there were over 59 million tons of coconuts produced worldwide.
Falling coconuts are considered as an official cause of death.
The amount of deaths caused by falling coconuts is small.
Coconut water on average contains 94% water.
This water contains around 46 calories a cup.
A coconut tree can have up to 180 coconuts harvested during a single harvest.
The largest producers of coconuts are Indonesia, the Philippines, and India.
The coconut bra, famous for being a feature of the Hawaiian hula girl, is actually not native to Hawaii.
The garment is a western idea that is not an authentic Hawaiian item.
Researchers are investigating whether coconut husks can be used as a low-cost solution to building material in the Philippines.
There is a bar of famous chocolate with coconut filling named “Bounty”.
Coconut oil exists, and it is very famous amongst celebrities.
Pineapple belongs in the family Bromeliaceae and in the genus Ananas.
In greek Ananas means… pineapple!
Pineapple can reach 3.3 to 4.9 feet in height.
Pineapple natively grows into South America.
More specifically its native country is Brazil.
It was cultivated in South America for many years and centuries.
Pineapple is considered the 3rd most important tropical fruit in the world.
Hawaii apart from being a tropical destination for vacation was also the dominant pineapple producer, but Costa Rica has overcome Hawaii, followed by Brazil.
The word “pineapple” in English was first recorded to describe the reproductive organs of conifer trees.
These trees are the ones that are now termed pine cones.
So, when European explorers encountered this tropical fruit in the Americas, they called them “pineapples”.
It reached Europe in 1493.
The one who brought it to Europe was Christopher Columbus.
The first reference was in 1664.
Pineapple is the only fruit that when you eat it, it eats you… back!
It is not dangerous though.
This happens because pineapple has the enzyme Bromelain.
Bromelain actually digest proteins…
But when you consume pineapple the acids in your stomach “kill” the enzyme, so no worries!
There is also an urban myth that workers in the pineapples’ fields don’t have fingerprints because this enzyme washes the fingerprints away.
This enzyme is actually quite beneficial for your health!
It includes chemicals that interfere with the growth of tumor cells.
So, it can be used to prevent cancer and not to fight it.
It takes almost 3 years for a pineapple to be ready for consumption.
This is why it is expensive!
Pineapple flowers have a variety of colors.
For instance, they can be bright red or lavender.
The pineapple is a result of a fusion of 100 to 200 individual flowers.
In case you are interested, you can plant your own pineapple plant by cutting off the top of a pineapple and planting it in soil.
You have to eat a pineapple within 2 – 7 days from the day you buy it.
Once pineapples are harvested, they just won’t ripen any further.
Pineapples are also used to making wine.
Pineapples are so important for Hawaii locals that have influenced their slang.
For example, a sunny day in Hawaii is called “pineapple juice.”
Some people use pineapple in pizza!
Pineapples are a cluster of hundreds of fruitlets.
Ancient civilizations like the Mayans and the Aztecs fond of it.
Pineapple is pollinated by some birds and even bats.
Hummingbird is one such bird that is responsible for the pollination of pineapples.
Pina colada is a famous cocktail that is made of pineapples.