Food Facts for Kids
Tasty facts about the food we eat
Pineapples contain an enzyme called bromelain that breaks down proteins — it is so powerful that it can actually start to digest your tongue if you eat too much! This is why your mouth sometimes feels sore after eating pineapple.
Potatoes were the first vegetable ever grown in space. NASA and the University of Wisconsin grew them aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1995.
Cashew nuts grow outside the cashew apple, hanging from the bottom of the fruit. The nut is actually the seed, and its shell contains a caustic oil that must be removed before eating.
Lemons float in water but limes sink. Lemons have a less dense peel and more internal air pockets, making them buoyant, while limes are slightly denser.
The world's oldest solid cheese was discovered in an ancient Egyptian tomb and is estimated to be around 3,200 years old. Scientists confirmed it was cheese by analysing the proteins found in the residue.
Calorie for calorie, broccoli contains more protein than steak. Of course, you would need to eat a huge amount of broccoli to match the protein in a single steak.
Real vanilla flavouring comes from the pods of the vanilla orchid, which must be hand-pollinated because the specific bee that pollinated them in the wild is only found in Mexico.
Cucumbers are made up of about 96% water, making them one of the most hydrating foods you can eat. They are also technically a fruit, not a vegetable!
Saffron is the world's most expensive spice by weight, sometimes costing more than gold. It takes around 75,000 saffron flowers to produce just one pound of the spice.
The United States Supreme Court ruled in 1893 that tomatoes are legally vegetables, even though botanically they are fruits. The ruling was made for trade and taxation purposes.