Food Facts for Kids
Tasty facts about the food we eat
Brussels sprouts contain compounds called glucosinolates, which are broken down into chemicals that taste bitter to some people but not others. This is partly determined by your genetics.
Tofu is believed to have been discovered by accident in ancient China around 2,000 years ago when a cook accidentally mixed soya milk with nigari, a salty compound, causing it to curdle and solidify.
Ripe cranberries bounce like rubber balls. Farmers test them by dropping them from a height — ripe cranberries bounce, while over-ripe or damaged ones do not.
White chocolate is not technically chocolate because it contains no cocoa solids — only cocoa butter, milk, and sugar. The flavour comes from the cocoa butter rather than the cocoa powder.
Oil and water do not mix because water molecules are polar and attracted to each other, while oil molecules are non-polar. This is why you need an emulsifier like egg yolk to make mayonnaise.
Pork is the most widely eaten meat in the world, accounting for about 36% of global meat consumption. China consumes more pork than any other country.
Brown sugar is simply white sugar with molasses added back in. White sugar is made by removing molasses from raw cane sugar, and brown sugar is made by mixing white sugar with a small amount of molasses.
Dried apricots are one of the best plant-based sources of iron and are especially recommended for people who do not eat meat. The drying process concentrates all the nutrients.
Walnuts famously look like tiny brains, and this is no coincidence to some scientists — they contain omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants that research suggests may support brain health.
Oysters are sequential hermaphrodites — they can change their biological sex during their lifetime. Many oysters begin life as males and later become female as they grow larger.