Agriculture - is the foundation of all human civilization. Once people were able to continually grow your own food, they were able to quit their nomadic hunter-gatherer life. When we did not have to chase migrating herds and collect roots from the dirt to survive, we were able to develop a culture, language and music. Below you will learn the 10 strange and startling facts about the food that is so dear to us.
10. Johnny Appleseed (Johnny Appleseed)
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Johnny Appleseed was a real person, but his name is surrounded by so many mystics, he moved to the area legends like Daniel Boone (Daniel Boone) and Davy Crockett (Davy Crockett). He wandered around the border area in Pennsylvania, between the State of Ohio and the State of Indiana in the period between 1700 and the year 1800. He planted 258,999 square miles of apple orchards, some of which are preserved to this day. He was barefoot, dressed in sackcloth, and often are fun for people who are always happy when he arrives. He quickly found a common language with the Indians, children and animals.
However, this man was not a saint, and apple production was a big business. It seemed that he knew where to flourish a new settlement, and managed to get to the place in advance. When the first settlers arrived, he sold his trees for a few cents apiece and moved on. Because of this, he died a rich man.
If you think that apples Johnny walked into pies and casseroles, then hasten to disappoint you - while the apples were very much appreciated as a source of food, and grew them for the production of hard cider and apple vodka. In the end, what was the point of conquering new territory, if you could not sit down in the evening enjoy the sunset while sipping a delicious cocktail.
9. Celery contains negative calories
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In the world there is nothing more ridiculous overloaded, dubious and dangerous advice, than dieting. One of the most dubious claims was the statement of the existence of products containing "negative calories". These products were supposedly low-calorie so that the process of chewing and digestion took in more calories than the product actually gave. The most frequently cited example was the celery, which includes about six calories in one stalk. Dozens of pretty reliable sources claim that the celery really help you lose weight.
However, the process of digestion is very efficient and burns few calories. If you look at it from the point of view of the mechanism of survival, it is easy to explain: in an age when there was no snack bars on every corner, people often had to spend huge amounts of energy to extract food. If the process of digestion that they managed to snatch, was also energy-intensive, they are more likely to have died of hunger. Celery is not a substitute for exercise, but it is possible to eat for pleasure. To set the required calories per day, you need to eat more than 300 stalks of celery.
8. The extinction of bananas
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Our ancestors may have suffered from the Great Depression, and they, of course, there was no iPad-s to pass the time, but they had something that we do not have much more quality bananas. Until the 1950s, the most common variety of bananas in the world was «Gros Michel». Unfortunately, this kind of bananas almost completely disappeared due to a fungus called Panama Disease (Panama Disease).
Today, we enjoy a similar version of the banana, which is called the Cavendish (Cavendish). Cavendish is a smaller, more fragile and less tasty, but it has a resistance to Panama disease. However, exactly the same as «Gros Michel» before him, Cavendish now in big trouble. Recently, a new strain of Panama disease, most scientists believe that the Cavendish, which is subject of this strain will soon disappear, and it's only a matter of time. Disappear in practical terms, because there are even more species «Gros Michel», but it is not enough to meet global demand.
7. Toxic potatoes
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Plain potato is a member of the nightshade family and a close relative of deadly nightshade. Just as deadly nightshade, potato produces large amounts of substances called glycoalkaloids, of which there is one particularly nasty strain under the naming of solanine. This poison is a protective mechanism of potatoes, and is designed to ensure that the plant is not eaten. This substance is concentrated in the leaves, stems and shoots. Any presence of the green on the skin of the potato is a sure sign of the presence of solanine. Most of the carefully cultivated potatoes to sell to it contained as little poison, but there is always a chance that the slip potato with a high content of solanine, and there have been cases where people have died from eating potatoes are high in solanine. Thermal processing of potatoes, of course, can reduce the content of solanine, but each eaten potato contains a small amount of this substance.
6. Grape Plasma
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Simple grapes can be converted from a solid state to a gas plasma and then with a short microwave heating. These changes carry a high proportion of the hazard associated with a strong critical change in the state of matter, in addition, the microwave oven can not go through this trick. There is also a remote chance that you will set fire the house, so it's best not to do it at home.
The process is simple. Take a grape, cut it by 90 percent, almost half, that is, so that the halves were hanging out on a small strip of skin. Remove the tray from the microwave spinning, put a grape there and set the timer for no longer than ten seconds. After a few seconds the moisture contained in the grapes will manifest itself in the form of gas and the discharge between the two halves of the couples will turn to a small electric light show. If you put a clean glass beaker on a grape, it will delay the plasma for a few moments longer.
5. Tomato-cannibal
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Tomato, cannibal, which grows in Fiji is actually eggplant. The plant is very similar to tomato and used by the natives of the island of Fiji, who practiced cannibalism for thousands of years, to create a sauce that seems to be a perfect condiment for human flesh. Some modern cannibals, who had to try human flesh, taste and compared it with the density of veal, so the natives considered a good idea to file marinara for human flesh.
4. Design watermelons
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Watermelon appeared in the Republic of South Africa, and quickly spread around the world, indicating the existence of complex trade routes in ancient times. The Egyptians ate it during the time of the pharaohs. He reached China in the 10th century and Europe in the 13th century.
Given its easy adaptability, it is not surprising that the watermelon was a natural target for the Japanese appetite for novelty. Farmers have found a way to grow melons in glass boxes so that watermelons grown in the shape of a cube for easy storage in refrigerators. Were designed, and other forms, such as the shape of a pyramid. Even more alien is the price of gourmet watermelon «Densuke». They are grown only on the island of Hokkaido (Hokkaido Island). The first few pieces collected at the beginning of the season, sold for thousands of dollars. On average, the price of watermelon «Densuke» varies around $ 250.
3. Purple carrots
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Also, as in the case of watermelon, carrots migration can be traced, but what about its origin, there are different theories. It is believed that the first time it was being cultivated in present-day Afghanistan, and then she went to Europe for Middle Eastern trade routes. We, of course, is unlikely to be known ancient carrots - it looked pretty ragged and was either white or purple. In the capable hands of Netherlanders carrots acquired its modern and familiar to us orange. While most of us have never seen a carrot color other than orange, so there is a carrot and sold in high-end grocery stores or health food stores. It is usually sold in the "rainbow packs" that include carrots in white, yellow, purple and even black.
2. Spinach, vegetable iron
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We spinach bad reputation. Many people, especially children, turn up his nose from this vegetable. And then there is Elsie Segar (Elzie Segar), the cartoon character who named Popeye the Sailor (Popeye) got superhuman strength from a can of spinach. It is hard to even describe how deeply influenced by the Sailor Popeye the global consumption of spinach, but in some communities engaged in the cultivation of this vegetable, has supplied monuments. The company «Canner Allens Vegetables» even releasing a brand «Popeye».
According to legend, Segar chose spinach, based on the false science report 1800 year, which was incorrectly placed decimal in the description of the iron content in spinach. This story was a myth, and new applications are made that Segar chose the spinach, because of its high content of vitamin A. Spinach is quite helpful, but many people prefer it to cook - that usually removes most of the nutrients.
1. The most hated vegetable in the world
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President George Herbert Walker Bush (George HW Bush) hated broccoli so much that was in the headlines when it banned the supply of vegetables in the White House. According to statistics, the least favorite vegetable is celery in the UK. However, worldwide leading position in the list of favorite vegetables is not brussel sprouts.
These little cabbage is very useful and contain more than a dozen vitamins and minerals, but their bitter taste repels most palates. In fairness to this vegetable should be noted that certain methods of cooking greatly improve the taste. Vegetable lovers say the smaller cabbage are usually sweeter. To remove the bitterness you have to cut them in half, cook and then immerse in cold water, in addition, they can pour something acidic, such as lemon juice or red vinegar.