Food Facts That Will Change How You Eat
Most of us enjoy our favorite snacks and meals every day without realizing that food has a secret history and some very strange properties. From radioactive fruit to deceptive labels, here are five facts about what is on your plate.
- Bananas are Slightly Radioactive: Bananas contain high levels of potassium, and a tiny fraction of that is a radioactive isotope called Potassium-40. Don’t worry, though—you would have to eat about 10 million bananas in one sitting to die from radiation poisoning.
- White Chocolate Isn’t Actually Chocolate: By technical standards, white chocolate is not chocolate because it contains no cocoa solids or chocolate liquor. It is mostly a mixture of cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids, and vanilla.
- Honey is Basically Immortal: Archaeologists have found pots of honey in ancient Egyptian tombs that are over 3,000 years old and still perfectly edible. Because it is low in moisture and highly acidic, bacteria cannot survive in it.
- Wasabi is Often Just Horseradish: Most of the wasabi served in restaurants outside of Japan is actually a mix of horseradish, mustard, and green food coloring. Real wasabi is expensive and loses its flavor within 15 minutes of being grated.
- The Sound of Food Affects the Taste: Research shows that loud background noise can make food taste less salty or sweet. On the flip side, high-pitched music can enhance the sweetness of a dessert, while low-pitched brass music can make coffee taste more bitter.