Government regulations in the food industry generally require truth in advertising about a product's ingredients. It makes sense that a company should not be able to advertise its product as "100% fresh ground beef" if the product was neither fresh nor made entirely of beef. In Finland this concept has been applied strictly, causing one... Continue Reading →
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) is primarily known as a classical composer of Christian music. It was rare that he strayed from religious themes in his music, but when he did it was for a purpose. One such occasion was when he wrote "Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht" ("Be still, Stop Chattering"), a composition devoted to coffee... Continue Reading →
In news that is sure to excite college students everywhere, a team of Scottish scientists announced the development of a pizza that is healthy enough to eat at every meal. Professor Mike Lean of Glasgow University and businessman Donnie Maclean worked with a team to produce the pizza which contains 30% of the recommended daily... Continue Reading →
Has anyone ever asked you if you have a frog in your throat? If you lived in Russia or Finland you might literally have had that affliction, simply from drinking a cup of milk. In the days before modern refrigeration, inhabitants of Russia and Finland kept milk fresh by dipping a frog in it. The... Continue Reading →
Aristophanes (427 BC – 386 BC) was groundbreaking with his plays. His skills as a satirist and as a keen observer of everyday life led him to give us one of the most revealing pictures of what life was like in ancient Athens. He was not afraid to tackle controversial topics. Plato pointed to his play The... Continue Reading →
If fruitcake, Christmas cookies, or candy canes aren't your thing, you might consider trying the South African holiday tradition. Locals celebrate Christmas with a hearty plate of deep-fried caterpillars of the Emperor Moth. source
Japan is the largest exporter of frog legs.
Want to remember the value of Pi (3.1415926) in easy way? You can do it by counting each word's letters in "May I have a large container of coffee?"
At first glance, visitors might think they are witnessing a remake of the cult classic film Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. As it turns out, those who happen to be in Buñol, Spain on the last Wednesday of August will merely be witnessing what has been billed as "The World's Biggest Food Fight." La Tomatina dates back... Continue Reading →
The Densuke watermelon -- commonly known as a black watermelon -- is a luxury item. Grown only on the island of Hokkaido, Japan, this gourmet fruit sells in department stores for $200 - $300 apiece. In 2008 one 17-pound Densuke melon sold at auction for $6,100. Connoisseurs tell us that the melon is unusually crisp, with... Continue Reading →
The next time you use the phrase "the best thing since sliced bread," you might want to consider how recent of an invention that is. The first commercially-available device that made it possible to sell pre-sliced loaves in mass quantities was developed by Otto Frederick Rohwedder. His prototype was built in 1912, but it wasn't... Continue Reading →
You may have heard about the National Petroleum Strategic Reserve or even the National Helium Reserve. Have you ever heard of the Global Strategic Maple Syrup Reserve? Spread over a number of warehouses in rural communities of Quebec, Canada, vast quantities of maple syrup are held in reserve to guarantee a steady supply of maple... Continue Reading →
The first toy commercial to appear on television was for Hasbro's Mr. Potato Head in 1952. Watch the commercial here. Unlike today's version of the popular toy, the 1952 version required children to use a real potato and affix plastic eyes, mouths, and ears. It wasn't until 1964 that a plastic potato came with the kit,... Continue Reading →
The first case of high treason in modern times came before the Swedish courts in 2001, and four traitors were identified. They were four boys, all aged 16 or 17. Their offense? They threw a strawberry tart at King Carl Gustaf, hitting him on the face. The boys said they were protesting the monarchy and yelled... Continue Reading →
What started as a simple science class experiment in 1976 ended up exposing the timelessness of a time-honored treat. Chemistry teacher Roger Bennatti placed an unwrapped, fresh Twinkie atop a classroom chalkboard in 1976. He did this so his class at George Stevens Academy in Maine could see how long it took for it to... Continue Reading →
