Knowledge is power. And when it comes to power in the kitchen, the more you wield, the more delicious and exciting your meals can be. So when you are throwing a dinner party or preparing a meal for your beloved partner, you might want to sprinkle some fun food facts atop their dishes, alongside that fresh parmesan you’re grating.
If you’ve got an appetite for fascinating culinary information, we’ve got the perfect list for you to devour. Below, you'll find some of the wildest cooking facts Redditors have recently shared, as well as an interview with Bintu from Recipes Recipes From a Pantry, so bon appétit! And don’t forget to upvote the tidbits of information you can’t wait to store up the sleeve of your chef’s uniform.
Credits: benacampbell15
#21
The top global exporter of caraway (aka Persian cumin) is Finland, exporting approximately 30% of the world's caraway.
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113points
#22
People often think of France when they hear mention of the croissant, but Austria is the true country of birth for this pastry. Its Viennese, not French! The 'kipferl' was believed to be the spiritual ancestor of the croissant. Was created as a propaganda technique by the Austrians, made in the shape of the Crescent Moon of islam so that when Austrians ate it they would be "Devouring" the Ottomans.
So mesay it was also made in Romania around 1683.
But it was brought to widespread recognition by the Austrians and their hate for the Ottomans who at the time were frequently attacking.
109points
#23
Fermented horse milk is a beloved drink in Kyrgyzstan (it’s also the absolute worst thing I’ve ever tasted in my life)
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99points
#24
That fried chicken was invented in Scotland. To think what they could have done with it if they kept with it
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96points
#25
Pineapples take around a year to grow. Pineapples are also considered to be a group of berries.
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95points
#26
Everyone always makes a big deal about tomatoes being fruits not vegetables, but no one seems to notice green beans being fruits all sneaky like.
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93points
#27
Thanks to Kenji at SE, I learned that the direction you cut an onion affects the type of flavor it imparts. So, cutting from root to stem end produces milder, sweeter flavor whereas slicing in perpendicularly will be more pungent (and should also be reserved for raw applications only).
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85points
#29
Cilantro and oregano are cullinary important in Mexico, they also grow everywhere and many local produce shops give customers a small bouquet of one of them as a gift for buying at their shop.
Heck even in american English their names are in Spanish because people associate them with Mexico, but the origin of these plants has nothing to do with the Americas but the Mediterranean
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80points
#30
You can tell the approximate temperature of meat by comparing its toughness to the toughness of your thenar eminence.
Relax your hand, pressing the thenar eminence (muscular pad between wrist and first thumb joint) is comparable to rare. Gently touch the thumb and index finger of one hand. Use the other to touch the thenar eminence. You should notice it is slightly tougher, this is medium rare. Middle finger and thumb is medium. Ring and thumb is medium well. Pinky and thumb is well done.
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70points