Ever wondered why food served on an aeroplane tastes bland? Because it is badly cooked? Not really. The atmosphere inside the plane affects our sense of smell first. We perceive 80 per cent of our taste through smell. As the flight takes off, the pressure inside the cabin drops, as does the humidity level. The parched air in the cabin affects our odour receptors, making the food taste bland. The dryness and low pressure reduce our sensitivity to sweet and salty foods by around 30 per cent.
Each ear of corn usually has an even number of rows, almost always 16.
Peanut butter can be processed to make diamonds by extracting the carbon present in it. Dan Frost, a scientist at the Bayerisches Geoinstitut in Germany, was the first to make diamond from peanut butter which contained high levels of carbon. The pressure exerted during the experiment destroyed the machinery that was used, but he did get a diamond in the process.
The brain perceives crunchier food as tastier. It is linked to several factors. Our ancestors often ate raw vegetables, most of which are crunchy when fresh. Then as food began to be cooked, there were more methods to make food crispy, increasing our preference for such foods.
A study found that chicken today contains less protein than it did in the 1940s. Meanwhile the fat content has doubled. This is because these days chickens are given high calorie feed and farmed in enclosed spaces with little room to move around.
What do most gummy bears and cars have in common? Both get their sheen from carnauba wax. The wax is extracted from carnauba palm trees and is safe to consume.
Potatoes can absorb and reflect radio wave signals. Hence, a company that manufactures aeroplanes used sacks of potatoes to test the wireless signals in their planes.
Botanists classify bananas as berries! It is because the fleshy part of the fruits contains seeds. Kiwis, tomatoes and cucumbers are also berries. Not surprised yet? Well, a strawberry is not a berry since its seeds are on the outside.
While eating processed, red-coloured food, such as jams and sauces, take a look at the list of ingredients. If it lists crimson lake or natural red four as the colouring agent, know that it is made by crushing up an insect called cochineal. This food colouring is also commonly called carmine.
During the 1800s, it was believed that ketchup had medicinal qualities. It was used to treat diarrhoea.
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