Food and Recipes

Ever wondered why people tap on soda cans before opening them? They do this to avoid a soda can explosion, but does it really help or is it a myth?

You know you love the salty goodness of a potato chip, but where did the potato chip come from? Learn the history behind this salty treat.

Self-cleaning ovens use a temperature cycle to burn off spills leftover from baking, without the use of any chemicals. Learn more about self-cleaning ovens and what to use it for.

If you’re a clean freak, the thought of a meal cooked on an ongoing basis in a vessel that’s never washed may horrify you. But some swear by nosh prepped in perpetuity.

By Maria Trimarchi

Fall's official beverage, as some call it, is seriously lacking in pumpkin and spices.

By Alia Hoyt

As the saying goes, there's no use crying over spilled milk. But many of us shed tears over onions. What prompts this weird physiological reaction?

By Cristen Conger

How do beermakers know how much alcohol is in the beer? And what is the difference between percent alcohol by volume and by weight?

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Olestra is a synthetic fat used in certain food products. Find out what it's made of and whether it's safe for you.

I've enjoyed Thousand Island salad dressing for years, and I've always wondered how it got its name. For that matter, how did ranch dressing get its name? Is French dressing really from France? And what is in those dressings?

Maybe you've tried this game of biting down on a wintergreen candy in the dark and looking in the mirror and seeing a spark. Where do those sparks come from?

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Ever wondered why a popsicle is called a quiescently frozen confection"? Confused as to what quiescently frozen confection even means? Find out your answers to these questions.

I love decaffeinated coffee, but I've always wondered how they get the caffeine out of a coffee bean. How are coffee, tea and colas decaffeinated?

When I open a can of Guinness or some of the other upscale beers from Europe, I notice that a plastic ball shaped widget inside the tin releases gas to aerate the beer. How does this work?

Why is it called a "hamburger" when there is no ham in it? Find out the answer to this meat mystery here.

When a food is labeled as Kosher, it means that the food has been prepared in accordance with the rules of food preparation set forth in the old testament of the Bible and formalized in Jewish law.

Ever wanted to know what a Rice Krispy is? Read this article to find out what Rice Krispy is made out of and how they make them.

You know soda pop isn't the greatest drink to consume, but do you know how much sugar they really put in soft drinks? Find out the answer here.

Whenever I buy salt (or even get it in little packets at a restaurant), it says that it is "iodized". What is "iodized", and why?

Every Easter you can buy all sorts of hollow chocolate candies. The funny thing is that the hollowness seems to give them a different taste or texture somehow. So, how do they do it?

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Many of the foods that you buy wrapped in plastic today use what is called modified atmosphere packaging, or MAP. How does this packaging lend to keeping your lettuce fresh? Find out here.

I've got three questions: What is a marshmallow? How do they make marshmallows? And why do they call them "marshmallows"?

What exactly is root beer? Check out this article to learn all about root beer, how it's made, and why it's called "beer" in the first place.

When I buy milk at the store, the label says "homogenized pasteurized milk." What are homogenization and pasteurization?

Is flour inflammable? I heard that if you were to burn flour it would explode. If so, what is in flour that makes this happen?

You've just sliced a delicious apple and you turn around for minute and its brown! Find out why apples and potatoes turn brown when you slice them and how to keep them from keeping.