Food and Recipes

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

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.

People often store water for emergencies, but you might be surprised to find out that water can go bad just like fresh food. How can you store it safely?

How do I make clear ice like they have in restaurants?

Baking and broiling are completely different ways to cook food. When do you use which setting? We'll tell you.

Sodium nitrate (NaNO3) and its close relative sodium nitrite (NaNO2) are preservatives that you find in lots of processed meats. Learn why they add these preservatives to food.

Popcorn certainly is unique, but have you ever wondered how it actually works? Check out this article to learn what makes popcorn pop and more.

You see these commercials like "Got Milk?" and "Milk -- it does a body good," and when I was a kid my mother made me drink a quart of milk a day, and doctors recommend that kids drink lots of milk at school, etc.

You've been eating pastrami since you were a kid, but you've never really known what it is. Well take a bite out of this article and finally learn the answer to one of your deepest concerns.

I'm a health nut, and I notice that most foods I eat have normal-sounding ingredients except one -- this carton of soy milk I am looking at has water, soy beans, sugar, salt, vanilla and then this stuff called "carrageenan." What is carrageenan?

There are a number of appliances, like rice cookers, that "know" when they should turn off. Learn how this technology works to help your appliances running smoothly.

Most any packaged food that involves boiling (like boxed macaroni-and-cheese dinners) will have "high altitude" cooking instructions. Find out what this means and why it matters in cooking.

You love the taste of it on your flapjacks, but just how do they make maple syrup? Read this article on maple syrup to find out how this deliciously sweet condiment is made.

Ever wonder what chewing gum is made of and why it doesn't dissolve in your mouth? Find out your answers in this article about chewing gum.

Where do corn oil and corn syrup come from? When I eat corn on the cob, there's not any oil or syrup in it, so where do they get this stuff?

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.

A fascinating article that explains the techniques and science behind low-fat baking!

By Sarah Phillips