Food Facts & Fun

Food Facts is a listing of articles that teaches you how all types of foods, drinks and diets work.

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What's All the Buzz About Ezekiel Bread?

Sprouted grain breads, like Ezekiel bread, are all the rage. But where did that name come from? And are they really better than other breads?

By Alia Hoyt Oct 2, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Breads & Grains

What Are the Different Types of Cheese?

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the volume of cheese at your local supermarket or cheesemonger, we're here to help you tell the fresh from the stinky and the soft from the hard.

By Dave Roos Food Facts & Fun / Condiments & Ingredients

6 Cheesy Facts About Cheeseburgers

We're celebrating, what else? The all-American cheeseburger.

By Tara Yarlagadda Sep 17, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

Why Are Certain Foods Eaten Mainly at Breakfast?

Americans have come to expect certain foods for breakfast. But why did these particular foods end up as morning meals?

By Shaun Chavis Sep 3, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

How Does String Cheese Get Stringy?

String cheese is a super popular snack with kids and adults. And it's stringiness can be a bit baffling, too.

By Meg Sparwath Aug 12, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Food Science

What's the Shelf Life of a Ketchup Packet?

They're convenient and sort of free, but do ketchup packets last forever?

By Meg Sparwath Aug 5, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Condiments & Ingredients

Jackfruit Is a Stinky, but Otherwise, Perfect Fruit

Its smell is notorious. But get past that and the jackfruit is versatile, easy to grow and packs a nutritional punch that's hard to beat.

By Adina Solomon Jul 30, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Fruits & Vegetables

Is Guava the Superfood You're Not Eating?

This tropical fruit, grown all over the tropics, has lots of health benefits. Even its leaves get in on the act.

By Alia Hoyt Jul 29, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Fruits & Vegetables

What Is Sassafras and Is it Safe?

Sassafras has a long history of culinary, medicinal and aromatic use, but safrole, a toxic compound found in its essential oils, has been banned by the FDA because of its potential carcinogenic properties.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky Jul 25, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Food Science

What Is Citric Acid, and Is It Safe?

Citric acid is added to everything from food to medicines to cleaning supplies. Although it occurs naturally, it's mostly manufactured from black mold. But does that mean we need to be worried?

By Alia Hoyt Jul 24, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Food Science

Take a Bite Out of Cheese Curds

Fried cheese curds are ooey, gooey and oh-so-delicious!

Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

Cold Brew, Iced, Nitro: Yep, Cold Coffee Is Hot

Cold brew coffee is coffee that's cold. And brewed. Right? Yes, but there's way more to it than that.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky Jul 22, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Beverages

How Food Forests Fight Hunger in Cities

Forests in the city? A growing collection of urban edible forests aims to put a dent in world hunger and food insecurity.

By Alia Hoyt Jul 12, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

Snap, Crackle, Pop — the Ultimate Cereal Quiz

Did you love cereal as a kid? Do you still love it? Discover how much you do with our cereal quiz.

By Alia Hoyt Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

Does Canned Food Really Deserve a Bad Rap?

Canned foods are super convenient, but there's often a stigma attached to serving them. Is that warranted?

By Shaun Chavis Jun 13, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Food Processing

Insect Ice Cream Could Be Coming to Your Grocery Store

Ice cream made with insect milk? A start-up in South Africa hopes you'll say, "Yes please!"

By Nathan Chandler Jun 5, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Food Science

Good News! Nonalcoholic Beer No Longer Sucks

Once just an afterthought of the beer industry, today's nonalcoholic beer is tasty and outpacing the alcoholic stuff globally by two to one.

By Adina Solomon May 31, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Beverages

Ruby Chocolate: This New Confection Is Pink Perfection

Ruby chocolate is a growing worldwide sensation, but the exact recipe and processing techniques are closely guarded secrets.

By Tara Yarlagadda May 24, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Sweets & Snacks

What Is the Difference Between Jelly, Jam and Preserves?

They all taste good but they don't mean the same thing.

By Kathryn Whitbourne Food Facts & Fun / Sweets & Snacks

Poutine Is Routine in Canada

Poutine is just fries, gravy and squeaky cheese curds — how did it get to be Canada's national dish?

By Jesslyn Shields Apr 29, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

The Quest to Fix the Grocery Store Tomato

Grocery store tomatoes are all but flavorless anymore. A group of scientists is out to bring the ripe, red taste of summer back.

By Shaun Chavis Apr 23, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Food Science

Blue Java: The Banana That Tastes Like Ice Cream

This banana has soft, sweet flesh and tastes a lot like vanilla custard or ice cream. One scoop or two?

By Tara Yarlagadda Apr 15, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Fruits & Vegetables

We're Car-hopping at the Varsity, the World's Largest Drive-in!

HowStuffWorks heads to Atlanta's Varsity drive-in to learn about the historic restaurant's car hops, and chat with Frank Jones, a car hop that's worked there for nearly 65 years.

Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture