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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The Coffee Belt and Your Morning Joe

To begin to understand the Coffee Belt, you first have to know what makes for a tasty coffee bean.

By Jamie Allen Apr 20, 2018 Food Facts & Fun / Beverages

Chocolate: Big Cravings and an Even Bigger Carbon Footprint

A new study finds that, on average, it takes 264 gallons (1,000 liters) of water to make a single chocolate bar. Now that's a hefty footprint.

By Jesslyn Shields Apr 9, 2018 Food Facts & Fun / Sweets & Snacks

So That's Where Baby Veggies Come From!

Little tiny vegetables seem to pop up everywhere these days, but where do they come from?

By Laurie L. Dove Mar 20, 2018 Food Facts & Fun / Fruits & Vegetables

5 Things You Didn't Know About Pizza

On a cold winter's day, a hot piece of pizza really satisfies. It works just as well on a hot summer's day with an icy soda too. But who invented pizza? And what did Chuck E. Cheese's have to do with Atari?

By Kathryn Whitbourne Feb 9, 2018 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

Japanese Scientists Invent Ice Cream That Doesn’t Melt

Ice cream that won't melt sounds like an impossible idea, but it's available now in Japan.

By Jesslyn Shields Jan 26, 2018 Food Facts & Fun / Desserts

Do Our Food Choices Demonstrate Our Political Preferences?

Whole Foods or Randalls? Cracker Barrel or Au Bon Pain? And what do your answers say about the way you voted, if anything?

By John Donovan Jan 24, 2018 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

Wine Glasses Have Doubled in Size Since the '90s

One glass of wine might not be a big deal, until you consider how much glass sizes have increased.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky Dec 21, 2017 Wine / Wine Facts

Chinese Five-spice Powder: Tasty and Not Necessarily Five Spices

What other spice can you name whose specific ingredients may vary?

By Robert Lamb Oct 25, 2017 Food Facts & Fun / Herbs & Spices

Antarctic Farm Could One Day Journey to Mars

The high-tech greenhouse will brave frigid temperatures, a long, dark winter and extremely low humidity in order to provide fresh produce to Antarctic residents.

By Tracy Staedter Oct 13, 2017 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

Why Toys and Breakfast Cereals Have Been Linked for Decades

Kids have clamored for toys in their cereal boxes for decades, so how did the two become linked?

By Shaun Chavis Oct 13, 2017 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

5 Things You Didn't Know About Bacon

The sound and smell of bacon sizzling on the stove sends your taste buds into overdrive. But how bad is it really?

By Kathryn Whitbourne Sep 1, 2017 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

Wasted Bread Is Being Brewed Into Craft Beer

You know that last loaf of bread that no one wants? It could get transformed into microbrews, courtesy of an organization that's passionate about both ending food waste and making delicious beer.

By Tracy Staedter Aug 23, 2017 Food Facts & Fun / Beverages

Calling a Watermelon 'Seedless' Is Kind of False Advertising

Don't let 'seedless' watermelons fool you — even though they may not prompt constant spitting, they really do have seeds.

By Kate Kershner Jul 10, 2017 Food Facts & Fun / Fruits & Vegetables

How Cricket Farming Works

Cricket farming is growing in popularity as people learn their nutritional importance, and environmental, economic and social sustainability.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

Why We Feel Hungry … Even When We're Not

Hunger doesn't always feel like a grumble in the tummy. And a grumble doesn't always mean you're truly hungry, either.

By Kate Kershner Jul 6, 2017 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

Drinking Noncow’s Milk May Stunt Children's Growth

Nondairy milk alternatives are growing in popularity, deemed healthier by many almond and soy milk drinkers. But a new study shows a nondairy milk diet may have an unintended health effect on children.

By Shelley Danzy Jun 29, 2017 Food Facts & Fun / Beverages

5 Things You Didn't Know About Doughnuts

Homer Simpson's favorite snack was once called 'oily cakes.' Find out more about this and other fun facts on doughnuts.

By Kathryn Whitbourne Jun 2, 2017 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

Wasted Food in the U.S. Could Feed Much of Population

Americans toss nearly 40 percent of the nation's food supply — enough to provide more than two-thirds of the country with a healthy daily diet of fresh fruits and vegetables.

By John Perritano May 31, 2017 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

Why the U.S. Cares So Much About Corn ... Is Complicated

The United States grows billions of dollars of corn every year. Though little of that goes to feeding its citizens. Is that the best farm policy going forward?

By John Perritano May 8, 2017 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

Can Science Explain Why Microwaved Coffee Tastes So Terrible?

People are passionate about coffee, and every connoisseur has an opinion about what to do when hot coffee goes cold. Reheating coffee's complicated.

By Jesslyn Shields Apr 14, 2017 Food Facts & Fun / Food Science

Ketchup: How to Keep the Non-Newtonian Fluid From Messing Up Your Next BBQ

Let physics explain how to avoid the dreaded ketchup explosion.

By Samantha Sestanovich Apr 13, 2017 Food Facts & Fun / Condiments & Ingredients

Trendy Broth Driving Up Prices of Bones

Have you jumped on the bone broth bandwagon? Then the rest of the world has you to thank for driving up the price of the bones that go into making it.

By John Perritano Apr 12, 2017 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

28 Million More People Became Food Insecure in 2016. Here's Why

Famine is gripping parts of Africa and millions could be on the verge of starvation. The numbers from a new study show food insecurity is increasing globally. But why?

By Alia Hoyt Apr 10, 2017 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

Champagne Science: There's a Lot Going on in That Bottle of Bubbly

Champagne may seem simple — bubbly, boozy, bold — but there's a complicated path from vine to glass, as our new FoodStuff podcast explains.

By Laurie L. Dove Apr 4, 2017 Wine / Wine Facts

A Worldwide Olive Oil Shortage May Be Looming

As demand for olive oil is at its peak, production is at its lowest in Southern Europe, which accounts for 70 percent of the world's supply. Is a shortage on the horizon?

By John Perritano Feb 24, 2017 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture