Food Facts & Fun

This 180-year-old sauce can be used to add zing to just about any dish. But what's in it? And why is it so effective? And, most of all, how do you pronounce it anyway?

By Alia Hoyt

Paprika comes from the dried Capsicum annuum variety of red peppers, and can range in flavor from sweet to very hot.

By Patty Rasmussen

Shallots belong to the same family as onions, leeks, scallions and garlic. They look like small, elongated onions but have a sweeter, milder flavor.

By Tara Yarlagadda

Say it ain't so. The cult-favorite McRib is back for the last time. Or this is just more of the "McPlan" that's worked so well for decades?

By Jeremy Glass

Capers are actually the flower buds of the caper bush. So where does all that flavor come from?

By Stephanie Vermillion

Is that pepper too hot to handle? See where it falls on the Scoville scale.

By John Donovan

Heart of palm, with a similar taste and texture to artichoke heart, is a staple in Central and South America and a healthy addition to almost any menu.

By Tara Yarlagadda

We usually equate the Masters golf tournament with azaleas blooming in the South. But this year, the tournament got us thinking about that pimento cheese sandwich, which it's also famous for.

By Alia Hoyt & Stephanie Vermillion

The Chicken of the Woods mushroom is jam-packed with protein and easy to spot with its bright orange color and ruffled edges.

By Katie Carman

This starchy, staple fruit that grows in the tropics has the potential to provide food security to millions. So what exactly is it and who's eating it?

By Stephanie Vermillion

If Subway's bread is legally not bread, then what in the heck is it?

By Jeremy Glass

Canada isn't a country known for its cuisine. But there is one sandwich from Halifax with a cultlike following that you just have to try to believe.

By Jeremy Glass

If you've ever dreamt of living out 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' now's your chance - golden ticket hunt, winning a candy factory and all.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

Sure, eating prunes can help you have regular bowel movements, but these sweet dried plums can also help you build - and maintain - strong bones.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

The mint julep is as synonymous with the Kentucky Derby as big hats and seersucker suits. But how did this simple drink from the 1700s wind up at the world's most famous horse race?

By Stephanie Vermillion

This iconic cereal has a long and fun history. For instance, its original name wasn't even Cheerios.

By Jeremy Glass

Is the difference between soy sauce and tamari like the difference between ketchup and catsup - in name only? Not at all, and we'll tell you why.

By Jeremy Glass

Honey has been used as medicine for millennia and, in this century, the old remedies seem to be holding up to science.

By Jesslyn Shields

You crack open the fortune cookie at the end of your meal and ... well, it may not exactly tell your future, but who doesn't secretly hope it promises something fabulous?

By Jeremy Glass

Farro is a grain you may not be familiar with, but it's been around a long time, it's incredibly versatile and it's oh so good for you, so what's not to like?

By Jeremy Glass

Hot dogs are about as American as baseball and apple pie. You know you love them, but do you know what's actually in them?

By Sarah Gleim

One of the most expensive spices in the world, cardamom is native to India, Bhutan and Nepal and has a rich, intoxicating flavor used in sweet and savory dishes and teas worldwide.

By Jeremy Glass

The Maillard reaction is the scientific process that makes your steak (and other foods) taste and smell delicious. So, how does that work? We'll explain.

By Jeremy Glass

The U.S. banned the gooseberry back in the early 1900s because it was a host for white pine blister rust disease. But now few states prohibit the tart berry, so eat up!

By Stephanie Vermillion

Yes - it could happen to you, good person. KABOOM! It's fairly rare, but a potentially catastrophic rind failure lurks under the green-striped shell of every seemingly innocent watermelon in the produce aisle.

By Carrie Tatro