Food Facts & Fun
Food Facts is a listing of articles that teaches you how all types of foods, drinks and diets work.
What's the Dill? The History of the Pickle
How Do Today's Brewers Make Non-alcoholic Beer?
You Don't Want to Know How Maraschino Cherries Are Made
Mezcal vs. Tequila: A Guide to Agave-based Spirits
A Bottle of the World's Most Expensive Tequila Sold for $225,000
Diet Coke vs. Coke Zero: Is There Actually a Difference?
What's the Difference Between Grits and Polenta?
What's the Difference Between Basmati and Jasmine Rice?
Congee Is the Food Equivalent of a Warm, Heated Gravity Blanket
14 Hottest Hot Sauces in the World
Why Sriracha Is Everybody's Favorite Hot Sauce
Why Everybody Is Hooked on Fish Sauce
Get the Scoop on Our Ice Cream Quiz!
What Is Halloumi Cheese, and Why Is It Suddenly So Popular?
What's the Difference Between Clarified Butter and Ghee?
Macaroon vs. Macaron: Differentiating Between Sweet Treats
Move Over Turducken. The Christmas PieCaken Is Here
Marzipan Is the Sweet Almond Treat You Need This Holiday
Is a Hotdog a Sandwich? We Try to Settle the Debate
Nigiri vs Sashimi: Unveiling the Distinctions in Japanese Cuisine
The French Baguette Receives UNESCO World Heritage Status
How Food Tasters Work
Top 5 Reasons You Know You Should be a Pastry Chef
How to Get Your Big Break into the Baking Business
What Is Imitation Crab Meat? Is the Crab Substitute Vegan?
It's Nuts How These 6 Nuts Look Before Processing
What Are Hot Dogs Made Of?
How to Eat Dragon Fruit
What's the Difference Between Sweet Potatoes and Yams?
Does Fruit Really Ripen Faster in a Brown Paper Bag?
7 of the Hottest Peppers in the World
Where Does Vanilla Flavoring Come From?
Lemongrass Is a Prized Herb in Asian Cuisine
10 Flaming-hot Facts About Cheetos
Korean Street Treat Hotteok Is Like a Warm Hug
Is There Really a Difference Between the Left and Right Twix?
What's the Difference Between Champagne and Sparkling Wine?
What's the Difference Between Port and Sherry?
Why Does Your Wine Bottle Have a Dent in the Bottom?
Learn More / Page 8
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.
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
Fried cheese curds are ooey, gooey and oh-so-delicious!
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Did you love cereal as a kid? Do you still love it? Discover how much you do with our cereal quiz.
By Alia Hoyt
Raw milk is actually blamed for foodborne illnesses across the United States, and it's illegal to sell in several. But is it really warranted?
By Shaun Chavis
Canned foods are super convenient, but there's often a stigma attached to serving them. Is that warranted?
By Shaun Chavis
Ice cream made with insect milk? A start-up in South Africa hopes you'll say, "Yes please!"
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Once just an afterthought of the beer industry, today's nonalcoholic beer is tasty and outpacing the alcoholic stuff globally by two to one.
Ruby chocolate is a growing worldwide sensation, but the exact recipe and processing techniques are closely guarded secrets.
They all taste good but they don't mean the same thing.
Poutine is just fries, gravy and squeaky cheese curds — how did it get to be Canada's national dish?
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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
This banana has soft, sweet flesh and tastes a lot like vanilla custard or ice cream. One scoop or two?
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.
Espresso, latte, macchiato. The coffee bean didn't even originate in Italy, so why do so many coffee drinks have Italian names?
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Female chickens lay eggs whether they've mated with a rooster or not.
The differences go beyond the fact that one goes in a sippy cup and the other is a main ingredient in festive holiday punches.
We throw out tons of perfectly good parts of vegetables and fruits often because we don't know what to do with them. But there's a lot of treasure in the trash.
By Alia Hoyt
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It's a pie. Filled with squash. Who in the world decided that was a good idea?
By Shaun Chavis
As quinoa's popularity skyrocketed on the world stage, concern grew that it was becoming too expensive for the South Americans who originally depended on it. But what was really happening?
By Alia Hoyt
Craving some sugary sweet cotton candy? Then reach for these grapes instead. You'll be shocked at how much they taste just like the spun stuff.
By Shaun Chavis
Turmeric is having a moment right now as the spice du jour for promoting wellness and treating all kinds of conditions from arthritis to depression to indigestion. Does science back these claims up?
By Alia Hoyt
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From as early as the 7th century, people have been eating this concoction of shaved ice, sweetened condensed milk and, yes, red beans.
Nothing goes better with a cup of coffee than a sweet cupcake. But do you crave the two together or does that cup of joe actually make you hungry?
By Shaun Chavis