Food Facts & Fun

King cake is as much a staple of Mardi Gras as the parades and beads. But what's the story of this brightly colored cake? And why is there a plastic baby baked inside?

By Jeremy Glass

Mochi is a super-chewy traditional Japanese delicacy, made from mochigome, a short-grain glutinous rice.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

These nuts could be some of the healthiest we've ever come across. So why can't the pili nut crack the health food market?

By Jeremy Glass

If you've never cooked with ghee, then let us introduce you to this wonderfully rich cooking fat. It's made of butter, but it's way better.

By Muriel Vega

If bananas are berries and strawberries and raspberries are not, what in the world is a berry anyway?

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Pringles aren't like other potato chips. And back in 2007 Procter & Gamble sued to declare the snacks weren't even potato chips at all.

By Jeremy Glass

Baking soda and baking powder are both leavening agents, but they work differently in batters and doughs. So, in a pinch, can you substitute one for the other?

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

At first glance, balut, which is a cooked, fertilized duck egg, might look unappetizing. But it's a favorite snack in Southeast Asia, and has been for centuries.

By Jeremy Glass

We know wine collectors age their wine. But what about beer? There's a movement of beer enthusiasts dabbling in aging beer, too. Do the same rules apply?

By Stephanie Vermillion

Truffles are prized the world over for their pungent, earthy flavor, but what's so special about them, and why is the truffle trade so cutthroat and secretive?

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

This native New Zealand 'liquid gold' honey may make you want to abandon the bear. But does it really have medicinal properties, and why is it so expensive?

By Tara Yarlagadda

Humans have been cooking and eating tripe for centuries. Think you can stomach it?

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

You might think the difference is only in the name, but it's more than that. The slight variations in recipes, aging and even geography make whiskey and bourbon two different alcohols.

By Patty Rasmussen

The mildly flavored, slightly oily, softly crunchy macadamia is prized all over the world, but grown mostly in Hawaii.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

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

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

On National Cheeseburger Day, we're celebrating - what else? - the all-American cheeseburger.

By Tara Yarlagadda

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

By Shaun Chavis

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

By Meg Sparwath

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

By Meg Sparwath

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

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

By Alia Hoyt

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

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!