25 Very Interesting Facts About Food That You Probably Never Heard Of!

Honest Cooks
Dec 24, 2021
3 min read

Did you know that the word “salad” comes from the Latin word “salare,” meaning “to salt?” Or that the modern bagel was invented by a Polish immigrant in New York City?

There's a lot more to food than just what we put in our mouths. In fact, there are all sorts of interesting facts and trivia about food that most of us probably don't know.

Here are 25 of the most fascinating ones! Who knew food could be so interesting?

1. The oldest sequenced recipe ever found was on the walls of the ancient Egyptian tomb of Senet. Back in 19th century BC, it taught the people how to make flatbreads.

2. As of 2018, the average American adult eats 1,996 pounds of food per year. This number, calculated by economists at the United States Department of Agriculture, includes the 31 pounds of cheese Americans eat annually on average and the 85 pounds of fats and oils we consume.

3. The Avocado is the official fruit of California.

4. The United States spends about $37 billion annually on pizza (2019).

5. About 80% of the world's vanilla comes from Madagascar, which is also where the majority of the world's vanillin (vanilla extract) is produced.

6. The Olmec, one of the earliest civilizations in Latin America, were the first to turn the cacao plant into chocolate. They drank their chocolate during rituals and used it as medicine.

7. In 1830s, Ketchup was used as a medicine to treat diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems.

8. The Ivory Coast and Ghana are by far the two largest producers of cocoa, accounting for more than 50 percent of the world´s cocoa.

9. Tomatoes are the most consumed fruit in the world, especially since they're a dietary staple for millions of people.

10. Mustard is one of the world's oldest condiments. In the late 4th to early 5th century, the Romans were combining a mixture of ground mustard, other spices and oil, to be used as a glaze for wild boar.

11. In 2020, the average consumer in the United States ate about 40.2 pounds of cheese.

12. India's 39% population is vegetarian. This amounts to about 35-40 million people from various religions and backgrounds.

13. Records from 1621 show early American settlers of the Plymouth Colony in southern New England (1620-1692), may have made the first pumpkin pies, of sorts, without crusts.

14. Onions are effective at reducing pain and swelling. They contain chemicals that seem to reduce swelling (inflammation), reduce lung tightness in people with asthma, and reduce levels of cholesterol and sugar in the blood.

15. The average person in the United States consumes around 17 teaspoons of sugar, or 71.14 grams, of added sugar per day, which far exceeds recommended limits.

16. Despite its name and popularity, the French fries are not French. The origins can be found in Belgium, where historians claim potatoes were being fried in the late-1600s.

17. 10 – 12 billion apples are harvested in Washington State each year. Each Washington apple is picked by hand.

18. In addition to being highly nutritious, blueberries can improve memory function and protect the brain from age-related damage. A study conducted with young and old adult participants who ate blueberries, showed an increase of blood flow to key areas of the brain, improvements in memory and attention to required tasks.

19. February is National Grapefruit Month.

20. In 2016, the milk consumption worldwide was projected to amount to 223 billion liters. In that year, the European Union produced about 163.21 million metric tons of cow milk.

21. Garlic is a natural antibiotic and can help fight off infection.

22. The world's largest producer of olive oil is Spain and produces 1.79 million metric tons per year, which accounts for over 57 percent of the total global production of olive oil.

23. Each year, 108 billion pounds of food is wasted in the United States. That equates to 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion in food thrown away each year. Shockingly, nearly 40% of all food in America is wasted.