Did you know?

Interesting and unusual food and drink facts from around the world

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White chocolate is not technically chocolate. It contains cocoa butter but no chocolate solids and therefore doesn’t really qualify as chocolate.

Although cashew nut oil from the shells is not safe to consume, it can be distilled and used to line brakes to provide friction or can make up one of the resins in epoxy finishes.

Peaches and nectarines are almost genetically identical except for a gene that is either dominant (peaches) or recessive (nectarines) which makes the skin either smooth or furry.

In 1919, a storage tank that contained more than 2 million gallons of molasses exploded. It flooded the streets of Boston, destroyed buildings, killed 21 people and injured 150 more. It remains one of the most bizarre food related disasters in history.

Honey never goes bad. Bacteria and microorganisms that spoil food need moisture to survive and honey contains very little water. Honey might just outlive you!

Green, yellow, and red bell peppers are actually the same vegetable, just at different stages of ripening.

Raw cashew nuts are poisonous as they contain toxic urushiol. To remove this compound, cashews go through an extensive roasting or steaming process before they are sold.

If you take some garlic and rub it on the bottom of your foot, you will actually be able to taste garlic approximately 30 minutes later. The molecules responsible for the smell of garlic can penetrate your skin and travel to your mouth and nose.

Real vanilla is incredibly labour-intensive to produce. When the flowers finally do bloom, they stay open for only one day. It can take at least three years for a vanilla plant to produce its first vanilla bean.

Brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and kohlrabi all originate from the same plant. Brassica oleracea was selectively bred over centuries to create dozens of distinct vegetables.