Food…a word that is complete in itself. A word that needs no explanation. A word that each and everyone has their own way of defining. Something that makes you forget the world, your loneliness, that is a part of each and every aspect of our life, and where everyone has a favorite.

So lets explore some interesting facts about food…a word that makes you go yummm…!!!

1. OATS

On a chilly winter morning, a warm bowl of oatmeal is a delicious way to start the day. But deciding which kind of oatmeal to go with — traditional, steel-cut, quick cook, or instant– can be tricky. Is one healthier than the other? More satisfying? Tastier?

Before breaking down their difference, let’s start with what they have in common. All are good, low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Whole grain oatmeal, in any of these forms, may help reduce the risk of heart disease. The variation of their processing determines the type of oats that results.

So what is the difference between the four most popular types of oats?

1. Old fashioned: Also called rolled oats, they are flat and flaky. They absorb more water and cook faster usually in about 5 minutes– and are the oats of choice for granola bars, cookies, and muffins.
2. Steel Cut: These oats, which take about 20-30 minutes to prepare, are chopped into tiny pieces and have a tough texture before they are cooked. Also called Irish Oatmeal, steel-cut oatmeal is chewier than rolled or instant.
3. Quick Cook: If you want stove-cooked oats but are in a hurry, these oats, which cook in one minute, are a great option. They can also be microwaved.
4. Instant: Great for mornings when you need a quick bite, individually packed instant oats are thinner, more finely chopped version of rolled oats. They microwave in minutes and have a soft texture.

Choosing your oats is largely about the texture you prefer and the cooking time you are willing to dedicate. The good news? All are healthy options.

2. WHY DO WE EAT RAW FISH BUT NOT RAW CHICKEN??

We so eagerly chow down rare steaks and raw sashimi but send back a piece of chicken noticing it under cooked. The answer comes down to different microbes and pathogens that lurk within each animal.

Fish is on the safer end of the spectrum, it doesn’t usually carry bacteria that are harmful to humans. But we do need to watch out for roundworms, tapeworms or flukes. Sometimes fish is frozen for storage, and if it is cold enough, any parasites or bacteria hanging around will die.

But about other meats such as beef, chicken, and pork. The bacteria that live inside these animals, like strains of salmonella and e.coli, tend to be more dangerous to humans than any that live in fish. Usually, a good hot sear is enough to kill any infections that live, leaving inside red that’s fine cause it is sterile in there.

3. WHY DOES RED MEAT TURN BROWN WHEN COOKED?

This is thanks to a protein called Myoglobin which is what makes red meat look red and not blood as many get confused. Myoglobin is a protein that stores oxygen in the muscle cells very similar to its cousin hemoglobin which stores oxygen in red blood cells. Oxygen store is necessary for muscles that need immediate oxygen for energy while continuous use.

This browning is due to oxidation of iron atoms in myoglobin. When the myoglobin is exposed to oxygen before we cook the meat, the iron atoms oxidation state is +2, when it is bound to a dioxygen molecule O2 which makes the meat appear bright red. When cooking the iron atom loses an electron and goes to +3 oxidation state turning it brown.

4. HERE’S THE SCIENTIFIC REASON WE ALWAYS HAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT.

After finishing an amazing meal, when we just cannot have another bite, all vanishes when dessert arrives. Suddenly there’s room for desserts. Ever wondered why does that happen?? It all happens due to one phenomenon called Sensory-Specific Satiety.

According to SSS, the more you eat one kind of a food in a single sitting, the less appealing the food becomes. It feels like you are full, but often it’s just that your brain has stopped being excited by the flavors of your meal. When the dessert arrives, suddenly you’re faced with something new and different, and you’re ready to eat again.

5. WHY DO ONIONS MAKE US CRY??

Sometimes a simple but a strange fact– that onions make you cry, for example, is accepted so easily that we often fail to stop and wonder why?? It is only after your kid complains that you have made her cry and ask for a reason that you actually try to figure out.

As Eric Block, author of the book Garlic and other alliums( onions are part of the plant genus allium) explained to NPR, “the onion is a perennial bulb that lives in the ground with lots of critters who are looking for a snack”. And so they have a chemical defense system, which, like a shunk feeding off predators with a stench, releases the tear-jerker chemical to protect itself from being eaten. Within each cell of an onion is a sealed vacuole filled with enzymes that rupture when cut into. The enzymes mix with the chemicals in the onion cell and it is this irritating culprit that makes you cry.

6. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BROWN EGGS AND WHITE EGGS??

Are brown eggs better for you?? Are white eggs unfertilized?? Are different colors of eggs better for different purposes?? Let’s find out.

There are all sorts of rumors that brown eggs are more in nutrients than white egg, and that white eggs are only suitable to make cakes. Whether it’s a brown egg or a white egg both are the same inside and out, they taste the same, are equally nutritious and are equally delicious. The rumor of brown eggs being superior started because of their high cost as compared to white ones. Well, the brown eggs cost more because the hens that lay the brown eggs eat more and it is more costly to keep them and hence the more cost. Brown eggs are laid by red or brown colored chickens with red ear lobes, while the white ones are laid by white-feathered chickens with white or yellow earlobes.

7. WHY DO CRACKERS HAVE HOLES??

Did this ever seem strange to you??

Well, the truth is the holes do exist for a reason and not for decoration purposes or convenience. Without these holes, the crackers wouldn’t bake correctly. Holes allow steam to escape and this keeps the cracker flat instead of rising like a normal biscuit. These help to crisp the crackers. If the holes are too close more of the steam would escape and the cracker would be dry and if the holes are far apart some parts of the cracker would rise and leading to bubble formation.

8. MOUNTAIN DEW ROTS YOUR TEETH MORE THAN COCA-COLA.

Even though coca-cola is more acidic than mountain dew in PH level but the titratic acidic component is more in mountain dew. It states that in mountain dew organic acid such as citric acid is used which has more calcium destroying ability from the teeth than the inorganic acid such as phosphoric acid used in coca-cola.

Food is just not tasty and delicious to eat but has many such interesting things hidden in them that make them so luscious.

Image credits: UBMI Sarl, StyleCraze