Did the spice trade change the world? The spice trade changed the world because it not only allowed people to flavor bland or not quite fresh food, but it also allowed for the exchange of wealth and ideas and encouraged exploration. It was the first step on the path to globalization. When you are cooking […]
#1185 Did the spice trade change the world? Read More »
What is a salt road? A salt road is a road that was used in ancient times to transport salt from where it was produced to where it was needed. We don’t think about salt so much these days. Maybe if our meal is a bit bland we might reach for the salt cellar and
#1164 What is a salt road? Read More »
What is vegetable oil? Most vegetable oil is oil extracted from the seeds of plants, and sometimes from the plants themselves. Vegetable oil is an accurate name for the product in that the oil comes from plants, but they are not all technically vegetables. The name was chosen partly because the word “vegetable” conjures up
#1147 What is vegetable oil? Read More »
Are pasta and noodles the same thing? No, they aren’t, although it is a very ambiguous topic. Pasta doesn’t contain enough egg to be classified as a noodle. You might often hear pasta being called “noodles”, although you almost never hear of noodles being called pasta. What is the difference? It is very unclear for
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Why are many mushrooms dangerous? This is a little bit tricky because not all mushrooms are dangerous, but a lot of them contain toxins that can be harmful or fatal. A lot of plants are also toxic, but they can have edible parts. If you get lost in the wild, the general advice is to
#1117 Why are many mushrooms dangerous? Read More »
How do weight loss drugs work? There are different kinds of weight loss drugs, but the most common ones work by suppressing appetite and slowing down how fast the stomach is emptied. A large percentage of people in developed countries are becoming seriously obese. There are many reasons for this. The prevalence of ultra-processed food
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Do Brazil nuts come from Brazil? They do, but there are several other countries that produce them as well. Depending on the year, Bolivia is often a larger producer of Brazil nuts than Brazil is. Before we talk about why Brazil nuts are called Brazil nuts, we need to acknowledge the fact that they are
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Why doesn’t honey spoil? Honey doesn’t spoil because it has almost no water in it, because it is a little acidic, and because it has antimicrobial compounds in it. When food spoils, it is usually because microbes like bacteria or fungi start to feed on it. The only goal bacteria have is to reproduce themselves
#1082 Why doesn’t honey spoil? Read More »
What happens if you drink too much water? Your brain can swell up and you can have seizures and possibly even die. Overhydration is the opposite of dehydration, and just like dehydration can be fatal, overhydration can be as well. However, it is much harder to be overhydrated than it is to be dehydrated. To
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Why do we get diarrhea? We get diarrhea because the body is trying to rid itself of some kind of infection, usually bacterial, viral, or parasitic. Diarrhea is a sign that the body is sick and is trying to fix itself. Diarrhea can also be caused by other illnesses or e, but infections are the
#1055 Why do we get diarrhea? Read More »
