Calling potatoes spuds seems to be quite a random way to name them. According to some stories, however, the origin of the name spuds for potatoes is quite interesting. One explanation is that the potato was once a much-maligned root in Britain and Europe, leading to the less admiring name. Another is that it comes … Read more
You know what professional cook cares whether the tomato is a fruit? Because I’m not aware of one. We have a great misconception about fruits, but here is one thing that can set you free of the chains of grade school science pushers: There is more than one way to classify a vegetable and the … Read more
It’s common knowledge that apples and potatoes taste the same with your nose plugged. Or is it just hokum? The importance of the sense of smell in informing our taste is a subject that fascinates biologists. Most high school biology texts include an experiment designed to test just how important our sense of smell is … Read more
Bananas are difficult to digest. This myth was being circulated in the early 1900s and probably earlier. The belief shows up in some health and nutrition books of the time. Was the myth inspired by the books? Or was this public belief repeated by the authors with no investigation? It is a funny myth since … Read more