The story of how potatoes came to be called spuds is a mundane one. As if often the case with such boring word origins, a fanciful explanation for the derivation of spuds is often given. This explanation is owed to the potato once being a much-maligned root in Britain and Europe. In fact, when the potato was […]
deadly nightshade
Are Tomatoes Fruits or Vegetables? Find Out the Truth!
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 […]
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 in how we taste things. The experiment involves peeling and cutting up apples, potatoes, […]
Bananas are Hard to Digest: So Said Your Great Grandmother
Bananas are difficult to digest. This myth was being circulated in the early 1900’s and probably earlier. The belief shows up in some health and nutrition books of the time, but whether the myth was inspired by the books, or the public belief was repeated by the authors without any investigation, is not immediately apparent. […]