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Food Section

Contrary to popular belief, the number 57 on Heinz products does not represent the number of varieties of pickles the company once had; it was actually chosen by Henry Heinz because of the ‘special’ significance of the numbers ‘5’ and ‘7’. It has many more now, including the delicious ‘Big Soup’, and the stupendous curried beans.

The Chinese used to open shrimp by flaying (good word – write that down) the shells with bamboo poles. Until a few years ago, in factories where dried shrimp were being prepared, “shrimp dancers” were hired to tramp on the shells with special shoes. Look for BBCI’s exciting new series in 2007, “Strictly Shrimp Dancing”.

The letters VVSOP on a cognac bottle stand for – Very Very Superior Old Pale.

Grapes explode when you put them in the microwave.

Cranberries are sorted for ripeness by bouncing them up and down; a fully ripened cranberry can be dribbled like a basketball.

Before it was unsolicited email, spam was of course a luncheon meat. It is so resistant to spoilage that, if kept in the closed can, it may well outlast eternity and will certainly live longer than you. Spam, spam, lovely spam!

Wine will spoil if exposed to light, hence tinted bottles. P.S. No one says hence any more.

Fanta Orange is the third largest selling soft drink in the world.

Alcoholic lemonade is outselling premium bottled lagers in British pubs.

Over a third of all pineapples come from Hawaii.

A turkey should never be carved until it has been out of the oven at least 30 minutes. This allows the inner cooking to subside and the internal meat juices to stop running. Once the meat sets, it’s easier to carve clean, neat slices.

There are more than 15,000 different kinds of rice.

Beer foam will go down by licking your finger then sticking it in the beer. Do get permission from a hygienist first.

Ancient Greeks and Romans believed asparagus had medicinal qualities for helping prevent bee stings and relieve toothaches.

Worcestershire Sauce is basically anchovy ketchup. Put like that …

During the Middle Ages, almost all beef, pork, mutton and chicken was chopped finely. Forks were unknown at the time and the knife was a kitchen utensil rather than a piece of tableware.