In 18th Century England, having a pineapple was a symbol of wealth because of high import fees. They would be used as displays instead of being eaten.
100 Mind-Blowing Eaten Facts
More than 45 million turkeys are cooked and eaten in the U.S. at Thanksgiving.
Our dead cells are eaten by other cells in our body. Don’t worry; it’s meant to happen. When cells inside your body die, they’re scavenged by phagocytes – white blood cells whose job it is to digest other cells.
People once ate arsenic to improve their skin. You’ve probably heard about how a lot of the Victorians’ favourite cosmetics were riddled with arsenic, but it gets worse. There were also products on the market in the late 19th century, like Dr. James P. Campbell’s Safe Arsenic Complexion Wafers, that were meant to be eaten. They claimed to get rid of freckles, blackheads, and other “facial disfigurements.” Admit it: That’s one of the most interesting facts you’ve learned in a while.
Johnny Appleseed’s fruits weren’t for eating. Yes, there was a real John Chapman who planted thousands of apple trees on U.S. soil. But the apples on those trees were much more bitter than the ones you’d find in the supermarket today. “Johnny Appleseed” didn’t expect his fruits to be eaten whole but rather made into hard apple cider.
Boars wash their food. National Geographic reported that at Basel Zoo in Switzerland, zookeepers watched adult and juvenile wild boars pick up sandy apples and bring them to a nearby creek in their environment to wash before eating. Though some items like sugar beets were eaten without human-like behaviour, the boars brought a whole dead chicken to the creek to wash before chowing down. One ecologist called this a “luxury behaviour.”
Candles were once eaten in famines. They used to be mainly made from beef fat or beeswax, and so they were often stolen in famines for people to eat.
Eating polar bear liver can kill a human being. If eaten in one meal, 30-90 g of polar bear liver can be fatal. Its high concentration of Vitamin A is toxic to humans.
Lobsters used to be considered the cockroach of the ocean. It may be found in the most luxurious menus now, but lobster was once eaten regularly by the homeless, slaves and prisoners. However, lobster started to be seen as a delicacy after World War II.
Chickens are eaten for their whole life cycle. A not-so-fun fact for the chickens, but one of the fun facts to ponder: when you’re eating chicken katsu or a chicken omelette, you could be eating a whole family. You’re essentially eating a chicken before (AKA, the eggs) and after its birth. Oh, not to mention day-old chicks.
Baby octopuses are the size of a flea. An octopus will lay tens and thousands of eggs. However, not all of these eggs survive. Some are eaten by predators and some do not live long enough to reach adulthood. Baby octopuses are also called larvae.
HIV originated from a chimp’s stomach. The chimp in question had eaten two other monkeys that had two different viruses. These viruses then combined and formed a hybrid virus.
Termites and ants are roasted and eaten like popcorn in South Africa. Eating insects is a common occurrence in South Africa. This is also a common street food you can find in parts of Africa.
The cast of Stand By Me accidentally got high from pot cookies. According to Kiefer Sutherland, the Stand By Me cast once went to a Renaissance Fair near their shooting location. They bought cookies from the fair. However, they had accidentally eaten pot brownies. The crew found Jerry O’Connell high and sobbing somewhere in the park.
In Slovakia, they have a Christmas Carp that lives in the family bathtub for a few days before they are eaten. A traditional Slovakian Christmas dinner is a main dish of breaded carp with sides of cabbage and sausage soup, and potato salad. However, the WTF facts twist is that the carp has to live in the family bathtub before it is cooked.
There’s a cheese eaten with live maggots. If you’re one for exotic eats, the Casu marzu is a Sardinian cheese that has a special ingredient: live maggots. These maggots can jump up to five inches out of the cheese while you’re eating it, so it’s advised to shield it with your hand so it won’t get on your face.
The smell of freshly cut grass is a distress signal. The refreshing fragrance of fresh-cut grass is the plant’s release of enzymes as a result of stress—almost like the way we break a sweat when stressed. When grass is cut, the plant signals to the environment that it is being eaten or damaged.
The most blueberries eaten in a minute are 86 blueberries. On January 16, 2018, Dinesh Shivnath Upadhyaya of India crammed 86 blueberries in his mouth in one minute. That’s not where the WTF facts end: this was his 4th time breaking the record!
Coca-Cola was the first soft drink consumed in space. Applesauce was the first food eaten in space by John Glenn during the Friendship 7 mission of 1962.
The most Big Macs ever eaten by a person is 26,000 burgers. The most Big Macs eaten in one lifetime is a whopping 26,000 Big Macs eaten by Donald A. Gorske of the U.S. He hit his big milestone on October 11, 2012, after eating Big Macs daily for 40 years.
A man once ate an entire plane. You read that right. Michel Lotito was a famous French entertainer known for eating inedible things. Lotito ate metal, glass, rubber and other industrial materials. He disassembled, cut, and ate items such as bicycles, shopping carts, televisions, and – most notably – a Cessna 150. The 680kg plane took roughly two years to be “eaten” by Lotito from 1978 to 1980.
The most M&Ms eaten with chopsticks while blindfolded is 20 pieces. The most M&Ms eaten in a minute (while blindfolded and with chopsticks) is 20 M&Ms. It was achieved by Ashrita Furman of the U.S. on December 8, 2011.
3.6 cans of Spam are consumed each second. In the U.S., Spam is the number one brand for canned meat with 3.6 cans eaten every second.
In Slovakia, they have Christmas carp that live in the bathtub for a few days before they are eaten.
Dead cells in the human body are eaten by other cells in our body. White blood cells, and phagocytes, consume the dead cells. It’s their job.
Chocolate-covered ants are eaten as a treat in Mexico.
FORESTS ARE HOME TO OVER 80% OF THE WORLD’S LAND-BASED SPECIES OF ANIMALS, PLANTS AND INSECTS. These animals help to keep the forest healthy. For example, elephants distribute seeds from fruits they have eaten. When the seeds pass through their gut, they come out undigested in their dung, and germinate in the ground.
Fish eggs can survive being eaten by a duck. The fish eggs can still hatch after going in one end and coming out the other. Not all fish species can survive such a journey, and even then, not all eggs eaten are pooped out in a pristine condition. Still, it’s a good explanation for how seemingly disconnected pools and lakes can suddenly become teeming with fish!
In Slovakia, they have Christmas Carp that live in the family bathtub for a few days before they are eaten.