Food Facts Enjoy our list of food facts from around the world.  About 99% of today's agricultural production depends on only 24 different domesticated plant species. Of those, rice, wheat and corn account for most of the world's caloric intake. Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria decreed in 1516 that beer could only be brewed from barley malt, hops and water. This Rheinheitsgebot (purity law) was the world's first consumer protection law.At the 1893 Chicago Fair, Pabst beer won a blue ribbon, and was called 'Pabst Blue Ribbon" beer from then on. Ale is the primary style of beer consumed in England. Lager beer is the dominant beer style throughout the rest of the brewing world. The major rice producing states in the United States are Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Missouri. Almost half of the U.S. rice crop is exported to over 100 countries. There are thousands of different varieties of rice (Oryza sativa). At the International Rice Research Institute Genetic Resources Center in the Philippines, there are 80,000 rice samples in cold storage. Rice is grown on every continent except Antarctica. One seed of rice yields more than 3,000 grains. It is the highest yielding cereal grain and can grow in many kinds of environments and soils, which is why it is grown everywhere. USA Rice Federation www.usarice.com 50% of all the world's rice is eaten within 8 miles of where it is grown. Rice, millet, and sorghum are thought to be the first crops ever cultivated. Rice has been cultivated for over 5,000 years. The United States produced 2.2 billion bushels of wheat in 2004. Kansas and North Dakota combined accounted for close to 1/3 of the nation's wheat production. (USDA) The average ear of corn has 800 kernels, arranged in 16 rows. There is one piece of silk for each kernel. China Produces about 19% of the world's corn crop, about 4 1/2 billion bushels (2004). One bushel of corn can make 33 pounds of sweetener, 32 pounds of starch, or 2 1/2 gallons of ethanol fuel. The U.S. produces 40% of the world corn crop. In 2002 about 9 billion bushels of corn were produced in the U.S., and the largest producing states were Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska and Indiana. California produces 80% of the world's supply of almonds. Chocolate manufacturers currently use 40 percent of the world's almonds and 20 percent of the world's peanuts. Historians generally agree that almonds and dates, both mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible, were among the earliest cultivated foods. Almonds are actually stone fruits related to cherries, plums and peaches. Allspice is the dried berry of the allspice tree (Pimenta officinalis; Pimenta dioica), also known as the pimento tree, native to the West Indies and Central America. The name has nothing to do with the red sweet pepper known as 'pimento' which is used in stuffed olives, etc. The name allspice comes from the fact that the flavor is suggestive of a combination of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. It is generally used in pickling, baking (apple pie), condiments (ketchup), chewing gum, ice cream, soft drinks, etc. The Spanish rice dish 'Paella' takes its name from the pan it is cooked in, which in turn comes from the Latin word for 'pan' or 'dish.' Paella originated in the Valencia region, traditionally cooked outdoors and eaten right from the pan. The first ready-mix food to be sold commercially was Aunt Jemima pancake flour. It was invented in St. Joseph, Missouri and introduced in 1889. The exact origination of papaya is unknown but it is believed to be native to southern Mexico and neighboring Central America. Parmesan cheese probably originated in Parma or in Tuscany in the 11th century. Boccaccio mentioned it in 1364. Parmigiano-Reggiano is made only from April 1 to November 11, with milk from cows that have been eating fresh grasses. Most of the cream is skimmed from the milk which is then cooked in copper pots, pressed in cheesecloth lined molds, then salted in brine and allowed to mature. Parmigiano-Reggiano is the highest quality parmesan from the Parma region. Parsley is thought to have originated in Sardinia. Parsley seed oil is used in shampoo, soap and men’s perfumes. Italian parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is a plain flat leaved parsley, with darker green leaves than curly leaved parsley, and a stronger but less bitter flavor. The parsley family includes carrots, celery, dill, parsley, parsnips, fennel, caraway, anise, coriander, cumin, poison hemlock and water hemlock. Peanuts originated in South America, where they were cultivated by Indians for at least 2000 years. Spaniards and Portuguese slave traders introduced them to Africa and Europe, and slaves introduced them to the American South. Though there are several varieties of peanuts, the two most popular are the Virginia and the Spanish peanut. The Virginia peanut is larger and more oval in shape than the smaller, rounder Spanish peanut. In the U.S., annual peanut production (about 1.5 million tons per year) often exceeds the production of beans and peas combined. India & China together produce almost 2/3rds of the world's peanut crop. There are more than 5,000 varieties of pears, not all of them are pear-shaped. They have been cultivated since before 2000 B.C. The leading pear growers in order are Italy, China and the United States. Pear trees can produce fruit for up to 100 years. Pecans are native to the Mississippi valley of the U.S. The state nut of Alabama is the Pecan (1982). The state tree of Texas is the pecan tree. Georgia is the largest producer of pecans in the U.S. The world's largest pecan nursery is in Lumberton, Mississippi. In Elizabethan times, pepper was sold by the individual grain, and guards on the London docks had their pockets sewn up so they couldn’t steal any spices. In 408 A.D. the Visigoths attacked Rome and demanded 3,000 pounds of pepper as part of the city's ransom. Throughout history, pepper has frequently been valued equal to or more than gold! The first American millionaire was Elias Haskett Derby, who made his money importing black pepper. He used his fortune to endow Yale University. The Mandarin orange includes several varieties of citrus fruit, including the Mandarin (China), Tangerine (named for Tangier, Morocco, where they were first imported from China), Dancy, Clementine and Satsuma (Japan). The Mandarin orange was first introduced into the U.S. in 1882. Most canned Mandarin oranges are made from Satsumas. Wine is commercially produced in all fifty states of America, including Alaska. The peanut is the state crop of Georgia. 8% of all potatoes grown in the U.S.A. are used for potato chips. The state of Maine is the largest grower of wild blueberries in the U.S.A. Gilroy, California is known as the garlic capital of the world. The potato is the fourth most important crop in the world, behind rice, wheat & corn. Washington State produces more apples than any other state in the U.S.A. Most of America's catch of salmon, crab, halibut & herring come from Alaska. The average American eats over 20 pounds of fresh apples each year. Alma, Arkansas is known as the spinach capital of the world. Castroville, California is known as the artichoke capital of the world. It is where Norma Jean (Marilyn Monroe) was crowned Artichoke Queen in 1947. Native Americans flavored their baked beans with maple syrup & bear fat & baked them in earthenware pots placed in a pit covered with hot rocks. Olive trees may live to be 1,200 years old. The average life span is 500 years. Almost 90% of Florida's orange crop is used to produce orange juice. Fresh fruit is the favorite snack of most American adults. Cookies are the favorite of most kids. Watermelon have been around since prehistoric times. The first watermelon grown in the New World was in Massachusetts in 1629. The blueberry muffin is the official state muffin of Minnesota. Chili is the official state dish of Texas. There are over 100 different varieties of peppers grown in Mexico. Almost 90% of the United States lobster supply is caught off the coast of Maine. Over half of the world's supply of raisins is grown in California. Fresno, California is the raisin capital of the world. Over 25% of Baskin Robbins "31 Flavors" ice cream sales are from plain vanilla. Quaker Oats, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa is the largest cereal company in the world. Vermont produces more maple syrup than any other state in the U.S. More land is farmed in Texas than in any other state. Approximately 8% of Californians are vegetarians. Did you know it takes 50 gallons of maple sap to make one gallon of maple syrup. In the U.S. almost all of the catfish, crawfish & rainbow trout sold commercially are farmed raised. North Carolina is the largest grower of sweet potatoes (almost 600 million pounds per year) in the United States. California grows over 94% of all the apricots grown in the U.S.A. Over 15 billion jelly beans are sold during the Easter season. The Vidalia onion is the official state vegetable of Georgia, USA. Americans eat over 12 pounds of chocolate per person per year. California grows over 300,000 tons of grapes each year & produces over 18 million gallons of wine each year. According to Kraft Foods, more than a million packages of Jell-O brand gelatin are purchased each day. In Hawaii, the pineapple is a sign of hospitality. America's three most popular fish are in order, tuna, salmon & swordfish. The average American eats approximately 22 pounds of tomatoes each year. Over 1/2 of the tomato consumption in the U.S.A is in the form of catsup, tomato sauce & hot sauce. McDonald's, annually hires one million people, more than any other American organization, public or private. U.S. Organic food sales have grown between 17 & 22% each year since 1997, to nearly triple in sales, while total food sales in the United States over this time period have grown in the range of only 2 to 4% a year. 1/3 of potatoes grown in the United States end up as French fries. Americans spent over $120 billion dollars on fast food in 2005. 5% of Americans eat at McDonald's each day. Fallbrook, California is known as the avocado capital of the world. Pizza is America's favorite take-out food, with Chinese food coming in a close second and the hamburger third. America's four favorite Ethnic cuisines are in order, Chinese, Italian, Mexican & Greek. The state of Michigan is the largest grower of cultivated blueberries in the U.S.A. Americans eat over 13 pounds of French fries each year. The Honeybee helps produce 1/3 of the world's food supply through Pollination. Only about 12% of the worlds oat crop is consumed as food by humans. The majority of the crop is fed to animals. The American buffalo, or bison is the state animal of Oklahoma. Sumner, Kansas is known as the wheat capital of the world. Lou Gehrig was the first athlete to appear on the box of Wheaties cereal. Walter Payton was the first football player to appear on the box. Most wild game (even farm raised) has a fat content of under 10%. Beef can have over 30% of fat. California is the largest grower of organic foods in the United States. Over 90% of Iowa's land is dedicated to farming. Nabisco produced 16 billion Oreo cookies in 1995 in its factory in Chicago, Ill. Hatch, New Mexico is known as the green chile capital of the world. The state of Florida has over 100 million citrus trees under cultivation. The first pizza ever made in America was made in a Bronx, NY eatery in 1905. In 1954 C.A. Swanson & Sons introduced the first TV dinner, it was roast turkey with stuffing & gravy, sweet potatoes & peas. It sold for 98 cents. There are over 800,000 restaurants in the United States (2005). The oldest restaurant in Boston, MA. is "The Union Oyster House". Americans eat over 20% of their meals away from home each year. Tomato juice is the official state beverage of Ohio, USA. Belzoni, Mississippi is known as the catfish capital of the world. The four most valuable fruit crops in America (2005) are in order, grapes, apples, oranges & strawberries. The official state fruit of Texas is the red grapefruit. Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny candy in America. The candy cane did not get its stripes and curl until 1900. The state beverage of Massachusetts is cranberry juice. The chocolate chip cookie was invented in Massachusetts in 1930. The United States is one of the largest grower of almonds, apples, avocados, barley, beans, bell peppers, berries, broccoli, cabbage, celery, corn, garlic, grapefruit, grapes, lettuce, onions, oranges, peaches, pecans, pineapples, potatoes, soy beans, spinach, squash, walnuts, watermelon & wheat in the whole world.  
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