Enough food is grown in the world to provide every human with 2,700 calories per day, an amount that is more than adequate. Yet, over 800,000,000 people suffer from chronic malnutrition. There are many reasons for this, including corruption, war, political disputes, transportation and storage facilities inadequate to prevent spoilage and loss, and other reasons.

Green, black, white, and oolong tea all come from leaves of the same plant, Camellia sinensis. The differences are the result of differences in harvesting and processing the leaves. (source)

The ancients used saffron not only as an herb, but also as a perfume. Not only were halls, theatres and courts strewn with the plant, but it entered into the composition of many spirituous extracts, which retained the scent. These costly smelling waters were often made to flow in small streams, which spread abroad their much admired odour. (source)

A peanut is not a nut. It is a member of the pea family. (source)

Lobsters feel pain when being boiled alive; however, you can anesthetize them by soaking them in salt water before cooking. (source)

Perhaps the most strange annual culinary affair was hosted by Clodius, a rich Roman actor who had one hundred birds given voice lessons at a cost of approximately $250 per bird. He then had these birds made into a pie for his guests. He then offered a drink which contained a dissolved pearl worth about one-half million dollars.

Much has been said about the value of Incan gold, but one of the great legacies of the Incas was food plants. The potato, the pumpkin, and the pineapple came from South America and spread through the world.