Interesting Foodie Facts From Around The World

These foodie facts will surprise you as well as inform you and leave you intrigued! Food is just one of those things that form part of our daily routines and our lives, am I right? Some people more than others will get excited about food.

Preparing nice dinners, taking pride in the ingredients they use, or simply just enjoying serving up new meals that they have just tried that very evening.

If you are a foodie, then this can become a huge passion for you. This is why I find eating habits from all over the world fascinating. I wanted to share with you some of the interesting foodie facts I have found out about recently. Some may surprise you. 

India consumes, grows, and exports the most chillies in the world

Many people love curry, and so the region in which they are more famous in India, and the use of chilli isn’t unknown in some of the most popular Indian curries.

However, what might surprise you is that India wasn’t a region where chillies would normally grow, and in fact, the Indians were introduced to chilli by the Portuguese back in the 15th century.

Another interesting view on chilli would be the expectation that Mexico would be the biggest region to consume, grow and export chilli, due to the love of the ingredient in many popular Mexican dishes. But India takes the title here. 

Koreans love their rice, but there is a difference 

Asian regions are famed for their use of the humble rice grain in many of their dishes. In fact, it is such a staple, that many survive on diets that include rice for every mealtime.

Giving people valuable carbohydrates and energy. There is the white grain and brown grain, the brown being a healthier option, but Koreans actually prefer another grain called Gaba rice.

The Gaba rice grain is rich in other vitamins, and a slightly larger grain, so it is a really great alternative to the standard grains we are more used to. 

A humble sandwich is still one of the most popular meals to eat

The sandwich. It is one of those dishes that the creator can have a little fun with. Peanut butter and jam, ham and salad, the boring but fantastic plain cheese, the options are endless and it is down to the creator to choose their desired filling and enjoy.

With its simplicity and ease, it is still one of the most popular dishes all over the world.

The best of the fun foodie facts is that 70% of British people enjoy the same sandwich for their lunch every day, and you guessed it, ham is always on top. 

Tomato-based sauces weren’t even a thing in Italy until after the 16th century

We are so accustomed to Italian food including tomato-based dishes. You have the bolognese and let’s not forget the famous pizza topping that includes a tomato sauce.

But, tomatoes were not introduced to Italy until the 16th century, which means that prior to this Italian food did not include tomato as an ingredient.

A further fact would be that tomatoes were initially thought to be poisonous, so were used as decorations. It was when they began to be imported by the Americans back in the 16th century that chefs started to experiment. But the humble tomato sauce many of us use as a staple to our cooking was not created until at least the 17th century. 

I hope that you found some of these foodie facts as interesting as I did.