Scissors or shears are used for cutting hair, thread, fabric, paper, or even food items. Specialized shears may be used for cutting metal, pruning plants, or in surgery. This type of cutlery was first invented thousands of years ago during the Bronze Age, but scissors were not readily available to everyone until the 1700s... Read more
Bread is a dietary staple throughout much of the world and has been throughout history. This food can be made from the flour of grains such as wheat, corn, spelt, rice, millet, rye, or barley, or from nuts including almonds and coconut... Read more
Many plants have a vining habit, producing long, twining stems that rely on outside structures to support them. Grapes are among the most recognizable. Around the world, grapevines are cultivated on farms called vineyards, often to produce wine. Beans, peas, potatoes, squash, cucumbers, melons, and other food plants... Read more
Before the advent of refrigeration and electricity, preserving food for later use was a major concern. Some foods could be kept in root cellars, others fermented, others dried. Then, in the year 1800, a French inventor developed a means of sealing food in airtight containers. Canning was born... Read more
A farm is a property devoted to agriculture - the keeping of useful plants and animals, mostly for food... Read more
A tooth is a hard structure located in the mouth of humans or animals. Teeth are used to chew food, crushing and pulverizing it in a process scientists call mastication. The top of the tooth is called the crown, with one or more roots beneath. The outside is called the enamel... Read more
Hamsters are small rodents often kept at pets. They are similar in appearance gerbils and the larger guinea pigs, which are also childhood pets. They are well-known for running on hamster wheels and stuffing food into their bulging cheeks... Read more
There are about 450 species of oak trees found throughout the world's temperate zones. Oak trees produce acorns, a food source for animals and, in the past, for people. Corks used as stoppers for wine bottles are produced from the bark of the Mediterranean cork oat, and Aleppo oak is used to make ink. The wood of oak trees is also used in furniture manufacture and construction... Read more
The word "steak" comes from the mid-fifteenth century terms steik or stekys, refering to "a thick slice of meat cut for roasting or grilling or frying." Steak is a favorite food of people around the world... Read more
Knives have a long history. Ancient stone, bronze, and iron knives have been discovered at archeological sites. Historically and today, there are many different types of knives. Some have been used for weapons, others for preparing food... Read more
The legend of Uncle Sam began in 1813. A meatpacker by the name of Samuel Wilson supplied the U.S. army with barrels of beef. Each barrel was stamped with "U.S." for "United States," but soldiers began calling the food "Uncle Sam's."... Read more
Cotton candy, also called candy floss or fairy floss is a favorite at fairs, carnivals, festivals, and circuses around the world. It is so named because of its resemblance to the seed-encasing cotton fibers. Cotton candy consists of spun sugar, flavoring, and food coloring. Hot, liquefied sugar is forced through small holes in the spinning machine, allowing it to solidify into minute strands... Read more
For centuries, the potato has been one of the most important food sources in the world. It is native to the Andres Mountains of South America and is a distant relative of the tomato. It is thought that the potato was domesticated nearly 2,000 years ago, and it entered European markets during the 1500s. It is also called a tater or spud... Read more
Many people love hamburgers. While the exact origins of this fast food sandwich are unknown, it is likely that German... Read more
Broccoli - is it one of your favorite foods? Many people, kids and grown ups alike, would answer that question with... Read more
The banana is a familiar fruit. In fact, it is one of the most important food crops in the world. Bananas grow... Read more
The tomato is a staple food in many parts of the world today. But until a few hundred years ago, this was not the case. The wild tomato is native to the... Read more
Fast food chains such as Del Taco and Taco Bell have popularized the taco, and it is now synonymous with Tex-Mex food. Tacos are a traditional Mexican dish made by... Read more
A sandwich is any dish that uses one or more pieces of bread as a container or wrapper for food. Sandwiches may be sweet - such as... Read more
Popcorn is a familiar food, especially at movie theater concession stands. How did it become such? People have grown and eaten corn for... Read more