5 interesting facts about Coconut

1. The Coconut is native to India.

2. The coconut fruit is actually a drupe and not a nut as the name indicates.

3. Indonesia is the world’s largest producer of coconuts, followed by the Philippines.

4. It is said that coconuts can travel a 110 days or 3,000 miles at sea and still be capable of germination!

5. Virtually every part of the coconut tree can be used by humans in some manner and has significant economic value. This is probably why it is called kalpa vriksha (the tree that provides everything) in Sanskrit and pokok seribu (the tree of a 1,000 uses) in Malay.

5 interesting facts about Apricots

1. Apricots are said to be native to Armenia.

2. Turkey is the world’s largest producer of apricots followed by Iran.

3. Black or Purple Apricots are actually a hybrid of an apricot and plum tree. They are variously called plumcots, apriplums, pluots or apriums!

4. The liqueur Amaretto and Amaretti biscotti are flavored with an extract of apricot kernels!

5. Apricots belong to the Rosaceae (rose) family along with other members like apples, pears, plums, cherries, peaches, raspberries and strawberries.

3 Awesome Food Periodic Tables that inspire!

1. Paleo Food Staples

2. Unscientific yet interesting criteria!

3. Plain and healthy Food Groups

5 interesting facts about Papaya

1. The Papaya is native to the Tropic of Americas.

2. Papaya plants grown in three sexes: Male, female and hermaphrodite. All commercial papaya orchards only contain hermaphrodites.

3. India is the world’s largest producer of Papaya followed by Brazil.

4. Green Papaya and the tree latex contain papain which is used to tenderize meat.

5. The Papaya tree was the first transgenic fruit tree to have its genome sequenced.

5 interesting facts about Cherries

1. The Cherry is native to the Northern Hemisphere (America, Europe and Asia).

2. The Cherry is part of the Rosaceae family. Other members of this family include almonds, peaches, apricots, plums and of course, roses!

3. Turkey is the world’s leading producer of Cherry followed by the United States.

4. A chemical reaction between cherries and alkaline products like baking powder causes a blue discoloration in baked goods.

5. The wood of some cherry trees is especially esteemed for the manufacture of fine furniture.

5 interesting facts about Peaches

1. Peaches are native to Northwest China.

2. Peaches are a type of prune and are closely related to cherry, apricots, almonds and plums. They are a member of the rose family.

3. China is the world’s leading producer of Peaches followed by Italy.

4. Peaches have always been significant in Oriental cultures like China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. In Europe, several renaissance artists have painted still life paintings of fruits with the peach given a prominent position.

5. Some 110 chemical compounds contribute to the characteristic peach aroma, including alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, esters, polyphenols and terpenoids.

5 interesting facts about Watermelon

1. Watermelon is native to Southern Africa.

2. The watermelon fruit is actually a kind of berry. Botanically, it is called a Pepo.

3. China is the world’s largest producer of watermelon, closely followed by Turkey.

4. Although the flesh is the most often consumed part, some cuisines make use of the rind and even seeds. Pickled watermelon rind is a Southern US speciality.

5. Naturally round or oblong, farmers in the Zentsuji region of Japan have successfully grown cubic watermelons! The shape was designed to make the fruit easier to stack.

5 interesting facts about Oranges

1. Oranges are native to Southern China and North-Eastern India.

2. Orange trees are estimated to be the most cultivated fruit trees in the world! Brazil is the world’s leading producer of oranges, followed by the United States.

3. Over two thirds of all orange produce goes for juice extraction. The rest is sold as fruit or converted to marmalade, preserves and Orange Oil.

4. After chocolate and vanilla, orange is the world’s favourite flavor!

5. Orange peel is used by gardeners as a slug repellent!

5 interesting facts about Bananas

1. Bananas are native to tropical Indo-Malaya and Australia.

2. The banana plant is the largest herbaceous flowering plant. Indian is the world’s largest cultivator of Bananas followed by China.

3. Nearly every part of the banana plant is useful. The fruit is consumed either ripe or raw. The flowers and trunk are used in Asian cuisine. The leaves are used as temporary utensils or waterproof roofing. The fiber is used to make textiles and paper!

4. Because of their high potassium content, Bananas are naturally radioactive!

5. The Banana has its own emoji! The Unicode standard includes U+1F34C to represent the banana. In HTML, this is &#127820.

5 interesting facts about Mangoes

1. The mango is native to South Asia.

2. The mango is the most-cultivated fruit in the tropics. India is the leading cultivator of the Mango with almost 50% of global production. China is the second largest producer.

3. The mango is the National Fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines. The mango tree is the National Tree of Bangladesh.

4. Mangoes are related to cashews and pistachios.

5. Mango trees can grow up to a 100 feet tall. Even trees as old as 300 years continue to bear fruits!

5 interesting facts about Apples

1. Apples are native to Central Asia.

2. There are over 7,500 known varieties of Apples grown today. China leads with 49% of the total world production.

3. The Apple tree was perhaps the earliest tree to be cultivated. This is probably why Apples are remarkably significant in many cultures including Norse, Greek and European Christian.

4. The seeds of Apples contain a sugar and cyanide compound called cyanogenic glycoside. In small doses, these are not harmful to humans.

5. Apples are actually part of the Rose family – just like pears and plums!

5 interesting facts about Tomatoes

1. Tomatoes are native to Central and South America.

2. Although considered a culinary vegetable, a tomato is actually (biologically) a fruit!

3. Tomatoes are the eighth most valuable agricultural commodity worldwide. Currently, China is the world’s largest producer and exporter of tomatoes. India occupies second place.

4. There are over 7,500 varieties of tomatoes grown for various reasons. It is used in diverse culinary ways including raw in salads, processed in juices and ketchup, breaded and fried for salsa, pickled, as sauces etc.

5. Leaves, stems and unripe green fruit of the tomato plant contain small amounts of the toxic alkaloid tomatine. Tomato plants can be highly toxic to dogs!