Home Today Is Chimichanga Means “Thingamajig”. The Name Created In Tucson By A Cook...

Chimichanga Means “Thingamajig”. The Name Created In Tucson By A Cook Who Didn’t Want To Curse In Front Of Kids.

Observed annually on May 11th, National Eat What You Want Day sets diets aside for a day of indulgence.  It’s about having one day a year of eating with no regrets. Whether you love donuts or fast food, today is your day to gratify without feeling guilty.

  • The number one food Americans would eat every day if they did not have to worry about the consequences is pizza! This was closely followed by pasta, and then both burgers and ice cream were in joint third place. In the fourth spot, it was a tie between French fries, chocolate, and burritos or tacos. We then have donuts, cake, chips, and cheese and cookies.
  • Many shredded cheeses and cereals contain cellulose (wood pulp). Per Eater, cellulose, which is essentially sawdust, is often used in various shredded cheese products and cereals to prevent them from clumping.
  • Ketchup was once believed to have medicinal qualities that could cure, among other ailments, diarrhea. In the early 1800s, tomatoes were believed to have medicinal qualities. Per Fast Company, a doctor in Ohio in the 1830s claimed that tomatoes could treat diarrhea and indigestion, publishing recipes for a kind of tomato ketchup that he soon turned into a concentrated pill.
  • One burger patty can contain hundreds of different cows. According to the Washington Post, “hamburgers are almost always a mishmash of many animals. The ground beef we buy at the supermarket is made of an unknown collection of muscle tissues.”
  • Scientists can turn peanut butter into diamonds. Scientists at the Bayerisches Geoinstitut in Germany have discovered that since peanut butter is so rich in carbon, it’s possible to turn simple Skippy into diamonds.
  • Fruit snacks and cars are coated in the same type of wax. They’re coated with carnauba wax, the same stuff that is used on cars to make them shiny.
  • Apple pie is not American.  “As American as apple pie” isn’t actually very American. Pie was invented in Medieval England, while the modern recipe for apple pie with a lattice crust was created and perfected by the Dutch.
  • Potatoes can absorb and reflect Wi-fi signals.  When Boeing wanted to test out its wireless signal on new planes in 2012, they placed giant piles of potatoes on seats. Because of their high water content and chemical makeup, potatoes absorb and reflect radio and wireless signals just like humans do.
  • The red food dye used in Skittles is made from boiled beetles. Carmine, also known as carminic acid, is a common red food dye that can be found in Skittles, maraschino cherries, raspberry and strawberry-flavored junk food, and even lipstick.  Carminic acid also happens to be made from the crushed carcasses of a beetle known as The Dactylopius coccus.
  • Bananas are technically berries — and strawberries are not.
  • Carrots were originally purple.
  • Crackers will give you cavities faster than candy. The phrase “candy will rot your teeth” has probably been drilled into your head since you were a kid. But there are many foods out there that are worse for your dental hygiene than candy, like crackers. That’s because acid — not sugar — is the major cause of tooth decay.
  • In a 2012 study, 52% of Americans (that were polled) believed doing their taxes was easier than figuring out how to eat healthy.
  • At least 1 in 4 people eat some type of fast food every day.
  • Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that in 2011 the average American consumed nearly one ton of food. That’s 1,996 pounds of food a year.
  • 20% of all American meals are eaten in the car.
  • Americans spend 10% of their disposable income on fast food every year.
  • American cheese is not American.  Processed cheese is thought of as an American product, but it was actually invented in Switzerland.  It was created by Waltz Gerber and Fritz Stettler in 1911 to lengthen the shelf-life before it was shipped overseas.
  • Certain music can make you drink faster.  Researchers had an experiment to see how people’s drinking habits changed based on the music that was playing. Loud music seemed to make people drink more, and faster.
  • There’s no answer to how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop.  It’s a heavily debated topic – exactly how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?  It can take anywhere from 144 to 411 licks. However, one study conducted determined the average was 364 licks!
  • Twinkie cream isn’t cream at all. Although the inside is the best part and we’re always excited to get a solid bite of that fluffy goodness, it’s actually vegetable shortening!
  • Lima beans are deadly.  Raw lima beans have lethal amounts of cyanide in them. But, if you cook them thoroughly, you’ll be just fine!
  • South African popcorn isn’t popcorn.  In South Africa, it’s more common for what they call popcorn, to be roasted termites and ants.
  • Chimichanga means “thingamajig”.  Considered to be Mexican food, chimichangas actually originated from Tucson, Arizona. The name was coined in the 50’s by a cook who was trying not to curse in front of kids.
  • German chocolate cake has nothing to do with Germany.  German chocolate cake was invented by a Texan who used “German’s Chocolate” which is simply baking chocolate named after the creator, Sam German.
  • Tonic water glows in the dark.  Quinine is the component of tonic water which is what causes the glow.
  • Eating fast food regularly has the same impact on the liver as hepatitis.  One month of eating fast food can cause significant changes to your liver due to the amount of fat and saturated fats.  These changes in liver enzymes are similar with the effects of hepatitis.
  • There are more Indian restaurants in London than in Mumbai or Delhi.
  • Scientists had 57 volunteers try hot chocolate out of white, cream, red, and orange cups. It was the same hot chocolate, but the volunteers preferred the orange cup.
  • Froot Loops Are All the Same Flavor.  If you think your palate is so refined as to notice a distinct flavor in each of the differently colored Froot Loops, we’re sorry to break it to you—they all taste the same. They’re actually a “blend of fruit flavors,” so no one flavor is more noticeable than the rest.
  • Mountain Dew Is Made Out of Orange Juice.  it’s actually listed third on the lemon-lime soft drink’s ingredient list.
  • Fruit Snacks and Cars Are Coated in the Same Wax. Carnauba wax, the substance that gives gummy bears their trademark gloss, is also used to shine up cars, shoes, surf boards and floors.
  • Ripe Cranberries Bounce Like Bouncy Balls. . Ripe dry-harvested cranberries are known to bounce back like a rubber ball, which is how you’ll know if they’re ready to be used in one of these cranberry desserts worth puckering up for
  • ketchup was used as medicine in the 1830s.
  • Consuming bananas can actually help fight depression
  • Women every day get shellac manicures, a shiny polish used to make sure it doesn’t chip. Well… did you know that jelly beans are encoded in just that?

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Insider

Do Something

The Factsite

Days of the Year

Taste of Home

Spoon University