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Video shows how Gummy Bears are made in reverse

You’ll never look at a gummy bear the same way again.

Photo by Amit Lahav on Unsplash

Another type go gummy... Gummy Bears.

The first gummy bears were created in the 1920s by Hans Riegel, owner of the Haribo candy company in Bonn, Germany. Since, gummy candies have become popular worldwide and evolved to take the shapes of fish, sour patch kids, frogs, worms, and just about anything a clever candy maker can imagine.

But unlike the popular Disney '80s "Gummi Bears" cartoon, these sweet little guys don't come from a hollow tree in the forest. Sadly, their creation is a bit more terrifying.

In the video below, Belgian filmmaker Alina Kneepkens shows how the colorful snacks you bought at the movie theater actually began as pigskin. Yes, an NFL football and a gummy bear have the same humble beginnings. But if you're a vegan or vegetarian, there's no need to worry; there are candy manufacturers that make gummy bears out of agar and pectin so you can enjoy these fruity delights minus the swine skin.

Now, you know you want to sing along to this tune.

This article originally appeared on 9.3.21

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Joy

Why eggplants are called eggplants and 9 other fun food facts

Did you know that Doritos can help start a campfire? Our food is full of yummy surprises.

Representative Image From Canva

Food provides just as much entertainment as it does nourishment, doesn't it?

It’s funny how food is something that, presumably, every person on Earth has encountered each and every day of their life—probably three times a day, for most of us. And yet, food never ceases to surprise us. There are endless new flavor mash-ups, hidden histories and health benefits to discover.

So, in honor of this…as we are more likely to celebrate Pi day, Mar 14, with a deep dish pizza or merengue-filled pastry than we are to do anything remotely mathematical, let’s sink our teeth into some fun food facts, shall we?

Enjoy 10 savory, sweet, and even surprising morsels of food-based tidbits below.

1. There’s actually a good reason we call them eggplants

eggplant, eggplant recipes

Totally see how they got the name eggplant now

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Though across the pond these nightshades are called aubergine, they are called eggplants in the U.S. Which doesn't seem to make a lot of sense, given that the eggplants we buy at the store are oblong and purple. I don’t know about you, but I’d be concerned for whatever bird laid an egg like that.

But when eggplants were first discovered in the mid-18th century (well, discovered by the British occupiers of India, anyway) they grew small an white out of the vine, much more akin to a chicken egg. These types of white eggplants still exist, but just aren’t as marketable as their purple counterparts.

Oh, and eggplants are technically more of a berry. Remember that next time you’re at Olive Garden.

While we’re on the subject of berries….

2. Order a bouquet of…raspberries?

Raspberries, as well as strawberries and blackberries, aren’t actually berries, but are instead part of the rose family. Thorns and all.

However, botanically speaking, bananas, pumpkins and lemons totally are berries. Cause why not.

3. Going camping? Don’t forget the Doritos!

doritos, doritos campfire, camping

A nice campfire at only 150 calories per serving.

Representative Image From Canva

According to Mashed.com, Doritos have the perfect combination of cornstarch, vegetable oil, and salt to make them “flammable enough to maintain strong flames.” This goes for any corn based chip, really. So if you’re more of a Fritos or Cheetos person, fear not!

4. Julius Caesar did not create the Caesar salad. A guy in Tijuana did.

caesar salad, caesar sala recipe

So basically these should be served in both Mexican and Italian restaurants.

Representative Image From Canva

Back in 1927 hotel owner Caesar Cardini made the salad for some guests using the limited ingredients he had on hand at the time: lettuce stalks, olive oil, raw egg, croutons, parmesan cheese and Worcestershire sauce.The concoction became one of the most popular salads of all time.

Granted, Caesar had moved from Italy to Tijuana to avoid Prohibition, so you could still say Caesar salad is an Italian food.

5. Spam stands for 'spiced ham'

Considering Spam is made with just six ingredients—pork, salt, water, potato starch, sugar and sodium nitrate—seems a bit misleading. But definitely catchy.

6. Croissants aren't as French as they seem

cookie dough croissant, croissant recipe

No matter where they come from, croissants are delightful

Representative Image From Canva

What with cookie dough croissants going viral right now, this history lesson seemed the most appropo.

While these fluffy, flaky, buttery pastries seem about as Parisian as it gets, it is widely agreed that this style of baked bread first came from Austria, with the kipferl.

As the popular legend goes, the kipferl celebrated Vienna’s defeat of the Ottoman Empire, its shape representing the moon on the Ottoman flag.

Essentially, Vienna was eating its enemies.

7. Peanuts are the bomb. Literally.

The oil in peanuts makes glycerol, which is sometimes used to make nitro-glycerine—a key ingredient of dynamite. Of course, peanuts are not an essential dynamite ingredient.

8. Don’t let Froot Loops’ rainbow colors fool you

froot loops, cereal

Red=froot, blue=froot, yellow=froot…you get it.

Representative Image From Canva

There is only one flavor. "Froot flavor.” That’s it. That’s all there ever was, and likely all there ever will be.

9. German chocolate cake was brought to you by a Texan

The first-ever published recipe for German chocolate cake can be traced back to a Texas homemaker in the '50s. “German” was used as a credit to Sam German (also not German) whose brand of baking chocolate was used to bake the cake. In fact, it was originally called “German’s Chocolate Cake. But eventually the “‘s” was dropped.

10. One single spaghetti noodle is called a spaghetto.

Welp, SpaghettiOs make even less sense now.

Of course, these fun facts are only appetizers in the never-ending courses of interesting stories our foods provide. But still, something to chew on.

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Family

Woman shares a simple hack for deboning a rotisserie chicken

Now you can get all of the meat.

via Jennifer Burk/Unsplash and 46137/Flickr

A rotisserie chiekcn becomes shredded chicken.

In a world where grocery prices are still sky-high, one deal that you can get at just about any grocery store is a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. In some places, you can get one for as low as $4.99 and they have enough meat on ‘em to feed a small family (with some sides, of course).

The trick to getting the most out of your reasonably priced chicken is ensuring no meat is left on the bone. That’s where a TikTokker named Katie R. comes in. She recently shared an easy technique that’ll help you remove all the meat from the bone, and the video was clearly a big help; it's received over 6.8 million views.

​Here’s how it’s done: Place the chicken in a plastic freezer bag while it is still warm. Then, give the chicken a good massage, rubbing the meat out of the bones. Flip the bag over a few times, keep rubbing, and the meat will be separated from the bones in a few minutes.

Now you’re ready to make shredded chicken tacos.

#debonechickenhack #rotisseriechicken

@katierreames

#debonechickenhack #rotisseriechicken

One important note: When you’re done, be sure to thoroughly remove any small bones trapped among the shredded chicken.

The commenters loved the video, but a few joked that they never get to the point where they need to debone the chicken because they eat it while they’re still in the store. "Wait.. we’re not eating the whole thing while we shop ?" FaKup wrote. "Wait! We’re not eating the whole thing while picking up the groceries? Cause I thought that’s what it was for… just a snacky snack," Shannon added.

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Pop Culture

Guy gives an Asian spin on classic American foods, and the results are truly delectable

From matcha Twinkies to pork bun Happy Meals, Frankie Gaw's creations are a delicious way to bridge a gap between cultures.

Polina Tankilevitch/Pexels, Larry D. moore/Wikipedia

Imagine: Scallion pancake french fires and mochi Twinkies. Mouth watering yet?

We know that food and identity are intricately linked. And when we shame a person’s food choices—especially when the dish is representative of their culture—we are also shaming the individual’s heritage.

Asian-Americans in particular have been on the receiving end of this type of discrimination. It’s such a universal childhood experience that the term “lunchbox moment” was coined to describe having their school lunches being ridiculed.

Fortunately, society is evolving. Diversity, inclusion and blending culture is becoming more the norm. And food, like every art form, follows suit. Hence, delectable fusions that not only delight the taste buds, but cook up a more curious and compassionate world.

Which brings us to Taiwanese-American designer turned food writer and photographer Frankie Gaw.

On his website, Gaw claims he’s “not a chef by any means,” but just one scroll through his blog, titled “Little Fat Boy,” will have you thinking differently.Gaw’s recipes are heavily inspired by the meals prepared to him in childhood by his grandmother, who makes several guest appearances during his videos.

“My hope…is to capture the melting pot of food experiences that I love through recipes, videos, pop-up events, and more. I just want it to feel like you’re eating in my grandma’s kitchen and getting the best kind of fat with 10-year-old plump me with a bunch of steamed buns stuffed in your face, coupled with a little slice of Midwestern suburban goodness,” he says.

That intention certainly comes across with his “American Classics turned Taiwanese” series, where everything from Twinkies to Mcdonald’s Happy Meals to good ol’ mac n’ cheese gets an Asian spin.

Did we mention that he even creates his own version of the food packaging? Yeah, he’s extra in the best way.

With each recipe video, Gaw shares moments of his life, like how he would screen his lunch for non-American snacks and throw them away, or pontificate how life might be different if iconic brands capitalized on different flavors from around the world. Like if Campbell's soups introduced congee to “made congee into a pantry staple,” or if Cheerios introduced Asian flavors like sesame and miso.

After seeing his creations, it’s hard not to wonder that too. See more below:

I could eat 7 strawberry match "Twunkies" in one go, easily.

Congee is just like soup, but with more flavor and fillings? Sign me up.

Gaw is right. More cereal flavors, please.

Taiwanese fried chicken + Cheetos = tastebud heaven

Not only is this version of Lunchables way more pleasing to the eye, it would probably be more satisfying for the tummy.

Caramalized onions make everything better. So why not mac-n-cheese.

Hoping to explore some of Gaw’s recipes yourself? Gaw recently came out with a cookbook, titled “First Generation: Recipes from My Taiwanese-American Home,” which is filled not only with unique, scrumptious meal ideas, but deeply personal stories from his childhood, giving viewers a real opportunity to be transported to new places. And all through food! What’s not to like?

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