Fruits are a necessity if you want to live a healthy lifestyle. And though many people know fruits have a sweet and delicious taste, they don’t always realize the fascinating facts surrounding how they are harvested or consumed around the world. In honor of National Trivia Day, let’s take a look at these little known facts about some of your favorite sweet treats.
Q: A helicopter is used to dry out this fruit after a rainy day, to prevent it from splitting open.
A: A cherry
To protect their delicious and expensive fruit, farmers pay pilots big time to be on standby for the next heavy rain. After the rain comes, helicopters hover above and throughout cherry trees, drying them quickly so they don’t spoil or become soggy.
Q: There is a national _____ reserve, in case supply exceeds demand for this dried berry.
A: Raisin
Really, there’s an emergency raisin reserve! Farmers have to give a percentage of the raisins they grow to the Raisin Administrative Committee. While it may seem a little crazy – there’s actually a pretty good reason for it. Fruits and vegetables are naturally high in nutrients, but spoil quickly. So if there was suddenly a food shortage, this reserve would come in handy.
Q: It’s official – the fruit name came before the color! The word for the color orange wasn’t created until 1542, and was a combination of these two names for the fruit.
A: Naranj and narang
Before the orange was officially called “an orange” it was called a narang in Persia. Once people realized there was no name for the fruit’s unique color, they named the color after the fruit’s skin.
Q: Farmer’s pick this fruit before it is ready, then use technology to trick it into ripening before hitting the shelves.
A: Bananas
Ripe, yellow bananas are too delicate to be transported. So instead, farmers ship the tougher, green bananas in extremely precise storage containers. Using fluctuating temperatures, humidity and several other factors – they are able to trick the bananas into ripening just before they reach their destination.
Q: In 45 A.D., this fruit was originally called “ida” after the mountain it was grown on.
A: Raspberry
However, the plant was originally used for medicinal purposes. When villagers had sick family members, they would travel the mountainside looking for raspberries, as they were believed to have healing properties.
Q: More cranberries are consumed during these two holidays, as compared to the rest of the year.
A: Thanksgiving and Christmas
Cranberries are a staple at any holiday dinner, but you’ll hardly ever see them on the table before Thanksgiving. Despite this, the estimated value of cranberries grown in the U.S. alone is several hundred millions.
Q: There are over 700 varieties of peaches in the world, but peaches are the most respected and admired in this country.
A: China
In China, the peach is a symbol of longevity and good luck. But if you travel there, you probably won’t find the plump, juicy peaches you’re used to eating. Many of China’s peaches are flattened and resemble a hockey puck more than a ball.
Now go forth and spread your new found fruit knowledge. And be sure to let us know how many of these questions you got right!
