At least 10 things you might not know (and maybe one or two made-up “facts”)
about…
Ice cream, easter eggs, pigs, turkeys, beavers, nettles, marshmallows, pumpkins.
1. The world record for the biggest pumpkin is the 1,810-pound
(that’s about 821 kilograms) Atlantic Giant grown by Chris Stevens
in Wisconsin. Toxteth O’Grady (USA) came second.
2. The pumpkin is from the squash family and grows on a trailing
plant.
3. It’s believed the first pumpkin was grown about 7,000 years ago.
4. Pumpkins don’t just come in orange. Some are green, yellow, white,
grey and even red. But not blue with a palm tree shaped image on it. That’ll
be a beach ball.
5. For a brief time during the 1980s Pump-Kinster’s™ were the ‘must
have’ fashion item. Pump-Kinster’s™ were training shoes
with an inner sole made from treated pumpkin hide, giving excellent
bounce and resistance.
6. Pumpkin chucking is a contest in which teams build machines, such
as giant catapaults and air cannons, to throw a pumpkin as far as
possible or to hit targets. The record distance for chucking a pumpkin
is almost
a mile!
7. The soft flesh inside the pumpkin can be boiled, steamed, baked
or roasted. Here's a good pumpkin
soup recipe. It can even be pureed
and used as a sweet pie filling.
8. Pumpkin seeds can also be eaten. They are a good source of zinc,
protein and many other nutrients.
9. The English word pumpkin originates from the Greek word for large
melon. Can’t see the connection myself.
10. Pumpkin flesh has allegedly been recommended as a cure for freckles!
There appears to be little evidence to support this theory but as
pumpkins usually ripen in autumn, when freckles fade due to a lack
of sunshine, it’s maybe just an elaborate sales pitch from the Illinois
Giant Pumpkin Growers Association.
11. Whilst carving your pumpkin lantern for Halloween remember that
tinned pumpkin is often recommended for cats and dogs with digestive
problems!
Have you spotted the untruth? Let us know which one is
false and if you think you can come up with anything better, make up one
of your own to replace it. Get creative! We'll put the best online and
give everyone who enters a free "Love Us, Not Eat Us" animal
window sticker. All correspondence to education@vegsoc.org (and
don't forget to include your name and address if you want a window sticker!)
1. The ingredients list for marshmallows usually includes sugar, water, dextrose, flavourings, sometimes colourings, occasionally eggs and unfortunately gelatine. Thankfully it is also possible to find vegetarian and vegan versions without the gelatine.
2. The original recipe is thought to have included the spongy stem of the marshmallow plant, whipped up and mixed with nuts and honey. It was 100% vegetarian.
3. The marshmallow plant can be found growing in damp, wet areas including meadows and marshes in the UK. Its pale pink flowers, usually seen in August and September, are five petalled.
4. Wouldn’t life be wonderful if your doctor prescribed veggie marshmallows for your sore throat? It is suggested that back in the good old days (and we’re talking ancient Egypt here) extracts from the roots of the marshmallow plant were used to soothe this ailment.
5. The sweet sap from the marshmallow plant has also been used as a treatment for the common cold. Next time you’re caught eating a handful of veggie marshmallows in class, just claim it’s for health reasons!
6. They have a practical use too! Astronauts repeatedly found delicate nasal membranes being damaged under the pressure of lift off and marshmallows are a cost-effective solution to this problem. After squeezing the spongy treat up the nasal passage, the cabin decompression allows the marshmallow to gently expand without causing harm to the nose, but still allowing the astronaut to breathe. We do not suggest that you try this at home.
7. Marshmallows were first experienced in Europe in the nineteenth century. French confectioners whipped the mallow sap before adding a sweetener. This was a time consuming process so some bright spark discovered that by using gelatine or egg whites the process was speeded up.
8. Marshmallows are great for toasting over a campfire as they go crispy on the outside and gooey in the middle. Simply spear the mallow with a stick and hold over the fire until it bursts into flame. Remove immediately and blow out. Leave to cool for a while as the marshmallow is now at tongue scalding temperature.
9. The Stay Puft Marshmallow man from the Ghostbusters film was a towering, obese sailor made of marshmallow. After attempting to destroy New York he is blown up, covering all bystanders in liquid goo.
10. Marshmallows are hugely popular in the United States of America. Each year almost 1¼ kgs are consumed for every man, woman and child!
11. So perhaps it's not that surprising that marshmallows can be found
in everything from cereals to ice cream in the USA. There are even
marshmallow sofas and chairs!
Have you spotted the untruth? Let us know which one is false and if you
think you can come up with anything better, make up one of your own to
replace it. Get creative! We'll put the best online and give everyone who
enters a free "Love Us, Not Eat Us" animal window sticker. All
correspondence to education@vegsoc.org (and
don't forget to include your name and address if you want a window sticker!)
1. Nettle leaves and stems are covered in hairs but only some of them
actually cause a sting. The tips of these hairs come off when touched
and
act as a needle, injecting several chemicals including histamine, serotonin
and
acetylcholine.
2. The stinging hairs are thought to have developed as a defence
against grazing animals. Cows don’t like them and only goats
and hungry sheep will touch nettles when the stings are active.
3. Stinging nettles provide the only food for many species of butterfly
larva.
4. Nettles are sometimes used in shampoos. Manufacturers claim
they help to control dandruff and make hair more glossy.
5. When cooked, nettles lose their sting and have a similar flavour
to spinach. They are a good source of vitamin C, iron, and calcium
and also provide a surprising amount of protein. They can be eaten
raw, although we certainly don’t recommend it, and a World
Nettle Eating Championship is held every year at the Bottle Inn,
Dorset, England.
6. Nettles were one of the main ingredients in English beer until
the 1800s. Nettle beer, wine, champagne and cordial are all still
commercially available.
7. Nettle tea is made from dried nettle leaves. It will change
colour from yellowy-green to pink if you add a slice of lemon.
8. A “Be Nice To Nettle Week” takes place in the United
Kingdom every May to celebrate its important role in the natural
world.
9. In late summer the huge quantity of seed produced provide a
food source for many of our seed eating birds.
10. The juice of the stems and leaves has been used to produce
a permanent green dye, while a yellow dye can be obtained from
boiling
the
roots.
11. Cloth has been woven from the fibres in mature nettle stems
for many centuries and has been used for tablecloths and sheets.
It
was also used for German army uniforms during the First World War
when there was a shortage of cotton.
Have you spotted the untruth? Let us know which one is false and
if you think you can come up with anything better, make up one
of your own to replace it. Get creative! We'll put the best online
and give everyone who enters a free "Love Us, Not Eat Us" animal
window sticker. All correspondence to education@vegsoc.org (and
don't forget to include your name and address if you want a window
sticker!)
1. Beavers are vegetarians. Their diet consists of plants and trees and they don ’t eat fish!
2. They belong to the rodent family. Their two front teeth never stop growing and are only kept short by constant gnawing and chewing.
3. Despite being brought close to extinction in North America by hunters during the 18th and 19th centuries, the beaver now enjoys a “protected” status and even became the official emblem of Canada in March 1975.
4. Beavers are second only to humans in their ability to manipulate and change their environment.
5. The largest beaver dam ever was spotted in Northern Alberta, Canada by a satellite from space. It was approximately 850 metres long (about the length of eight football pitches!)
6. Beavers have webbed hind-feet and a wide, hairless, scaly tail that can grow up to 40 centimetres long. They can use their tails to balance and sit on when cutting trees, steer themselves when diving and swimming, and for slapping the water to warn others when they are alarmed.
7. Although occasionally seen during the day beavers are nocturnal. They have poor eyesight but good senses of hearing, smell, touch and humour.
8. A baby beaver is called a kit and there are usually 3-5 kits in a litter. Mating beavers stay together for life and a family group is usually composed of the parents, last year’s litter (or should that be kitter?), who usually leave home after 2 years, and the new born.
9. A beaver’s home is called a lodge and is usually made from tree branches and mud.
10. Beavers can stay underwater for up to 15 minutes, swim at an average speed of 8 kph, have transparent eyelids (like goggles) to help them see whilst they’re swimming and are adept at support sculls, eggbeater kicks and platform lifts.
11. Beavers have a special flap behind their teeth which allows them to chew whilst underwater.
Have you spotted the untruth? Let us know which one is false and if you think you can come up with anything better, make up one of your own to replace it. Get creative! We'll put the best online and give everyone who enters a free "Love Us, Not Eat Us" animal window sticker. All correspondence to education@vegsoc.org (and don't forget to include your name and address if you want a window sticker!)
1. Turkeys are believed to have existed in the wild for over one million years! The modern farmed turkey emerged from the wild species native to North America, where they tend to live in open forests.
2. Turkeys can grow wingspans of up to 6 feet.
3. The vast majority of turkeys (90%) are intensively farmed for their meat. Traditionally, turkeys were mainly reared for the Christmas dining table but today they are produced throughout the year. In 2008 almost 15 million turkeys were slaughtered in the UK.
4. Turkeys are normally slaughtered at between 9 and 21 weeks old, depending on the size of bird being produced. The natural lifespan of a turkey is around 10 years.
5. There are several different versions of where the name Turkey came from. The Native American name for the bird is apparently the Firkee, so you can see what happened there. Another version is that the bird arrived from Turkey although I’m not sure how that explains the name.
6. The fleshy bit hanging down beneath a turkey’s chin is called the wattle and the fleshy bit over the face is the snood. When the turkey is excited or angry, the wattle and snood can change colour from grey to red, white and blue! There have been no recorded cases of a turkey combining all three colours into a Union Jack, yet!
7. It’s only male turkeys that gobble. Gobbling is a mating call and can be mainly heard in spring but male turkeys like to gobble when settling down for the night or when they hear loud noises, too. The females click or cluck.
8. Turkeys have approximately 3,500 feathers!
9. Turkeys have great hearing but no outer ears! They see in colour, have a terrible sense of smell but a great sense of taste. You will never see a turkey in a chequered yellow tank-top.
10. The wild turkey can fly at the surprisingly fast speed of 55mph. They can also run at an unbelievable 25mph. Unfortunately the domestic bird can do neither of these things anymore as they are too heavy due to being selectively bred to provide huge amounts of meat very quickly.
11. Turkeys do not vote for Christmas.
12. A “founding father” of the United States, Benjamin Franklin,
wrote to his daughter that he would have preferred the US emblem to be
a turkey and not a bald eagle. He thought that the turkey ‘though
a little vain and silly, a bird of courage, and would not hesitate to attack
a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his farm
yard with a red coat on.’
Have you spotted the untruth? Let us know which one is false and if you think you can come up with anything better, make up one of your own to replace it. Get creative! We'll put the best online and give everyone who enters a free "Love Us, Not Eat Us" animal window sticker. All correspondence to education@vegsoc.org (and don't forget to include your name and address if you want a window sticker!)
1. The cut-throat world of ice cream history is littered with claims and counter-claims about who first discovered it. Alexander the third of Macedonia (356-323 BC), modestly known to friends and enemies alike as Alexander the Great, was apparently partial to a bit of snow flavoured with nectar and honey. After a long campaign against the Persians crushed nuts was also undoubtedly an option.
2. However, almost 1,000 years before Alexander stalked the earth there were ice houses in China which could keep ice frozen even throughout the summer. The first frozen dessert recipe that comes anywhere near to resembling modern-day ice cream dates from the first century and was found in China. It used a mixture of cow, horse, water buffalo and goat milk.
3. It wasn’t until the 17th Century that an ice cream recognisable by today’s standard was supposedly invented by Francesco Procopio. It was made from cream, eggs and sugar. The first ice cream on a stick wasn’t produced until 1920.
4. The most popular flavour of ice cream is ….vanilla! Chocolate comes second with strawberry third.
5. Among the more unusual flavours of ice cream to have been manufactured are avocado, garlic, adzuki bean, jalapeno, mushy pea and pumpkin. Blue cheese, pepper, chilli and even black pudding flavours are still available today, but most probably not in your local shops!
6. A standard single-scoop ice cream cone takes approximately 50 licks to finish.
7. On average each person in the UK consumes approximately 9 litres of ice cream per year. In the USA, home to the biggest per capita consumers of ice cream in the world, they manage 20 litres each.
8. “Scientists” have supposedly proved that ice cream can make you happy! A claim has been made that when you eat ice cream the part of your frontal brain that is associated with happiness is activated.
9. One of the major ingredients of ice cream is air. It would be far too hard to enjoy it without any. Occasionally ice cream contains animal fats and gelatine so it is important to check the ingredients if possible. When in doubt, just look for the Vegetarian Society approved symbol.
10.
A recent survey concluded that about 13% of males and 8% of females
admit to licking the bowl clean after eating ice cream. 20% of
people share their treat with their cat or dog.
Have you spotted the untruth? Let us know which one is false and if you think you can come up with anything better, make up one of your own to replace it. Get creative! We'll put the best online and give everyone who enters a free "Love Us, Not Eat Us" animal window sticker. All correspondence to education@vegsoc.org (and don't forget to include your name and address if you want a window sticker!)
1. The first mass-produced chocolate Easter egg was created by Fry's of Bristol in 1873.
2. The most popular chocolate egg in the world today is Cadbury's Creme Egg, which first went on sale in 1971. A small amount of real egg is included in the ingredients and Cadburys have committed to going free range for all of their Creme Eggs by 2010.
3. An egg can symbolise new life, rebirth and fertility in many cultures. The egg connection with Easter seems to stem from a pagan celebration of spring in the northern hemisphere. Saxons celebrated the return of spring with a festival commemorating goddess Eostre through her earthly symbol, the hare!
4. According to “research”, when it comes to eating chocolate bunnies, 76% of people prefer to eat the ears first.
5. A virtual Easter egg is an intentional hidden message, in-joke or feature in a film, CD, DVD, computer program, web page, video game or even a book.
6. The (non-veggie) Guinness Book of Records holder for the largest Easter egg ever made is Guylian, the Belgian chocolate manufacturers, who constructed an egg with 1,950 kg of chocolate . The egg measured 8.32 metres high and took twenty-six workers 525 hours to build it.
7. £280million was spent on Easter eggs in the UK on the 4 days leading up to Easter 2008.
8. Dietitians warn that eating five large Easter eggs (the average given to most children) plus the bars included with them in one day, could see youngsters doubling their recommended calorie intake for a whole week!
9. During the early 1880s, Easter eggs substituted for birth certificates in some parts of Germany. An egg was dyed a solid colour, then a design, which included the recipient’s name and birth date, was etched into the shell with a needle or sharp tool. Such Easter eggs were honoured in law courts as evidence of identity and age.
10. Easter’s most valuable eggs were hand crafted in the 1880s by renowned goldsmith Peter Faberge, they were commissioned by the Czar of Russia as gifts for his wife. A diamond encrusted Faberge egg was sold at auction in 2007 for £9 million!
11. Easter eggs for 2009 went on sale in most supermarkets before
their Christmas decorations had been taken down.
Have you spotted the untruth? Let us know which one is false and if you think you can come up with anything better, make up one of your own to replace it. Get creative! We'll put the best online and give everyone who enters a free "Love Us, Not Eat Us" animal window sticker. All correspondence to education@vegsoc.org (and don't forget to include your name and address if you want a window sticker!)
1. Pigs have more taste buds than any other mammal (including humans!).
2. Pigs are omnivores and will naturally eat plants (including bulbs, fruits, roots and fungi), small animals (such as rodents, insects, snails, worms and any carrion) and just about anything else but will most probably draw the line at pickled onion-flavour Monster Munch.
3. Pigs have more teeth (44) than humans (adults 32, children 20). On average a pig eats 2.2kg of food and can drink up to 60 litres of water each day. It takes about 4kg of feed to produce 1kg of meat from a pig. How wasteful is that!
4. Approximately 1.4 billion pigs are slaughtered worldwide for their meat each year.
5. Whilst British pigs are supposedly treated better than many of their European cousins, the Advertising Standards Authority does not believe it is suitable to claim that they have “very high welfare standards!”
6. Pigs have no functioning sweat glands and do not sweat. So next time someone tells you that they are “sweating like a pig” you might want to politely suggest that they choose a more appropriate metaphor. How about “sweating like an overweight darts player”?
7. Pigs can get sunburn and do not enjoy intense warm weather. They wallow in mud to cool down and often use this mud as a sunscreen… why not impress family and friends by trying it yourself this summer?
8. Pigs are sometimes credited with being the 4th most intelligent non-human animal. Chimpanzees come first in most tests, followed by dolphins, elephants, pigs and George Bush.
9. Pigs are very good swimmers and strong runners. On foot they can manage up to 30 miles per hour. If only they were able to ride bikes they could start entering triathlons.
10. Babe, the talking pig, was played by actor Andy Serkis who has also starred as King Kong and Gollum, in Lord of the Rings.
Have you spotted the untruth? Let us know which one is false and if you think you can come up with anything better, make up one of your own to replace it. Get creative! We’ll put the best online and give everyone who enters a free “Love Us, Not Eat Us” animal window sticker…
All correspondence to education@vegsoc.org (and don’t forget to include your name and address if you want a window sticker!)
For loads more pig information try here