The name sandwich came from the Earl of Sandwich—he granted the use of his name for this novel concept of meat between bread way back in the 1700s, and it’s persevered as a favourite food of people around the world although today’s sandwiches are a bit more artisan!

Breads, and particularly flatbreads, have been around for centuries. Flatbreads date back to the Ancient Egyptians. Did you know that pita bread has been in existence for at least 12,000 years in Middle-Eastern countries?

In the eighteenth century, it was popular for men and women of the aristocracy to colour their wigs white with flour. This lasted until 1715 when riots broke out in Caen, France because the use of flour for wigs had caused a bread shortage!

Artisan bread is a handcrafted loaf that is mixed, fermented, shaped and baked traditionally. Artisan bread is one of the oldest most basic foods that we consume today. Like centuries ago, these breads are made using quality ingredients and attention to detail.

There are 7,500 varieties of apples grown around the world. If you tried a new apple variety each day, it would take you 20 years to get through them all.

In Latin, the word ‘onion’ translates to ‘large pearl’. Ancient Egyptians worshipped onions. They buried onions with their pharaohs and they presented baskets full of onions as funeral offerings.

According to an Ethiopian legend, the caffeinated power of coffee was discovered when a goat herder witnessed his goats’ energetic behaviour after snacking on the berries of the coffee plant. He tried some for himself and felt the same buzz-like effects.

Did you know that 49% of adults in the United States eat at least one sandwich a day?

The English word ‘soup’ comes from the Middle Ages word ‘sop’, which was slice of bread over which roast drippings were poured. The first archaeological evidence of soup being consumed dates back to 6000 B.C. The main ingredient was Hippopotamus bones!

When Swiss cheese ferments, a bacterial reaction generates gas. As the gas is liberated, it bubbles through the cheese leaving holes. Cheese-makers call the holes ‘eyes’.

Mayonnaise is said to be the invention of the French chef of the Duke de Richelieu in 1756. While the Duke was defeating the British at Port Mahon, his chef was creating a victory feast that included a sauce made of cream and eggs. When the chef realised that there was no cream in the kitchen, he improvised, substituting olive oil for the cream. A new culinary masterpiece was born, and the chef named it Mahonnaise in honour of the Duke's victory.

Mushrooms have no chlorophyll so they don't need sunshine to grow. Some of the earliest commercial mushroom farms were set up in caves in France during the reign of King Louis XIV (1638-1715).

Did you know that an average ear of corn has an even number of rows – usually 16?

The term ‘upper crust’ refers to the aristocracy. In the 1800s, flat bread loaves were baked in stone ovens and sliced horizontally. The lower crust was of the loaves inedible because it had been in contact with the dirty oven floor so it was used as a plate or given to the servants to eat. The upper crust was baked perfectly and given to the lord and lady of the castle or manor. These people became known as the ‘upper crust’.