We’ve taken ten different foods that make up the basics of cooking (eggs, rice, apples, tea, mushrooms, chocolate, chilli pepper, pumpkin, beer and honey) and we’ve had a good time finding a fun way of teaching you facts, trivia and the foods’ properties by using the letters of the alphabet.
And now we’ve got a new trick up our sleeve: we’ve made an acronym from Fine Dining Lovers, with each letter coming from one of our past alphabets.
Fabergé eggs. Commissioned for the first time by Russian Tsar Alexander III for his wife Maria Fyodorovna, the 57 jewelled eggs of the Imperial collection were made by the goldsmith Peter Carl Fabergé.
Italian “le mondine”. In the Italian countryside, ‘mondine’, or female rice field workers, used to sing amongst themselves while they worked, teasing and calling to one another.
New York. It is an apple bigger than any other: this city has a nickname known the world over.
Elevenses. 1 o’clock in the morning, to stay alert, in England it’s common to take a break with a cup of tea and some cakes: Elevenses.
D as vitamin D. Just like humans, mushrooms can produce their own vitamin D (an essential nutrient for the body and bones) when exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
Ice cream. Kids go crazy for chocolate in the form of ice cream. Or here’s a good trick: cover the ice cream cone with melted chocolate, and wait a few seconds.
Naga viper. One of the spiciest chillies is the Naga Viper, a genetically modified mix of the most powerful varieties, created in an English greenhouse.
Indian word "squash" derives from the Narragansett Indian word, “askutasquash”, (roughly translated to mean «a green thing eaten raw») which was documented by Roger Williams.
Napkin. If you don’t want your napkin or beer mat to stick to the bottom of your pint while you’re drinking, sprinkle a few grains of salt on them before putting your beer down.
Glass isn’t just the best thing to keep honey in. This nectar can also be enjoyed in liquid form, in a glass, with the addition of alcohol: many excellent honey beers are produced around the world.
License. In many countries, you need to get a license before you can go foraging for mushrooms.
Omelette. The ancient Romans supposedly made the first omelette, which they sweetened with honey, calling it ovemele (eggs and honey).
Varieties. In North America, squash is loosely grouped into summer squash or winter squash, depending on whether they are harvested as immature fruit (summer squash) or mature fruit (autumn squash or winter squash).
Energy. An excellent source of energy, rice is rich in carbohydrates, which are needed for the brain to function properly, and for all kinds of physical activity.
Red Delicious. Red apples are the world’s best-loved: the most common variety is the Red Delicious, which is of American origin, and is juicy, sweet and beautifully scented.
Sumerian. The Sumerians and Babylonians mentioned honey and apiculture in Hittite law as far back as 2100 BC.