Do you really know where your favorite fruits, vegetables and spices come from? Living in a world where the local grocery store holds all of the foods you could ever want leaves us virtually clueless about the origins of food.
A delectable strawberry, a splash of cinnamon, or garlic roasted brussel sprouts, all of these delicious foods come straight from mother nature–and in some pretty incredible ways.
For instance, chocolate grows from trees, and cinnamon is derived from the bark of a tree–who knew?!? Out of these 21 favorite fruits, vegetables, and spices there are surly some that will surprise you once you see how they grow before hitting the local supermarket.
1. Cacao
Before your chocolate bar was processed into an unhealthy junk food, it starts off growing on a tree. Inside of the cocoa plant lives the cocoa beans, which are used to make cocoa powder, chocolate, and cocoa mass.
2. Cinnamon
Before sprinkling some cinnamon on your food, do you ever stop to wonder where it comes from? There are several types of trees that grow cinnamon within their bark.
3. Peanut
4. Vanilla
Vanilla is one of the most popular spices, used in everything from dinner to desert. Before turning into a delectable spice, vanilla starts as a pretty orchid plant.
5. Black Pepper
Black pepper is a common seasoning and spice that comes from a flowering vine that belongs to the Piperaceae family.
6. Kiwi
Kiwis are extraordinarily delicious, although they require very particular requirements in order to grow into healthy, lush plants. Instead of the big, tall trees you might be imagining, Kiwi comes from a woody vine .
7. Almond
8. Avocado
9. Sesame Seeds
You might not consider its origin often, but the sesame seed is the oldest oilseed crop known to mankind. The sesame seed comes from a broadleaf plant which reaches 5-6 feet tall in height.
10. Starfruit
11. Pineapple
12. Cashew
A tropical evergreen is responsible for growing cashew nuts and the cashew apple. The cashew apple is a fruit that contains a pulp that can be made into a sweet tasting drink, while the cashew nut is technically a seed.
13. Mango
12. Coffee
Coffee is one of the most valuable and highly traded commodities throughout the world. Although it starts off much different than you likely imagine. Coffee beans grow from small shrubs or trees naturally found in southern Africa and tropical Asia.
13. Capers
A common component of fancy meals, capers are a delectable treat derived from the caper bush
14. Saffron
The spice saffron comes from a beautiful plant commonly referred to as the saffron crocus.
15. Brussel Sprouts
Every once in a while my local market sells brussel sprouts straight from the vine. The first time I saw this I couldn’t believe how cool it looked!
16. Tea Plant
Tea is a popular beverage that comes from the leaves and leaf buds of the Camellia Sinensis.
17. Artichokes
Artichokes are delicious! The intricate vegetable is sold sans-purple flower toper, causing many surprise when they find out how artichokes originally look.
18. Pomegranate
Pomegranate juice, dried pomegranates, or fresh pomegranate. No matter how you slice it, this tree-growing fruit is incredible from start to finish.
19. Pistachio
A member of the cashew family, the pistachio grows from a small tree that is native to Central Asia and the Middle East.
20. Persimmon
These delicious fruits come in a variety of textures, tastes, and colors. If you don’t often see them in your local store, it’s because they don’t ship well. In order to get your fill of persimmon, you can grow your own persimmon tree!
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