In honor of National Junk Food Day on July 21st.
In honor of National Junk Food Day on July 21st, I compiled five junk food fun facts I thought you might enjoy learning about.
In case it's helpful, below are the topics covered in this post:
What is Junk Food?
Merriam-Webster defines junk food as "food that is high in calories by low in nutritional content." No, it is not food made of trash, but it is not considered the healthiest option for people to consume.
Rather, junk food is food already prepared and ready to eat or does not take much time and effort to prepare. Types of junk food include fast foods (i.e., hamburgers, pizzas, french fries), candies, cakes, soft drinks, etc.
Junk Food Fun Facts
Below are ten interesting facts about junk food:
#1. Doritos
Doritos were created in the Disneyland theme park in 1955. A cast member who worked at the "Casa de Fritos" restaurant operated by Frito-Lay suggested that stale tortillas should be cut up and fried for guests. The snack became a staple of the restaurant's menu and eventually put into mass production for premiere in 1974.
#2. SPAM
SPAM is often rumored to be made of "mystery meats." However, that is not the case. It is pre-cooked ham packed tightly into a can. SPAM consists of six ingredients: pork with ham, salt, water, modified potato starch, sugar, and sodium nitrite.
Bonus fact: If SPAM is too salty for your liking, you can reduce the salt content by rinsing or soaking the meat with cold water, boiling it, or adding lemon juice to it.
My Mom regularly fed me rice with SPAM as a kid. (It is my comfort food.) The rice also helped reduce the saltiness of the meat.
#3. Pringles
Unlike most potato chips, Pringles are not the typical circle shape. They are oval and semi-curved or bent. The technical name for the shape is "hyperbolic paraboloid." The chips were designed this way to reduce breakage in its cylindrical container.
#4. French Fries
Are french fries from France? The origin of this fried potato is disputed between the French and Belgians. Some have argued that french fries were invented in Belgium during the 1600s.
Others argued that they originated in France during the 1700s. It is likely the word "french" refers to the old Irish cooking technique "to french" in which food is cut into pieces.
#5. Pound Cake
The pound cake was named based on how it was originally made. The original pound cake recipe called for one pound of butter, one pound of sugar, one pound of eggs, and one pound of flour.
What's Next?
I recommend celebrating National Junk Food Day by searching for more fun facts. Of course, you could always snack on your favorite junk food while you are learning more about its history.
What is your favorite junk food item? Comment below to share your favorite junk food and a fun fact about it.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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