As an antidote to the mayhem, we offer our weekly dose of calm in the form of Fun Friday Food Facts. For best results, simply take six, breathe deeply and let the trivia wash over you …
* Bees are not the only insects to produce honey; some species of wasps and even some aphids also make it.
* Other than water, tea is the most consumed beverage in the world. It is estimated that 2bn people drink tea every morning – over a quarter of the population of the planet.
* During World War I, US sauerkraut makers were concerned that patriotic feeling would lead the American public to reject a product with such a German-sounding name, so they renamed it ‘Liberty Cabbage’.
* There are about 350 different types of pasta, but about four times as many names for them as many are known by more than one name.
* Of the major edible insects, mealworms pack the most protein – more on a ‘gram for gram’ basis than eggs or salmon.
* In 320 AD, because of the association sausages had with pagan festivals, Roman Emperor Constantinus I and the Catholic Church made eating them a sin and they were banned.