Going to the grocery store is a fun experience. You get to wander around the aisles, browse through a wide variety of products and choose the best for you and your family. When it comes to fruit and vegetables, that is also interesting, because you can imagine yummy recipes you are going to make with each ingredient you put in your shopping basket.
But, do you have any idea where all these fruits and vegetables come from? How do they grow? We, city people, have only seen the end product and very few of us- if any- know what they look like when they are growing on the trees, or even underground!
So, if you’re curious to know where your “normal” food comes from, keep reading!
You can find them in seed form on your burger buns, or in the form of sesame oil, popular in the Chinese cuisine, or even as tahini, which is super yummy and nutritious. But have you ever seen where they grow? They actually come from stalk-like plants with little pods at the top.
Sweet and tangy at the same time, this summery, juicy fruit is popular all over the world, and it can be eaten as is or in yummy sweet and savory recipes. Did you know they grow on spiky plants like this very low to the ground? Well, now you do!
Either you love them or hate them, but let’s admit it: they are so impressive as a plant! Look at the beautiful purple flowers on top, aren’t they so cute? Of course, we eat the lower part and most of us had no idea they were once part of a colorful flower!
Well this treat is not for everyone. Some of us just hate them, but honestly, Brussel sprouts cooked with balsamic are delicious! Did you have any idea they grow like this, resembling grapes or jingle bells?
Those nuts are delicious! Whether you enjoy them plain, as an accompaniment to your drink, or on your toast in the form of peanut butter, or even as a sweet treat in peanut butter cookies, they’re delicious every single time. Now it’s time to find out where they grow. Weirdly enough, they are the underground root of these beautiful yellow flowers!
Can’t be unbiased on this nut as pistachio ice cream is the best thing ever! They grow on trees like this and they kind of look like tiny mangoes, don’t you think?
Capers are an acquired taste, but, trust us, they are delicious in tomato salad or in olive tapenade. What we had no idea about, was that they grow out of these beautiful white flowers!
Most of us are probably familiar with vanilla pods that we use in the kitchen. Those frow on plants and are actually green when they are fresh. Thank you to whoever had the great idea to cut the pod in half and use the delicious contents in sweets!
This tangy fruit with the fuzzy brown peel is packed with flavor and nutrients. Although most people think it grows on trees, it actually doesn’t! It grows on the vine just like grapes do.
These delicious nuts don’t grow independently, but they are the lowest part of cashew apples, which in turn grow on trees. Those apples have a distinct bitter flavor and are sometimes made into an alcoholic drink.
Who doesn’t love a pumpkin spice latte or a pumpkin pie? They both have spices in common, and one of those spices that make these treats delicious is cinnamon. Did you know the brown powder we use in our desserts comes from the bark of these trees?
The spicy and fragrant herb grows out of small purple flowers and it is hand collected, which is basically what makes it so expensive!
Almond trees are some of the most beautiful trees out there with their delicate flowers decorating thei branches. Almonds grow out of them and we can eat them in the form of plain nuts or crushed in various desserts.
These tiny berries that are so good for you and, don’t forget, work wonders against UTIs, grow on small shrubs that also produce little flowers!
If you are a chocolate lover, the idea of having a whole tree full of your favorite treat sounds like a scene from Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. But, not really. In fact, raw cacao comes from sticky pods that protrude out of trees and need lots of processing to turn into your favorite chocolate bar!
Espresso, machiatto, lungo, cappuccino… you name it! All those types of coffee have one thing in common: their primary ingredient is coffee beans which come from coffee trees. The beans, when fresh, look a lot like cranberries, don’t you think?
Who doesn’t enjoy an extra dash of pepper as garnish to their favorite soup or spaghetti dish? Well, did you know that black pepper, too, comes from peppercorns that look a lot like berries on the vine?
We know what you’re thinking: haven’t we already seen those before? They were supposed to be pistachios, right? Well, as you can see mangoes do grow on trees just like pistachios, but they end up being a completely different fruit!
Leeks add delicious flavor in soups, while they can also be roasted, used in pies, you name it! The versatile vegetable grows as a plant and it has flowers on top before being harvested.
Oven-roasted asparagus or omelet with asparagus are two of the most delicious dishes you can make with this veggie. Did you know that it grows independently straight up out of the ground?
Pomegranate seeds and juice are really beneficial for your health: they are rich in vitamins C and K, rich in folate and potassium, while they have antioxidant qualities as well. The beautiful fruits grow on trees just like apples do.
Celery is a popular food, especially among people who try to eat healthy. It’s great for munching or dipping into sauces. As you can see, it grows out of the ground, while it also have a leafy part that can be added in salads.
Cloves are used in sweet and savory recipes to spice them up and add a distinct flavor to them. The spice actually grows like a little flower bud on the clove tree.
Unlike what many people think, this yummy fruit doesn’t grow on trees, but on the ground like pumpkins.
Whether you like broccoli or not, you cannot deny it’s a food packed with nutrients and antioxidants. It also grows as a cute plant with little pale yellow flowers on top.
The main ingredient of your favorite hummus dip is chickpeas. But did you know where they grow? Well, they grow as seeds inside green pods and they are cute to watch.
Raise your hand if you thought quinoa grows just like other grains do. Honestly, that’s what we thought, too. However, it seems that it grows on tall stalks with beautiful flowers on them.
Yes, we only know wasabi is a very hot dip, and most of us have no idea what it looks like before it is processed. So, here we are to show you what a wasabi farm looks like!
If the only paprika you know is the powder that we add in spicy dishes, then it’s time you found out the truth. Paprikas are actually red peppers that are sundried and ground in order to obtain the spicy powder.
While we are used to adding ginger powder in our dishes or eating ginger flakes, only a few people know that it is actually a root and not a vegetable or seed.
This exotic fruit grows on trees, just like bananas. Did you know it?
Now, get ready to be shocked! Eggplants are technically considered a berry, since they grow on such low plants. Impressive, right?
Seriously? Dates grow on palm trees? That’s right! They actually grow in large hanging clumps on special date trees like this one!
So, next time you go grocery shopping, you’ll know exactly where everything comes from! And, who knows? This knowledge may help you impress someone shopping right next to you!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
Going to the grocery store is a fun experience. You get to wander around the aisles, browse through a wide variety of products and choose the best for you and your family. When it comes to fruit and vegetables, that is also interesting, because you can imagine yummy recipes you are going to make with each ingredient you put in your shopping basket.
But, do you have any idea where all these fruits and vegetables come from? How do they grow? We, city people, have only seen the end product and very few of us- if any- know what they look like when they are growing on the trees, or even underground!
So, if you’re curious to know where your “normal” food comes from, keep reading!
