They started out as scraps for cattle. Now 70 million pounds of tater tots are eaten every year by people. How did that happen? Let’s go back to mid twentieth century. Times were rough – the Great Depression had been followed by World War Two. There were shortages, rations, and

  What’s your fancy – brownie points, an old camera, or ugly mythical creatures that love to clean house at night? They’re all brownies but not the yummy chocolate treat we love today.  Americans chow down 1.4 billion edible brownies a year in different flavors, shapes, and sizes

What’s a hushpuppy? It’s not my noisy dog but a simple, deep-fried cornbread “cake” iconic in southern-style cooking. The name is almost as good as the food. According to author and editor Jorie Nicole McDonald, when it comes to hushpuppies “It’s all about fried food and a good story.

  Welcome to potato chips. Brits call them crisps, Israelis munch on tapuchips, and Indonesians crunch keripik. Whatever name you use, potato chips are one of the most popular and adaptable snack foods in the world. The global market is worth over forty billion dollars! Where did

That is the question. After all, who wouldn’t want to take credit for 197 million birds eaten each day around the world? Fried chicken is everywhere. From popular restaurants, fast food, frozen, and homemade, it’s a global favorite. There are drumsticks, tenders, breasts, nuggets, san

  In Cantonese (China) they’re called cloud swallows because they float like tiny clouds in soup. Sichuan cuisine calls them folded arms. In Mandarin they’re huntun. In English they’re wontons. What’s a wonton? It’s simple. Take thin dough, add filling, and fold them in a variety

Food historians believe it dates back 8,700 years. A few years ago, Joey Chestnut, the champion of food eating contests, swallowed 32 servings of this snack in 8 minutes. A recent survey found that 92% of Americans can’t get enough of it, munching 17 billion quarts a year. Author Lexi

In America we call it the humble grilled cheese sandwich. Bread has been a staple for a very long time – as far back as 8000 BC (over ten thousand years ago). Cheese is “newer” – dating back to 7200 BC or over nine thousand years. Bread making probably began when humans shifted from n

  Every year three billion fortune cookies are made. The largest, according to Guinness World Records, weighed over three pounds. The average sits in the palm of your hand. Whether dining at a fancy restaurant or munching from white-and-red takeout cartons, fortune cookies are th

Say what? In 1897 dentist William Morrison wanted to boost his income. He joined forces with candy maker John Wharton to invent a machine that made what was originally called spun sugar. Spun sugar had been around since the fifteenth century. Chefs melted sugar and used a fork to flic