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Bananas -

Panama disease all but wiped out an entire species of bananas in the 1950s. What does that mean? Well, the bananas we eat today are actually all cloned from a single banana plant in southeast Asia!

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Watermelons -

Not for nothing are watermelons named. One of summer's most iconic fruits contains 92% water. Early explorers to arid regions carried watermelons as a way of keeping hydrated in heat and humidity.

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Apples -

Many of us enjoy a caffeine buzz, right? But did you know that apples give you more energy than coffee? This is because of their high carbohydrate, vitamin, and mineral content—fuel to help you stay energized all day.

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Mangos -

The name "mango" is most likely derived from the Malayalam word manna, which the Portuguese adopted as manga when they arrived in Kerala, India, in 1498 while initiating the spice trade.

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Blueberries -

Blueberries are called star fruits by North American indigenous peoples because of the five-pointed star shape that is formed at the blossom end of the berry.

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Strawberries -

Strawberries are grown in every single US state and Canadian province.

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Grapefruit -

The name for the grapefruit was coined by a Jamaican farmer when he noticed the fruit grew in clusters similar to grapes.

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Raspberries -

According to Greek mythology, raspberries were originally white. The nymph Ida, one of the nurses of baby Zeus, pricked her finger while collecting berries for the crying infant, and the fruit has since been tinged red with her blood. Or so the story goes...

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Pears -

Pears are actually part of the rose family. But while there are around 150 different species of the flower, there are over 3,000 varieties of pears worldwide.

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Oranges -

Orange, the fruit, is older than orange, the color! Historians believe the fruit, known as narang (a rare wild orange), traveled from the Far East to Spain long before the word was used to describe a color in Europe. The Spanish call their orange naranja.

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Pineapples -

Pineapples ripen faster upside down. This is because a pineapple contains starch at its base. Inverting it helps the sugars flow from the base to the rest of the fruit, thus ripening it more rapidly.

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Papaya -

The black seeds sheltered inside ripe papayas taste like black pepper, and in fact are used as a substitute for black pepper corns in certain countries, including Vietnam.

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Kiwi -

Although kiwifruit originated from China, where it's still called a Chinese gooseberry, it was named after its uncanny resemblance to the fuzzy and brown kiwi—New Zealand's national bird.

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Grapes -

Grapes are at least 65 million years old, according to a report published in scientific journal Trends in Genetics. The same study suggests people have been cultivating the fruit for at least 8,000 years.

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Lemons -

The high acidity of lemons make them good cleaning aids. The citric acid is antibacterial and antiseptic, which means that lemon juice can kill bacteria and remove mold and mildew.

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Blackberries -

According to English folklore, blackberries shouldn't be picked after Michaelmas Day in October. The story goes that after Michaelmas, the devil spits or steps on them, rendering the fruit inedible. In fact, wet fall weather does encourage mold growth and can even turn the berries toxic!

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Broccoli -

Did you know that President George H. W. Bush hated broccoli so much that he banned it from Air Force One planes?

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​Brussels sprouts -

The much maligned Brussels sprout is a domesticated version of the wild cabbage that grows in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. The vegetable takes its name from the Belgian capital because it has been cultivated in the surrounding area since at least the 13th century. 

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Spinach - During the medieval era in Europe, the green pigment extracted from spinach was used as ink for artwork.

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Carrots -

Carrots weren't always orange in color. The earliest documented plants produced purple, yellow, or white varieties. Orange carrots were only cultivated in Central Europe around the 15th or 16th century.

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Garlic -

Yes, garlic can ward off blood suckers, but not vampires with sharp teeth in long capes. Instead, the pungent odor is an effective deterrent against mosquitoes.

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Kale -

Did you know that a serving of kale has more absorbable calcium than a small carton of milk?

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Green peas -

Peas were frozen in the 1920s by American inventor, entrepreneur, and naturalist Clarence Birdseye. He is considered the founder of the modern frozen food industry, and established the frozen food company Birds Eye.

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Sweet potatoes -

The flesh of a sweet potato is usually orange in color. But it can also appear white and even a rather disconcerting mauve.

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Beets -

Beets were considered an aphrodisiac in antiquity. Ancient Romans believed that beets and their juice promoted amorous feelings. In Greek mythology, Aphrodite ate beets to enhance her appeal.

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Asparagus -

Asparagus is available in three colors—purple, green, and white. The white type is cultivated in the dark to prevent the color from developing. Purple asparagus is popular across continental Europe. Green asparagus is the most common type and is eaten widely throughout Great Britain and the United States.

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Red cabbage -

It is the flavonoids in the cabbage that give it its color, in fact more purple in hue than red.

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Onions -

In ancient Egypt, the onion was revered as an object of worship. It was seen as a symbol of eternal life because of its many circular layers. After his death, the pharaoh Ramses IV was even entombed with onions shoved in his eye sockets!

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Cauliflower -

The cauliflower originally came from Cyprus. Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder was a fan, describing the cyma (the ancient name for the vegetable) as the most pleasant-tasting of all the varieties of cabbage.

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Green beans -

In a tradition dating back to Roman times, Italians celebrate All Souls' Day on November 2 by sowing broad beans, a symbol of rebirth, and baking cakes in the shape of broad beans, known as "beans of the dead."

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Mushrooms -

Believe it or not, fungi are more closely related to animals, including humans, than to plants. Like us, fungi need food, water, and oxygen to survive. For example, they absorb nutrients from organic matter, unlike plants that produce their food through photosynthesis.

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Leeks -

Legend says that a vision of St. David inspired Welsh soldiers to wear leeks in their caps for a victorious battle in 640 CE against Saxon invaders.

Sources: (Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) (Library of Congress) (Time)

See also: How to choose the best fruit and vegetables

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