Famous Flavors

Turmeric: The Golden Defender Turmeric: The Golden Defender (image credits: pixabay) Turmeric has long been cherished in traditional medicine, but modern studies are now shining a new light on its powerful antibacterial properties. The main compound in turmeric, curcumin, has been shown in research to inhibit the growth of dangerous bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli. In 2024, scientists reported that curcumin could disrupt the cell walls of certain bacteria, making them vulnerable and easier to destroy. Even small amounts of turmeric in your diet can make a difference—think about sprinkling it over roasted vegetables or mixing it into … Read more

Bananas: A Surprising Sugar Bomb Bananas: A Surprising Sugar Bomb (image credits: pixabay) Bananas are often praised for their potassium and fiber, but they are also surprisingly high in sugar. A medium-sized banana can contain about 14 grams of sugar, which is more than many people realize. If you’re working to reduce your sugar intake, eating a banana daily adds up quickly. While bananas do provide energy and nutrients, their sugar content can spike your blood sugar levels, making them less ideal for people trying to limit sugar. In recent nutrition studies, bananas have been called out as one of … Read more

TGI Friday’s Falls From Grace After Four Decades TGI Friday’s Falls From Grace After Four Decades (image credits: flickr) TGI Friday’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 2024, affecting its 39 company-owned locations. The casual dining chain has reduced its footprint from 270 restaurants to just 163 locations, dramatically shrinking its once-mighty presence. After years of struggling with sales growth and multiple closures, this iconic brand that defined the bar-and-grill segment has become a shadow of its former self. The bankruptcy filing ended a difficult period marked by years of declining sales and the company’s recent loss of control … Read more

The Root Glass Company’s Million-Dollar Secret The Root Glass Company’s Million-Dollar Secret (image credits: unsplash) When you hear about a Coke bottle selling for nearly a quarter of a million dollars, you might think it’s some kind of joke. But in 2019, an extremely rare Coca Cola bottle sold at Morphy Auctions for $110,700. This bottle was from 1915, and was a prototype for the company’s curved bottle design. Eventually another style was chosen as the wide middle didn’t work well with conveyor belts. The story gets even wilder when you realize previous prototypes of this bottle were destroyed, making … Read more

Captain D’s: The Southern Seafood Giant Going National Captain D’s: The Southern Seafood Giant Going National (image credits: flickr) Captain D’s continues to dominate the seafood landscape with more than 530 restaurants across 23 states, recently signing its “largest development agreement to date” for 26 new restaurants in St. Louis, Indianapolis, and North Carolina. The Nashville-based chain has ambitious goals to surpass 1,000 units and open between 25 to 40 locations each year. The company is making bold moves into new territories, planning its first New Jersey location this year and first New York location in late 2024, plus five … Read more

Cracker Jack Cereal – A Carnival in a Bowl Cracker Jack Cereal – A Carnival in a Bowl (image credits: By Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77250063) Picture this: you’re at a baseball game, crunching on those sticky-sweet treats everyone knows and loves. Now imagine that same experience in cereal form, complete with prizes inside every box. A magazine ad introducing this cereal in 1983 read, “Introducing Cracker Jack brand Cereal. Nutritious golden puffs of cracklin’ crunch and a prize in every box.” Packing a caramelly, corny, and malty flavor, this cereal packed quite a sugary punch – not to mention … Read more

Flamin’ Hot Fritos: All Heat, No Soul Flamin’ Hot Fritos: All Heat, No Soul (image credits: flickr) Let me start with what will probably surprise you the most about this ranking. The Flamin’ Hot Fritos bag boasts a diagonal line of flames, inviting the eater to play with fire. Take a look at the chips themselves, and you quickly realize their fiery orange-red hue picks up where the bag leaves off. The artificial vibrancy of the color is a little unnerving to the eye; a closer look reveals it’s the result of a sandy red seasoning that looks kind of … Read more

Make Homemade Peach Jam for Year-Round Enjoyment Make Homemade Peach Jam for Year-Round Enjoyment (image credits: unsplash) When you’ve got an abundance of ripe peaches sitting on your counter, making jam is one of the most rewarding ways to capture that summer sweetness. The sweet flavor of summer peaches can be captured for year-round enjoyment through canning, freezing, drying, pickling, and by making them into jams and preserves. Peach jam requires just three simple ingredients: peaches, sugar, and a splash of lemon juice to prevent darkening. The process is surprisingly simple and fills your kitchen with the most incredible aroma. … Read more

The Science Behind Nestlé’s 90-Degree Rule The Science Behind Nestlé’s 90-Degree Rule (image credits: unsplash) Nestlé’s chocolate experts have uncovered something fascinating that most home bakers overlook completely. The company strictly recommends never exceeding 90 degrees Fahrenheit when melting their morsels, and there’s solid scientific reasoning behind this seemingly arbitrary number. When you push chocolate beyond this temperature threshold, the delicate crystalline structure begins to break down in ways that can’t be reversed. If melted improperly or too fast, chocolate can get hard, clumpy, and “concrete” like – a process called “seizing” that often happens if water comes into contact … Read more

McDonald’s Burgers Shrink While Prices Soar McDonald’s Burgers Shrink While Prices Soar (image credits: unsplash) Walk into any McDonald’s today and you might notice something’s off – the burgers look thinner than your grandmother’s pancakes. One commenter lamented that “McDonald’s is one of the only places you go in hungry and come out feeling hungrier,” highlighting the frustrating reality of shrinkflation. Customers are posting photos on Reddit showing Big Macs that look like they’ve been steamrolled, with patties so thin they’re practically transparent. As a result, the world’s largest fast-food chain has found itself the target of numerous shrinkflation complaints. … Read more