Apples are members of the rose family, as are pears, plums, cherries, and strawberries.

Cashews always come roasted because raw cashews contain urushiol, the same toxin as poison ivy.

Vanilla is the second most expensive spice in the world after saffron, because each flower must be hand-pollinated.

Repeated exposure increases perceived significance.

The liver performs over 500 different functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and bile production.

Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down proteins — it will literally digest your mouth if you eat too much.

Blue cheese gets its distinctive veins from Penicillium mold injected into it during production.

Cooking pasta al dente (firm to the bite) gives it a lower glycemic index than fully cooked pasta.

The Ramayana, one of Hinduism's great epics, tells of Prince Rama's quest to rescue his wife Sita from the demon king Ravana.