TastyTastic

What Is Paprika Made Of?Paprika is an ingredient that we add to almost everything we eat, from main dishes such as paella and meat dishes to drinks like paprika tea (yes, apparently this exists). With how widely used it is, we would expect that people would know what it is made of.Paprika is actually not made from a singular plant alone, like thyme or any other herbs used as ingredients in cooking. In a post by Australian food company nutraorganics, paprika is created from regular peppers that have been dried and crushed. Manufacturers tend to prefer sweet and mild peppers, which are longer and thinner compared to their US variety.Image credit: Karolina Grabowska

"Penny Licks" are Another Reason We Love Ice Cream ConesIce cream became a popular street food in the 19th century. Vendors in England, America, and elsewhere would take a cart out equipped with ice cream and small glass containers called "penny licks." These were thick and heavy, and had a deceptively small bowl that held a penny's worth of ice cream. After a customer finished their ice cream, they were dunked in a bowl of water and wiped out with a towel -if they were cleaned at all. This was a perfect way to transmit tuberculosis, which led to the penny lick being banned in London in 1899. Over the next couple of decades, other places also banned the penny lick glass containers due to their unsanitary role in the spread of disease. However, there was already a perfectly suitable replacement in the works. The French had been serving soft desserts in rolled-up crepes and waffles for hundred years by then, and the leap to serving ice cream in them was a matter of several manufacturing innovations. Not only were they single-use, but they were biodegradable even when not eaten. Penny licks are now collectible antiques.

Trying Out The Secret Menu In Dunkin DonutsSpoiler alert: it’s a series-based drink. With the recent release of the latest season of Outer Banks on Netflix, a secret drink has been making the rounds in TikTok based on the show. This combination can be ordered in Dunkin Donuts stores, provided that they are taking requests.The video spread online initially in 2021, during the release of the show’s second season. The Outer Banks-inspired drink was a concoction of lemonade with four pumps of coconut and a shot of blue raspberry Coolata. However, the store is no longer selling lemonade, so TikTokers put their heads together to find a replacement. TikToker @travelingtastebuds discovered an alternative: a green tea drink that’s as refreshing as lemonade, but a bit more complicated.They recommend that customers order iced green tea with both raspberry and blueberry shots and add the liquid cane sugar sweetener. To achieve the Outer Banks’ ocean blue shade, they recommend adding a shot of blue raspberry Coolata and some cold foam. Image screenshot via travelingtastebuds/TikTok

An Intriguing Method for Making Your Greens Last LongerWe all know you can save money by buying food in bulk, but that's not always good for food that has a short shelf life, like fresh greens. The problem is exacerbated for people who live alone, because even a small package can start to wilt before you can eat it all. But if you happen to own a SodaStream, you've got it made. The device was designed to add carbon dioxide to drinks to make them carbonated. It can do the same to a bag of vegetables. The foodies at America's Test Kitchen divided a package of assorted lettuces into two plastic bags. They stored one the way anyone would. Then they inflated the second bag with carbon dioxide from a SodaStream. The result was that the regular bag of lettuce began to wilt after five days, while the "carbonated"bag lasted nine days before it began to wilt! In a regular kitchen we would expect that you would have to re-inflate the bag with carbon dioxide after getting lettuce out for your meals, but that's a small price to pay to make your greens last almost twice as long. And you can stop regretting giving shelf space to a SodaStream, since it is no longer a single-use kitchen gadget. -via Kottke (Image credit: Accuruss) 

How "Ethnic" is That Food, Anyway? America is a land of immigrants, people from all over who came here to start a new life. They brought cuisine from their native lands, and shared it with everyone. Once a new dish caught on outside an ethnic enclave, it became American. Often somewhere along the way, someone would change it a little to make it simple, faster, sweeter, or conform to the ingredients available. Recipes were shared, and even the names of dishes were changed from the original. There are also purely American food innovations that were labeled as being from some other place to made it more alluring. The result of all this is a bunch of American dishes with ethnic-sounding names and complicated backstories that have been lost to time. But not always- Weird Food History digs up those stories so we can know and enjoy our favorite dishes no matter whether they are "authentic" or not.

25 Recipes to Celebrate the Vernal Equinox with Seasonal FoodsThe Vernal Equinox is Monday, and will be the official beginning of spring. You will agree it's not a moment too soon. Spring means the beginning of gardening season and fresh local produce! But there are certain fruits and vegetables that are nearing their peak already: asparagus, broccoli, spinach, rhubarb, sugar snap peas, artichokes, strawberries, and more. The equinox is not normally a holiday you would celebrate by singing songs or putting up decorations (although Easter decorations will do just fine), but since you are making dinner anyway, you can pay homage to the semiannual event by trying a new recipe or two that highlight those early fruits and vegetables you see at the local farmer's market. They'll taste super fresh and might even inspire you to plant a garden of your own this year! Find a collection of 25 recipes for early spring produce at Romper. You're sure to find something to tickle your palate. (Image credit: Simply Scratch)