Tidbit #17 - April 12, 2011

Anyone up for some Starbucks? I always get a Tall Strawberries n' Cream Frappucino. Mmmm... Milkshakes. But why is it a Tall size if it's so small?

Question: Why is tall coffee the small size?


Answer: This one was tougher to search up than I thought. I found what seems to be the right answer, though:

Originally, most coffeeshops only had two sizes: short and tall, based on not only the amount of drink they held, but by their height. (hence, short and tall) Eventually, as supply and demand grew, so did the drink sizes, and what was once the largest size (tall) became the shortest size, and the name just stuck. You can still order it as a "short" size and you'll get the same size, but isn't it sad how demand has grown like that?

So, as a condensed answer, we have:

Tall coffee is the small size because, due to increasing demand for more drink, the large (tall) became the small, and the name stuck.

Tidbit #11 - April 6, 2011

I was just recently hired at my local amusement park, Six Flags Magic Mountain. I was all jazzed when I found out where I was working, because I was working at a place called Suzette's Bakery, which was the place where they make funnel cakes! I thought about how tasty-smelling my job was going to be, working with funnel cakes every day. But then I got to wondering after I served my first cake, "Why is it called a funnel cake?" So, naturally, I searched it up.

Question: Why is it called a funnel cake?

Answer: I searched it up, and I found a couple possible solutions:

1. "It is made from an oil funnel like the one you use in your garage." (Re: WikiAnswers)
2. The batter that is fried to create the funnel cake has to be poured out in a certain indistinguishable pattern to create that uneven plaid-checkered pattern. My guess is that, in most cases, you use any type of funnel to pour the batter in that uneven pattern, so as to get more control over the shape instead of having it just be a plain circle. (In a nutshell, using a funnel to pour the batter out) Although this might just be the original or most common way people make their funnel cakes, because my work area uses a pitcher to pour the batter into the fryer.

So, what do we have here?

Our delicious fried treat is so aptly named because a funnel is used to make one, in most cases.

I could have guessed that!

Tidbit #9 - April 4, 2011

Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Mmmm.. That's the stuff. The sound of popcorn popping is among one of the more pleasurable parts of the tasty snack. One of the less pleasurable aspects is waiting for it to finish popping. You might have wondered what exactly makes the popcorn pop.

Question: Why does popcorn pop?


Answer: Three elements of a popcorn kernel contribute to the making it that delicious treat: percentage of water, waterproof shell, and a starchy center.

When you heat the popcorn kernels up, the water inside the shell begins to steam.

If the shell is waterproof, then every single kernel is like a tiny pressure cooker. The starch in the kernel becomes something of a gelatin-like substance because of this.

Eventually, the pressure inside of the shell becomes too much for it to bear, and it bursts: pop!

In a split second of this happening, the water steam expands, causing the gel substance to expand and harden into an airy foam.

Basically, in every kernel of popcorn, the gel-starch expands and cools within milliseconds, causing it to solidify. That solidified product is our popcorn. Pop!


As a side-note, most people don't like the taste of just the pure popcorn starch, so many companies add in things like butter, sugar (for kettle corn), or processed cheese fuzz. The odd thing is, without all of these additives, popcorn is one of the healthiest snacks you can put into your body.