Let’s Talk Food: Did you know?

Did you know that avocado trees need moderate to high amounts of water to thrive? A 10-foot tree needs about 10.3 gallons a day. Planting them on this island where we have an abundance of water seems to be a great agricultural crop.

In Petorca, Chile — the largest producing province of avocados — there are battles over water for the trees. Illegal pipes are draining the rivers and are being diverted to the plantations in Petorca for avocados. The rivers are important to the farmers in the area who need water for their crops and animals.

In Mexico, where the avocado industry is a 3-5 billion dollar industry, the cartels have been involved in charging growers around $50 per 2.5 acres per month. Kidnapping members of the family is often a way to assure payments are made.

Here in Hawaii we have some of the best avocados — bigger and tastier! So don’t be concerned too much about the price per pound and buy local.

Did you know ancient Aztecs used cocoa beans as currency and 20 beans could buy you a rabbit?

Today, over 70 percent of the world’s cacao production comes from Africa, about 1.8 million tons. However, there are problems with forest management and child labor. There is currently massive deforestation as farmers try to supplement their income by cutting down trees to plant cocoa trees.

Children, ages 12-15 years old are working in the cocoa industry and get paid less than the adult laborers, who make 2 dollars a day. Additionally, there is child trafficking for slave labor.

Did you know that Nestle’s does not only make chocolate but also owns Gerber (baby food), Perrier (sparkling water), Toll House (chocolate chips), Coffee-Mate (coffee creamer), Carnation (brand of canned milk), Stouffer’s, Hot Pockets, DiGiorno Pizza, Buitoni Pizza, Tombstone Pizza, Lean Cuisine (frozen meals), Sweet Earth (frozen meals), Libby’s pumpkin, Haagen-Dazs (ice cream), Purina (pet food), Alpo (pet food), Fancy Feast (cat food), Friskies (cat food) and Tidy Cats.

Nestle’s also owns Pure Life bottled water and produces one-third of all the bottled water business in the world. All Nestle’s does is get tap water, process it through reverse osmosis, add minerals and bottle the water. Bottled water is big in poor countries where water quality is not drinkable. In Nigeria, Nestle’s has 10 percent of the water business. In Michigan, Nestle’s is permitted to withdraw 576,000 gallons of groundwater daily from Michigan.

Did you know that bananas are the world’s oldest fruit, dating back more than 10,000 years?

India is the largest producer of bananas, with an annual yield of 30.5 million tons and if you are not buying bananas and it doesn’t say locally grown, they are probably coming from Central or South America. Hawaii is the top United States producer of bananas.

And speaking of India, did you know that in 1809 an Indian migrant opened the first curry house in London? The most popular curry in Great Britain is Chicken Tikka Masala, which was invented in Glasgow, not in India. In the course of a year, 23 million servings of Chicken Tikka Masala are dished out.

Did you know that the 5-second rule is not a good rule to follow as bacteria on the floor is transferred instantly to the food the minute it falls, especially when the food is wet and the floor is carpet. So wiping it with your napkin is not going to do it. Sorry!

Did you know the world consumes more honey than the bees can produce? This means only one thing … there are jars of counterfeit honey out there so make sure you know the origin. The Chinese have figured out how to produce a sugary syrup out of rice which is undetectable.

Did you know that 70 percent of plants would be unable to reproduce or provide food for us without bees? In North America, honey bees alone pollinate about 95 kinds of fruits, as well as crops such as soy. However, the bee population has been declining in alarming numbers. In 1947 there were over 6 million bees and today, we have less than 2.5 million bees.

Did you know you can cut the mold off hard cheese and can still consume it, but if there is mold on soft cheese, you need to throw it out.

Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.