“food history is as important as a baroque church. governments should recognize cultural heritage and protect traditional foods. a cheese is as worthy of preserving as a sixteenth-century building.” (carlo petrini)

When I say food is my passion, it's not just that I love good food, that I love cooking and baking, that I love wandering through a kitchen store and browsing through recipes...it's that I love learning about the history of food and finding out quirky little pieces of culinary trivia.

It's possible I'm a little too obsessed.

But a healthy obsession is shared obsession, sez I, which is why I like to share my knowledge with other people. So read on to find out why white chocolate isn't really chocolate, what "calzone" really means in Italian, and the regional names for carbonated beverages in this here U.S. of A.

BLOOD SAUSAGE?

Some food names are so outrageous you know they can't possibly be literal...devil's food, anyone? But sometimes, a food is exactly what it sounds like, which is the case with blood sausage.

Traditionally, blood sausage consists of pig's blood and fat that's cooked and seasoned, then stuffed into a natural casing, like a pig intestine. The blood may also come from a calf, sheep, or ox. Fillers like oats and apples are sometimes used, as well.

Sausage not your thing? How about blood snack cakes? Some cultures make cakes from a combination of beef blood and sticky rice, then steam or fry them for snacks.

Bet those pork rinds don't sound so disgusting anymore, do they?

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