Coffee

Legend has it that a goat herder in Ethiopia named Kaldi, discovered coffee around 800 AD, when he noticed that his goats reacted to a plant that they were eating, and decided to try it himself. Coffee was first prepared the way we know it in Yemen around 1000 AD.  About 150 million Americans are daily coffee drinkers consuming on average 3.1 cups a day.

Woodlouse

This arthropod is commonly known as a pillbug , sowbug, or wood lice.  This is the only crustacean that can spend its entire life on land.

Nail Polish

Nail Polish: The coloring of ones nails can be traced back to ancient Egypt, where nail color signified social status, red being royal, (the color red was mostly derived from henna, or even blood) whereas women of lower rank were allowed to use only pale hues. The next major step in the evolution of nail polish took place in China around 600 BC. Chinese royalty used gold and silver, along with black and red nail lacquer that was made using Arabic gum, egg whites gelatin and beeswax Modern nail polish became readily available in the 1920’s, when automobile paint was created.

Button Mushroom

Button mushroom: Agaricus bisporus, these mushrooms were first cultivated in France in 1650. Today they are among the most commonly consumed mushrooms in the world, and are grown in over 70 countries. The mushroom is not a plant, it is a fungus, one of the major differences between the two, is that fungi have chitin in their cell walls, whereas plants have cellulose in theirs. Chitin is also found in exoskeletons of arthropods such as spiders, crabs, shrimp, etc. On average, Americans eat 4 lbs. of mushrooms per person each year.

Crane Fly

The crane fly is an insect from the Tipulidae family. They are know by many names, depending on what region of the U.S. that you are in. Some of the more common names include mosquito hawk, mosquito eater (or skeeter eater)..., gallinipper, gollywhopper. There have been 4,256 species of crane flys identified so far. These insects do not bite, the adults either feed on nectar, or not at all.

Clothespin

Clothespin: “Mom \ dad, what’s a clothespin?” is the phrase that is occurring with more frequency as time passes. Currently in the United States 60% of households use clothes dryers.The last clothespin manufacturer in the United States closed up shop in 1971. In the U.S. it has been more common to use clothespins for things other than clothes, such as movie production, and hobbies. David M. Smith invented the “modern” lever action clothespin in 1853, which was an improvement on a design that was patented 21 years earlier.

Pinto Beans

Pinto Beans: Who wants some Phaseolus vulgaris? Pinto beans, navy beans, kidney beans, and several other beans belong to this family, and have a common bean ancestor from Peru. Beans made their way to Europe from the Americas during the 15th century, via Spanish explorers. According to the USDA (2008) the pinto bean is the most popular bean in the United States, accounting for 42% of the bean market, and the leading grower of pinto beans is North Dakota, growing 38% of all pinto beans produced in the U.S. Beans are an excellent source of protein and fiber. In the U.S. there are currently 4000 known varieties of beans.