The botanical lies in your fruit bowl
The secret defense systems of vegetables
The imposter nuts that fooled the world
Ancient wild ancestors of modern crops
YOUR GOAL
Master of Unmasking the imposters in your kitchen
schopenhauer Vegetable Defense Systems
Bite that cabbage, trigger the bomb! (Yeah, the mustard bomb!) / Separate cells mix to make pests gone! (Oh, they run away!)
schopenhauer A greening potato sits under dramatic studio lighting in a bold magazine portrait.
schopenhauer Decode the chemical clues to discover why asparagus produces its mysterious sulfur smell.
Spicy birds: Birds lack the receptor for capsaicin, meaning they can eat the hottest ghost peppers without feeling any heat.
Any of various bitter, sulfur-containing compounds found in cruciferous plants that act as natural pest repellents. Natalie Angier's 2009 article highlighted how Brussels sprouts deploy these compounds to repel hungry pests.
What is the name of the gas released by onions that causes human eyes to water?
What is the name of the chemical compound unique to asparagus that causes a sulfurous odor after digestion?
schopenhauer Chili peppers use the chemical capsaicin to defend their seeds from mammals.
What toxic glycoalkaloid compound is found in high concentrations in green potatoes?
What pigment causes potatoes to turn green when exposed to sunlight, alongside the buildup of solanine?
Which dangerous acid is concentrated in rhubarb leaves, making them toxic to humans?
What percentage of the population is estimated to have asparagus anosmia, meaning they cannot smell the post-asparagus odor?