Milkshake Trivia

Some interesting and entertaining facts about milkshakes.

A milkshake is a sweet, cold beverage which is made from milk, ice cream or iced milk, and flavorings or sweeteners such as fruit syrup or chocolate sauce. Milkshakes are usually served in a tall glass with a straw, and whipped cream may be added as a topping. However, they did not always look the way they do today.

There are many interesting facts and an even more intriguing history that can be learned about milkshakes

photo link

In the early days, milkshakes did not just include the typical ingredients of milk, ice cream, and flavoring. Back then, a little whisky was added to milkshakes. No wonder they became so popular.

A banana milkshake mixed with a little honey is the perfect cure for a hangover.

Milkshakes gained became a household feature when Stephen Poplawski’ invented the electric in 1922.

Some years back, milkshakes is a health food. The famous Horlicks ( a milkshake made from mixture of dried milk, malted barley and wheat) was primarily given to infants and older people as a drink for their ailments.

Have you ever imagine consuming a milkshake without a straw? I bet, it will be laborious to finish one.. thanks to Joseph Friedman for inventing the flexible straw.

* Milkshakes got their name from being served in bars. If the customer enjoyed the milkshake, he shook hands with the bartender. If not, the bartender didn’t get a tip.

* Milkshake-like recipes which use yogurt, crushed ice, and fresh fruit and which are made without ice cream are usually called “smoothies” . When malted milk is added, a milkshake is called a “malt”. In certain parts of England and Canada, milkshake is named “frappe”. In Nicaragua, milkshakes are called leche malteada.

* In Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts, the local “coffee frappe” shake or locally called “cabinets” is made using coffee syrup or coffee-flavored ice cream.

* Strawberry, Vanilla, and Chocolate are the three most famous milkshake flavors. However, there are seasonal milkshakes such as McDonald’s Shamrock Shake and Jack in the Box’ Pumpkin Pie Milkshake.

* Fast food restaurants like to make up their own names for milkshakes. In 1969, Wendy’s introduced “Frostys”, while McDonald’s launched its famous “McFlurries” in October 1997.

* A famous restaurant in Edison, New Jersey, Pizza, Wings, Steaks, & Things serves various milkshake flavors that includes: bubblegum grape milkshake, Chocolate Root Beer, Banana Marshmallow, Black Forest Cheesecake, Chocolate Cherry Coke to name a few. Other restaurants offer weird milkshakes flavors such as; Avocado Milkshake, Peanut Butter & Jelly, S’mores, and Kiwi & Pineapple.

* In Australia the most common flavors are Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla, Caramel, Banana, Lime, and Koala Bear.

* Some fast-food restaurants such as Dairy Queen, a popular fast-food restaurant, serves milkshakes which are prepared by blending ice milk (soft-serve ice cream) with sweetened, flavored syrups.

* Believe it or not…McDonalds’ milkshakes contain seaweed! Don’t you worry, the ingredient added is a seaweed extract called carrageen an that is also found in gelatin mixes, soft drinks and other dairy products.

* Some US restaurants serve milkshakes with broken cookies, candy bar pieces, or alcoholic beverages.

* A 6,000 gallons of pure milkshake was made in 2000, making it the largest milkshake in the Guinness Book of World Records.

* Milkshake lovers…mark these days red in your calendar: September 12 is National Chocolate Milkshake, June 21 is National Vanilla Milkshake Day and October 7 is recognized as National Frappe Day.

Fascinating Facts About Trees

A list of some fascinating facts about trees.

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast…

photo link

I guess many of us know this classic poem by Joyce Kilmer about a tree. But how much do you know about trees?

Here are some interesting facts you may not have known about trees.

* Are you familiar with Sugar maples– these trees produce about 3 gallon of sap daily. However, it takes 40 gallons of sap just to make one gallon of delicious maple syrup!

* Do you know that a coast redwood tree more than 360 feet high is the world’s tallest tree. It can be found in California.

* Researches have shown that patients who look at trees from their hospital room windows be likely to recover from their illness a lot quicker. This only proves that trees can be a major factor of the healing process for people.

* If you can‘t bear the hot and humid atmosphere summer brings, then grab some shade from an oak or elm tree. The cooling effect these shade trees equals that of what five air conditioners give!

* At 400 feet into the ground, a Wild Fig Tree in South Africa holds the world’s record for the deepest roots.

* Would you believe that a birch tree, when fully mature can actually produce about a million seeds in a year.

* For those who are involve in Tree Conservation. Start recycling a ton of paper so that you can save one acre of trees.

* Do you know that the bristlecone pines that is widespread in the Western Coast of the United States do hold the record for the world’s oldest trees. Many of them are more than 4,500 years old.

* Have you seen a “flying seed?” a cottonweed seed bears tiny white hairs that helps in keeping the seed in in flight for several days.

* “An heir of a tree”, yes.. There is a White Oak in Athens, Georgia who inherited a 64 square feet land in a will! Believe it or Not..

* A tree from Malaysia, Albizzia falcata is the world’s fastest growing tree. So fast growing that it grows more than 2 centimeter every day!

* If the Albizzia falcata is the fastest growing tree, the Oak trees could be deemed the most patient, these trees have to wait 20 years before they start producing acorns.

* The world’s largest forests, covering almost 3 billion acres can be found in northern Russia.