The original recipe came from a newspaper

In the 1940s, Detroit resident Evelyn Overton found a recipe for cheesecake in her local newspaper. She tried it out and perfected the recipe, and her go-to dessert was a hit with everyone she served it to. They got such rave reviews that she eventually opened her own small cheesecake shop in Michigan before eventually moving to Los Angeles to grow the business. Ever wondered why the Cheesecake Factory menu is so big?

They were baked in an unlikely kitchen

Before making it big in L.A., Overton’s cheesecake “factory” was a bit smaller than the industrial-sized kitchens of today. She brought her equipment to the basement to churn out cheesecakes for local Detroit restaurants. You don’t have to drive all the way to Cheesecake Factory—enjoy the delicacies at home!

That recipe was a keeper

Times change, but one thing hasn’t: Overton’s recipe. That recipe she developed in the 1940s was used in the Cheesecake Factory’s grand opening in 1978, and it hasn’t changed since. Find your own family cheesecake recipe with the help of our ultimate baking guide.

You won’t want to know how many calories are in a slice

TCF is a chain known for massive portions and obscene calorie counts, so would you really expect anything different from those sky-high cheesecake slices? The most reasonable option (other than the 610-calorie low-carb cheesecake, of course) is the Original Cheesecake, with 830 calories. For an I’m-not-eating-cheesecake-for-my-health kind of day, the Oreo Dream Extreme Cheesecake is the biggest indulgence, with 1,620 calories in a portion. This is where to find the 8 unhealthiest restaurant meals in the country.

Profits from your dessert order might go to charity

The Cheesecake Factory is committed to giving back year-round, founding a charity to help communities, donating surplus food, offering gift cards to school fundraisers and more. But sometimes the cheesecakes themselves are used for good. At any given time, profits from one cheesecake flavor will be given to Feeding America. Now through February 2019, for each slice of the new Very Cherry Ghirardelli Chocolate Cheesecake sold, TCF will give 25 cents to the organization.

You can order it online

Tragically far from the nearest Cheesecake Factory? No need to settle for second best. Online retailer Harry and David offer actual Cheesecake Factory cheesecakes delivered straight to your door. You can even get a subscription to get a different cheesecake every month of the year so you never have to worry about being cheesecake-less for long. Cheesecake isn’t the only thing you can have delivered to your door. Here’s why grocery delivery is worth the investment.

Cheesecake Factory sells millions of slices

The restaurant sells almost 35 million slices of cheesecake every year, according to a company spokesperson.

They aren’t made in-house

In case the name didn’t give it away, Cheesecake Factory desserts aren’t exactly baked mom-and-pop style. All of the decadent cheesecakes are put together by baking teams in Calabasas Hills, California and Rocky Mount, North Carolina, before being frozen and shipped all over the country. Find out how to make 50 of the best American comfort foods from home.

There’s a clear crowd favorite

The fresh strawberry cheesecake, which has an original cheesecake topped with glazed strawberries, has been the most popular flavor for more than 35 years, according to the Cheesecake Factory website. Can’t beat the classics! Check out the need-to-know secrets for great cheesecake at home.

The bakers are constantly working on new flavors

The Cheesecake Factory’s executive pastry chef, Chris Radovan, has been with the company for more than 21 years, and every year he and the team introduce a new flavor (or two!) for National Cheesecake Day on July 30. The restaurant’s most recent additions were Very Cherry Ghirardelli Chocolate Cheesecake and Cinnabon Cinnamon Swirl Cheesecake, and Radovan was the mastermind behind other crowd favorites like Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake and Oreo Dream Extreme Cheesecake. Swirl cheesecake isn’t as hard to make as it looks.

The dessert list has always been ridiculously long

The food menu is about ten times as long as the original 1978 offerings, but its cheesecake list has always been impressive. The restaurant’s CEO, David Overton (son of the original baker, Evelyn Overton), says the Cheesecake Factory had a dozen types of its namesake dessert when it opened, but based on a 1978 menu, the list quickly expanded to a whopping 30 types of cheesecake. Here’s how to make 24 copycat recipes for your favorite restaurant items.

Some of those original varieties are off the menu

Unlike the food menu, which has grown and grown with minimal cuts, the cheesecake menu has evolved dramatically over time. You couldn’t find the ever-popular red velvet or celebration cheesecakes on the menu, but there were plenty of other mouth-watering options that have since disappeared, like Kahlua, apple cinnamon, Grand Marnier and rocky road.

You can find the cheesecakes all over the world

The dessert might be famous for its New York-style and typical Philadelphia cream cheese base, but cheesecakes are still popular outside the United States. The Cheesecake Factory has locations in Latin America, Asia and the Middle East, and they still have the same creative cheesecake offerings you’d find in your local branch, from tuxedo to tiramisu. These are our top restaurant copycat recipes to try.

The post 13 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Cheesecake Factory’s Cheesecake appeared first on Taste Recipes.

While the Queen does like to imbibe on occasion, former royal chef Darren McGrady tells Reader’s Digest he’d told news outlets her favorite drinks—not her everyday liquid diet. “I said her favorite drink is gin and Dubonnet and she likes a gin and Dubonnet for pre-dinner drinks, and then I was asked ‘Does she have any other favorites?’” he says. “Along the way, others did interviews, so they picked and cropped from those.”

But just because she sometimes likes a cocktail before dinner and has a favorite wine (don’t we all?) doesn’t mean she has both—and more—every day. The Independent previously quoted Her Majesty’s cousin saying she has four drinks daily, but McGrady says Queen Elizabeth II doesn’t even have her favorite pre-dinner cocktail every day. “I’m pretty confident she doesn’t have four drinks a day,” says McGrady. “She’d be pickled.”

Original post, 8/1: For Queen Elizabeth II, it’s always five o’clock somewhere. Her Majesty already gets away with celebrating two birthdays every year (and here’s why!) But when she’s not meeting foreign dignitaries or negotiating with the British Parliament, the Queen could be found sipping one of her daily boozy beverages.

In fact, former royal chef Darren McGrady just dished on Queen Elizabeth’s drinking habits. What he revealed might surprise you.

According to McGrady, Queen Elizabeth starts her day with a pre-lunch gin and Dubonnet cocktail, garnished with a slice of lemon and plenty of ice. Business Insider speculates that she drinks Gordon’s Gin, which holds an official royal warrant: a trademark awarded to companies who provide goods or services to the royal family for more than five years. You can find the queen’s coat of arms displayed on the selected businesses’ packaging and promotional materials, PopSugar reports. (Check out even more fascinating facts about Queen Elizabeth.)

For lunch, the Queen matches a simple meal of vegetables and fish with a glass of wine and a piece of chocolate, McGrady told The Telegraph. A cousin claims that she may also sip a dry gin martini should the mood strike her.

Her Majesty’s afternoon tea has a tamer vibe; she usually selects a simple herbal drink and a dessert, such as pie or chocolate biscuit cake. (But these are the foods that Queen Elizabeth will never, ever eat.) Finally, the Queen washes down her light dinner with a sophisticated glass of champagne before heading off to bed.

If you’ve been counting, that adds up to four alcoholic beverages in one day. At six units of alcohol in total, the Independent points out that the 91-year-old is technically considered a binge drinker by UK law. But surprisingly, that’s not why someone called the police on Queen Elizabeth—yet!

The post No, Queen Elizabeth II Does Not Have Four Alcoholic Drinks Every Single Day appeared first on Taste Recipes.

Light bulbs

CFLs, fluorescents and other light bulbs contain mercury, so you can’t throw them in with the rest of your recyclables—or your trash can. In fact, it’s actually illegal in some states to put CFLs in your trash. Instead, they’ll need to go to a recycling center equipped to dispose of the toxic chemicals safely. Visit search.earth911.com to find out where drop-off locations are or when pickup services come to your area. Speaking of light, here are 15 ways to brighten your home.

Pyrex

Don’t toss broken bakeware out with your jars. Because glass like Pyrex is treated to survive high temperatures, it also won’t melt down correctly with the rest of your glass. Wrap it up so broken glass can’t hurt sanitation handlers, then place the glass in your trash. Or, save that Pyrex and use it to make one of these vintage recipes.

Drinking glasses

Like Pyrex, glasses are treated with chemicals that help them withstand both hot and cold temperatures, meaning their melting point is higher. Because they won’t melt correctly with your typical glass jar, they mess up the recycling process for other types of glass. Wrap them in paper to contain any shards, then leave them in the trash.

Ceramics

Unlike glass, ceramics can’t melt down to be recycled. But that doesn’t mean your old mugs need to sit in a landfill. If they’re still in good condition, donate them to a thrift store. There are other options if they’re chipped, though; they can be crushed down for concrete, gravel, retaining walls and more. Check search.earth911.com to see if there are any drop-off spots near you; some places that accept brick and concrete might also take ceramics off your hands. If not, some artists will take them for use in mosaics and other projects.

Hangers

Wire hangers can get caught in recycling machinery, but they can often go to scrap metal businesses equipped to deal with the wiry shapes. Meanwhile, it’s hard for disposal centers to know what type of plastic others are made of, so they’re forced to trash those, too. Follow the other two R’s: reduce and reuse. Don’t take plastic hangers home from the clothes store if you don’t plan to use it, and donate your extra hangers to a thrift store.

Styrofoam containers

Actually, there’s no such thing as a “Styrofoam” cup. The trademarked name for polystyrene is only used for insulation and craft projects, and the foam used in coffee cups and egg cartons is expanded polystyrene. On search.earth911.com, see if there’s a recycling center that will accept #6 plastic polystyrene, then call to confirm they’ll take items like egg cartons and takeout containers, which many won’t.

Packing peanuts

Like other foam products, you’ll have a tough time finding anywhere that will take your old packing peanuts. Your best bet is to reuse them the next time you send a package, or call up local shipping centers to see if their business can use them.

Mirrors

A “looking glass” isn’t as easy to recycle as most glass. A reflective coating helps mirrors do their jobs, but that treatment also makes it hard for recyclers to break them down. If it’s in decent condition, sell or donate an old mirror. For broken ones, see if any artist groups in your area are collecting mirrors as scraps for use in their projects. This is why you need to keep the cap on plastic bottles when recycling.

Half-full aerosol cans

Anything left in an aerosol can is considered hazardous waste (yes, including whipped cream and hairspray), so make sure it’s empty first. Check your local recycling center to make sure they take empty aerosols—some consider even empty cans hazardous. If yours does accept them, remove the plastic cap before tossing it in the recycling bin. Skip the canned stuff and try making your own whipped cream at home.

Plastic bags

Nearly every household has a “bag of bags,” but don’t empty your extras into the recycling bin when it gets to full. While plastic bags are recyclable, most facilities only have the means to deal with rigid plastics, like bottles and coffee lids. Visit plasticfilmrecycling.org to find a drop-off spot near you. Or, pick up a cute reusable grocery bag and you’ll never need a plastic bag again.

Bubble wrap

Like plastic bags, most roadside programs don’t have the technology to recycle bubble wrap, but that doesn’t mean it needs to go in landfills. Ask your local mail delivery service if they can reuse your bubble wrap (assuming you haven’t been popping the bubbles), or ask your plastic bag recycler if they’ll accept bubble wrap, too. 

Pizza boxes

Even though corrugated cardboard is normally recyclable, pizza boxes are an exception. When the paper goes through pulping at the recycling plant, it’s hard to separate the cardboard fibers from the oil in grease stains. Throw any greasy sections of the cardboard in the trash, though a non-soiled pizza box is perfectly acceptable to recycle. Here’s how to perfectly reheat pizza so it tastes as good as day one.

CDs

Making the switch from hard copies of movies and music to streaming-only? Don’t chuck them all in with the rest of your recyclables. They’re made from a mix of metals, plastics and other materials, making them impossible to recycle at most plants. If you don’t want to donate your discs, find a recycling center that will accept them through greendisk.com or cdrecyclingcenter.org.

Windows

Because windows are treated in so many different ways—tinted, tempered, laminated and more—it’s hard to find an effective way to recycle them. Check search.earth911.com for programs that take old building materials, or wrap the glass up and throw it away. Don’t miss these 10 window cleaning tips from the pros.

Electronics

About half the states have laws requiring residents to recycle their old electronics, but you can’t just leave them by the road. Not only could you be the victim of identity theft if you don’t properly wipe your information, but electronics contain mercury, lead and other toxins. Visit ecyclingcentral.com to find a list of recyclers who can take your obsolete gadgets off your hands. Don’t miss these ways that green living can make you healthier.

The post 15 Surprising Items That Shouldn’t Be Recycled appeared first on Taste Recipes.

Jelly Belly beans start with cornstarch, sugar, corn syrup, water and flavoring all cooked together, according to a factory tour from Refinery29. That mixture is then poured into bean-shaped, cornstarch-coated molds, where they sit overnight to harden, creating their distinctive chewy texture. The next day, they’ll be steamed to make them sticky before getting misted with sugar. Then they rest again, so they can dry.

“Part of what takes so long is that the candy rests a lot in between the steps,” says Lisa Rowland Brasher, president and CEO of Jelly Belly. “Sometimes it’s for a day; other times it’s for several days; it depends on the flavor.” Sour flavors tend to take the longest because they need more time to rest in between steps, she says.

Next, it’s time to give the jelly beans their shiny, hard coating during a process called panning, which takes the longest in terms of hands-on time, says Rowland Brasher. While pans keep the beans constantly moving, candy makers slowly add sugar and flavoring for about two hours to build up that tasty coating. “You can’t just set a timer for this part,” says Rowland Brasher. “Jelly Belly candy makers are using their eyes, ears and sense of touch to determine when to add the next ingredient, or else the jelly beans will lose their shape or clump together.”

Finally, the beans are given an extra layer of glaze to make them smooth and shiny, then they’re stamped with the Jelly Belly logo. Once they’re ready to go, all the flavors go on a belt and put into packages, ready for eating—a week or two after the process started. “A lot of people are surprised to learn that these steps aren’t all done in a day,” says Rowland Brasher. Want to learn more? Book a tour at Jelly Belly or one of these 16 other candy factories you can actually visit.

The post It Can Take 2 Weeks to Make 1 Jelly Bean—Here’s Why appeared first on Taste Recipes.

You assume fat- and sugar-free products are healthy

Depending on your dietary needs, cutting back on sugar or fat could help you reach your health goals. But be careful: Reduced-fat products tend to have extra sodium or sugar, and lower sugar often means more fat or salt, says Libby Mills, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND, spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Whatever they’re taking out, they typically add something else to add flavor,” she says. Plus, you might actually find yourself more satisfied with a full-fat product. For instance, if just a small handful of regular potato chips kills your craving but you could polish off a family-sized bag of baked chips easily, stick with the fattier version. These are the unhealthiest foods you can buy at the supermarket.

You don’t note the serving size

When you hunker down with a bag of chips, you could be blowing way past the recommended serving size, meaning you’re eating more calories and fat than you thought, says Jen Bruning, MS, RDN, LDN, spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. For an easy, no-measure trick, she recommends noting the number of servings in a package, then eyeballing how much a serving would be, like half of a two-portion bag. Be extra careful with packages that look like a single serving. “Even with small items like candy bars, it’s important to see how many servings are in your hand,” she says. “Just because it can fit in your hand or you can eat it in one sitting doesn’t mean it fits one serving size by nutrition.” Here’s the easiest way to portion your serving sizes.

You think “all natural” and “organic” are the same

Certified organic products have gone through an application and been inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make sure they meet the criteria—organic plants don’t use synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, and meats are from animals that eat organic feed and haven’t been given antibiotics or hormones. However, the label “all natural” doesn’t have such strict guidelines. “All natural doesn’t really mean a lot to us,” says Mills. “We know that by FDA standards it means they’ve been minimally processed, but to what degree that ‘minimally’ means to each manufacturer may be a little different.” Check instead for specific labels you care about, like antibiotic- or GMO-free. Here’s how to decode the trickiest terms on food labels.

You imagine free-range animals frolicking in fields

Free-range animals haven’t been raised in cages, but that doesn’t mean they’re free to wander outside whenever they want. “It doesn’t guarantee that the animal has access to the great wilderness outdoors at all. They may be completely in a roofed building their entire life,” says Mills. “They may have a door to have some sunlight access, but it doesn’t guarantee every animal gets to go out.”

You think all sugar is created equal

Sure, foods like milk and fruit contain natural sugars, but they also come packed with other important nutrients. On the other hand, added sugar like table sugar, corn syrup and honey are basically empty calories. “When making a judgment of too much or too little sugar, it’s deceptive,” says Mills. “You have to look at the actual ingredients in the product.” If sugar is listed in the first half of the ingredients, you can bet it’ll pack a big caloric punch, she says, but sugar in the last half isn’t as significant.

You think “made with real fruit” is basically a packaged apple

A product claiming “made with real fruit” does indeed contain fruit—but that doesn’t mean it can’t also include added sugars or artificial flavor. “It can say ‘made with real fruit,’ and real fruit is included in that product, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other things,” says Bruning. “You still want to check the ingredient list and see what else is there.” Give these healthier drinks a try!

You think all wheat bread is a superfood

Seek out breads labeled 100 percent whole wheat or 100 percent whole grain to pack the biggest health punch. During processing, grain kernels are separated into three parts: germ, endosperm and bran. Most products lose most of the bran and some germ—which contain important vitamins, protein, fats and fiber—but whole grains keep the amounts intact. But look closely: if a label just says “whole grain” without specifying 100 percent, it could contain other, more refined flours, too. “If it says contains whole grains, that means somewhere in that ingredient list you’ll find all three parts of a whole grain,” says Bruning. “It might be left whole or processed into flour, but it’s there.” Same goes for multigrain bread, which just means it has different types of grains, regardless of how processed they are.

You assume gluten-free is healthier

Unless you have celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, there’s no need to cut gluten from your diet. In fact, your waistline could actually take a hit if you replace regular breads with gluten-free versions. Gluten helps bread keep its shape, so manufacturers add ingredients like corn syrup and sugar to get the right texture. “A lot of bread products have a lot of extra fat compared to non-gluten-free products,” says Mills. “Gluten-free folks really need to watch for it in a big way.” Here’s what happens to your body when you go gluten-free.

You don’t look at the type of fat breakdown

Total fat is listed on a nutrition label because fat has more calories per gram than carbs or protein, so high-fat foods tend to be high-calorie, says Bruning. But scan down a bit more and you’ll see it broken down into saturated fats and trans fats. “Those are called out because saturated fats, and especially trans fats, are linked to higher incidents of heart disease,” says Bruning. Some manufacturers also choose to list “good” monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, which are actually beneficial for your heart and cholesterol.

You fall for healthy-looking packaging

Just because a product has the word “harvest” or “simple” doesn’t mean it’s earned its health halo. Take a deeper look at its ingredients and nutrition to decide for yourself—it could still be high in calories, fat or sugar. “We used to have to spend all our days hunting and gathering food, and somehow we think we don’t have to spend any time anymore,” says Mills. “Turn the package over and really know what you’re getting.”

You take percent daily value as law

The percent daily value you see next to vitamins, minerals and other nutrients is based on the average diet, not your individual needs. “Percent daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, which is across the spectrum what we call average for healthy adults,” says Bruning. “Many fall into a range of more or less than that.” You probably won’t run the risk of overdosing on a vitamin from food sources, but if you think you’re falling short, ask your doctor if you should start taking a supplement. Watch for these common symptoms you’re not getting enough Vitamin B12.

The post 11 Ways You Didn’t Realize You’re Reading Food Labels Wrong appeared first on Taste Recipes.

Pringles

Opening a can of Pringles with a metal tab like in 1975 is about as old-school as it comes. The chips were actually a flop when first introduced in the late ’60s, using their innovative, crushing-resistant shape and packaging as a selling tool. After tweaking the recipe in 1980, though, they became a success. Their caps have switched to plastic, but their not-so-newfangled saddle shape never gets old.

Don’t forget to check out the most famous food brands in every state.

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Twinkies

Those spongy, cream-filled cakes are an American icon, but when Hostess went bankrupt it seemed to be the end of an era. Not for long though! In “the sweetest comeback in the history of ever,” the sugary snack food is back in action—though good luck trying to find ten for 59 cents ever again.

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If you love Twinkies, you need to try out these Texas Twinkies.

Oatmeal Creme Pies

These soft sandwich cookies were the first Little Debbie snack to hit the market back in 1960. Founder O.D. McKee named the brand after his four-year-old granddaughter, but Debbie’s parents had no idea she’d be the face of the brand until the first packages had already been printed. Little did they know that almost 60 years later, she’d still be shining that winning smile on grocery store shelves. These 20 food facts might change the way you eat.

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Swiss Cake Rolls

The face of Little Debbie still has that old-school charm, and she’s barely changed—much less aged—since these 1960s packages were made. We can only guess what the “exciting premium offer” on the back of the box is, but if it’s anything like a box of snack cakes for 49 cents, we’re sold.

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Nutty Buddy

The packaging isn’t the only thing that changed here—a couple years ago, the company changed the name for its Nutty Bars, which had been around since 1964, to Nutty Buddy. Call it what you want, this classic PB-chocolate combo will always taste like nostalgia.

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Ben & Jerry’s

If you want to get technical, the original Ben & Jerry’s ice cream didn’t even come in pints—it all started with a scoop shop. In 1980, the company started packing its treat into pints, forever changing the way sweet teeth get over a hard day. You also won’t believe what famous food brand figures look like in real life.

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Doritos

Doritos have been around since 1966, but the chips were either plain or taco-seasoned until 1974, when the now-classic Nacho Cheese made its debut. Through the years and the redesigns, other varieties have included Late Night All Nighter Hamburger and fruity Quest (Mountain Dew-flavored). But no matter how many flavor innovations Frito-Lay can come up with, we’ll keep coming back to Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch.

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Oreos

Milk’s favorite cookie hit America in 1912, and it hasn’t looked back since. Despite all the new crème flavors, chocolate coatings and mini sizes, there’s really nothing like that original chocolate sandwich cookie. In the 1980s, they came in boxes instead of plastic packages, but those sleeves of cookies were just as irresistible.

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Pirate’s Booty

True fans of the puffed rice and corn snacks might remember when they were sold under Robert’s American Gourmet Food before re-branding to Pirate Brands based on its bestseller, Pirate’s Booty, then sold to B&G Foods. You might not find herbs like ginkgo biloba and St. John’s wort in these snacks anymore, but there’s still plenty of white cheddar and veggie to go around.

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Cheez-Its

When Cheez-Its were in their earliest years in 1922, the cheesy snacks were marketed as “a baked rarebit”—a real sign of the times. Now their packaging is an eye-catching red, but we still stand by the fact that they’re “crackin’ good.” One box of white cheddar, please!

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Pop-Tarts

The original 1964 Pop-Tarts weren’t frosted, and they only came in four flavors—brown sugar-cinnamon, strawberry, blueberry and apple—but they were cut diagonally, just like your PB&Js used to be. All but unfrosted apple are still around, but ever since frosted Pop-Tarts came out in the late ‘60s, we really can’t complain. There’s really no treat quite like Strawberry Milkshake or Cookies & Crème straight out of the toaster. (Or straight out of the package. Sometimes we just can’t wait.)

Need breakfast on the go? We tried off-brand Pop-Tarts to find out how well these morning treats stacked up against the original.

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Nutri-Grain Bars

Nutri-Grain might be marketed as a breakfast bar, but we like ripping one open during the mid-day slump. Back in 1991, you could only find raspberry, blueberry, strawberry and apple on the shelves, but now you can add mixed berry and cherry to the list too—not to mention three Nutri-Grain crumb cakes.

Don’t miss the best food factory tours in the USA.

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The post This Is What Your Favorite Snack Brands Used to Look Like appeared first on Taste Recipes.

The dessert menu certainly isn’t immune to the skepticism, with plenty of eagle-eyed customers pointing to the fact that McDonald’s most famous dessert item, shakes, is missing a keyword. If they aren’t milkshakes, it must mean they’ve replaced milk and ice cream with non-dairy, totally unnatural fillers… right?

Skip the drive-through and make these McDonald’s copycat recipes at home.

What’s in a McDonald’s shake?

Let’s get one thing straight: McDonald’s shakes do contain milk. No matter what flavor you order, the first ingredient is reduced-fat vanilla ice cream, and the first ingredient of that is milk, followed by sugar, cream, corn syrup and a handful of additives. That ice cream base is mixed with flavor syrup and topped with whipped cream before it’s served.

Check out these other fast food “facts” that are actually false.

Why aren’t they called milkshakes?

So far so good, but McDonald’s still chooses to call the dessert “shakes” for the sake of simplicity. The company clarifies on its website: “Dairy regulations actually vary from state to state on what can officially be called a ‘milkshake.’ We like to keep it simple and refer to them strictly as ‘shakes.’”

Well that… sort of clears things up. Don’t get too worked up about the regulations McDonald’s refers to—a lot has to do with milkfat content.

In Connecticut, for instance, a true “milkshake” has to contain between 3.25 and 6 percent milkfat, and the non-fat milk solids can’t be less than 10 percent; in South Dakota, meanwhile, milkshakes should be between 2 and 7 percent milkfat, with at least 23 percent total solids. New York has different definitions for “dairy shake” vs. “freezer-made milk shake.”

On top of all that, in Massachusetts, there might be no legal definition. But socially speaking, a “milkshake” is just milk mixed with syrup (no ice cream) and what the rest of the country calls a “milkshake” would be called a “frappe.” You see where things get confusing for a national chain.

To solve another mystery, learn why McDonald’s won’t serve burgers in the morning.

How much milkfat is in a shake?

We can see those wheels turning in your head. Dairy regulations are all about the milkfat content, and this is McDonald’s we’re talking about, which must mean its ice cream is too fatty to be considered a milkshake! Actually, it might be the opposite.

American McDonald’s wouldn’t clarify the milkfat in its ice cream or shakes over email to Reader’s Digest, but Canadian McDonald’s seems to have a similar recipe and provides a more cut-and-dry explanation about its dairy desserts on its website: “Our vanilla soft serve is technically considered ‘ice milk.’ Ice milk has a lower butterfat (milkfat) content. That makes it a lighter and airier dairy treat than ice cream.”

And, McDonald’s is far from the only chain taking the “milk” out of its milkshakes (in the name, that is). Mickey D competitor Burger King also serves up “shakes,” and so do Arby’s, Sonic and even Shake Shack. If you want a milkshake with the emphasis on milk, you can find one at Chick-fil-A or Five Guys. But as long as it tastes good, we aren’t complaining.

If you’re still on the hunt for the perfect combination of cool, creamy and sweet, learn how to make a milkshake at home.

For more frozen dessert fun facts, learn all the things you never knew about the Wendy’s Frosty.

The post The Real Reason McDonald’s Won’t Call Its Shakes ‘Milkshakes’ appeared first on Taste Recipes.

Its bottle was designed to ward off competition

In the early 1900s, it wasn’t easy to tell a Coca-Cola bottle apart from copycat competitors like Koka-Kola and Celery-Cola, so the company gave glass companies a challenge in 1915: Design a “bottle so distinct that you would recognize it by feel in the dark or lying broken on the ground.” A slimmed-down version of the winner, which came out a year later, became the iconic Coke bottle, and it’s now the most recognized bottle in the world. Find out why Coca-Cola’s logo is bright red.

That first bottle was based on the wrong plant

The competition winner that was tweaked for the iconic Coke bottle design was inspired by a picture of a cocoa bean that the researchers found when they went to the library to find design possibilities. Its curved shape and ribbings might have made a distinctive design, but Coca-Cola got its name from the coca plant, not the cocoa plant.

It used to contain cocaine

The rumors are true, even though Coca-Cola U.K. denies it: The original Coke contained coke, which was legal at the time, along with other extracts from coca leaves, the plant used to make the narcotic, spokesmen admitted to the New York Times in 1988. Trace amounts of the drug stayed in the drink until 1929, and even today, the company’s closely guarded secret recipe is said to contain coca leaf ingredients, but their psychoactive elements are removed. Learn the real reason Coke tastes better at McDonald’s than anywhere else.

It used to be advertised as medicinal

In the 1890s, Coke wasn’t just advertised as a refreshing, bubbly drink. It wasn’t invented as medicine, but its ads did make claims like “A Delightful Summer or Winter Drink. For Headache or Tired Feeling. Relieves Mental and Physical Exhaustion.” When you’re in need of a pick-me-up, maybe you’d see their point.

Coke made a drink just for Soviet leaders

During World War II, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower gave Marshal Georgi Zhukov of the Soviet Red Army a taste of Coca-Cola. The Soviet commander loved the taste but knew that Joseph Stalin wouldn’t appreciate seeing him sip Coca-Cola, which was seen as a symbol of American imperialism. But the soda company wasn’t about to lose business over a silly thing like political ideals. So it special-made “White Coke” for Zhukov, removing the caramel coloring to create a drink clear as vodka, and packing it in plain, clear bottles with a red star on the cap.

It might have invented the six-pack

When you think of picking up a six-pack, beers might be the first drink that comes to mind. But according to Coke company history, the soda brand was the leader of the pack. In 1923, home refrigerators were becoming more common, so people were more likely to bring home bottles to enjoy later. They could only hold so many in their hands at once, so Coca-Cola developed a cardboard carton that made it easy to carry six at once. Here are the best regional sodas from every state.

Coca-Cola didn’t create Santa’s current look

Maybe you’ve heard the rumors that when Coca-Cola launched its annual Santa Claus ads starting in the winter of 1931, the illustrations introduced the public to an image of St. Nick as a white-bearded, pudgy man dressed in red—the color of Coke’s branding, of course. Coke might have helped solidify that image of Santa, but it certainly didn’t create it. Paintings and drawings already showed that iconic look for Santa for at least 25 years before Coke’s ads.

It drains farmers dry—literally

It takes 2.7 liters of water to make one liter of Coke, which is part of the reason that its bottling plants have been accused of hogging water that should go to farmers in poor areas of India and Latin America. In 2014, officials ordered a Coca-Cola plant to shut down because it was taking too much groundwater, and in 2017, traders boycotted sodas (including Coke and Pepsi) for using up too much water during a drought.

The company’s second drink wasn’t Diet Coke or Sprite

The second soft drink the Coca-Cola Company introduced was Fanta Orange, which came to Naples, Italy, in 1955. Fanta hit U.S. shelves in 1960, a year before Sprite came out.

There was a predecessor to Diet Coke

Before soda lovers could get their hands on Diet Coke, they might have tried sipping TaB instead. The Coca-Cola Company introduced the one-calorie drink in 1963. Its space on store shelves made way for Diet Coke almost 20 years later, but diehard fans can still find their nostalgic sugar-free soda from certain retailers. While you’re at it, get to know about the best off-brand sodas.

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