30 Amazing and Interesting Facts about Grapes | Amazing Facts 4U
- Some grapevine rootstocks have been found in China that date back to before the great ice age.
- Grapes were first cultivated over 8000 years ago. Hieroglyphics show that the ancient Egyptians were involved in grape and wine production. Grape growing is known as viticulture.
- The deliberate cultivation of grapes probably started around the Caspian Sea. From there it spread westward to Europe and the Romans took them to Britain in 10 AD.
- The oldest grapevine in America is a 400-year-old Scuppernong vine in North Carolina.
- In England in the late 18th century grapes were planted in greenhouses some of these vines were still in production until the early 20th century and one vine, the Hampton Court vine, planted in 1769 is still running.
- In October 1787, grapevines were obtained from Cape Town, South Africa, and carried to Australia by the First Fleet to Sydney Town.
- Grape develops on the vine that can reach a length of 50 feet. One vine usually produces 40 clusters of grapes.
- The grapevine is a perennial plant that can survive and produce fruit for centuries.
- Grape clusters can be like a pyramid, round or long and thin. Each is attached to the main stem of the bunch by a short stem. The thin skin encloses a sweet, juicy, jelly-like, almost translucent flesh.
- Grapes are about the size of a marble or slightly bigger, about 1-2cm long, round like a ball or egg-shaped, and either seeded or seedless. Color varies from green to dark purple.
- Grapes appear in many colors. White, red, black, blue, green, purple, and golden. There are over 8,000 grape varieties worldwide.
- The grape appears in the top ten of the world’s favorite fruits, along with tomatoes, mangos, and bananas.
- The USA imports 25% of its grapes from Chile.
- Grapes with black skins are dried to make raisins, whereas sultanas (Thomson) are dried from small seedless green grapes. In the US all dried grapes are called ‘raisins’. Raisins contain only 15% water and are a good source of iron. Seedless varieties of grapes are used in the manufacture of raisins.
- Grapes have a combination of sugars both glucose and fructose in equal half. These carbohydrates are slowly digested so the energy you get from grapes lasts longer.
- One cup of grapes gives about 100 calories. Grapes are a good source of dietary fiber and also contain low levels of cholesterol, sodium, and fat, and are rich in vitamin K and C. Grapes are also an excellent source of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, Iron, Manganese, and magnesium. It is also a good source of Vit. B-complex vitamins such as pyridoxine, riboflavin, and thiamin.
- Grape skin and seeds, which are also edible, are full of antioxidants mainly Resveratrol which has a protective role against cancers of the colon and prostate, coronary heart disease (CHD), degenerative nerve disease, Alzheimer’s’s’s disease and viral/ fungal infections.
- Amazingly eating Grape Seeds is More Nutritious than Eating the Actual Fruit. Plants use seeds as nutrient storage centers. Grape seeds are packed with vitamins, polyphenols, minerals, and healthful oils. You have to eat them raw and fresh without roasting, boiling, or salting.
- Grape seeds also contain oils that are used in the cosmetic industry for the manufacture of skin-care products.
- Along with the grapes themselves, the vine leaves are also edible. Picked fresh and then steamed, they are used to wrap rice and meats. It’s a traditional part of Greek and Lebanese cooking.
- Grapes help minimize the risk of heart attacks because they increase the levels of nitric acid in the blood which prevents blood clots.
- Grapes are 80% water so make a good snack, low in calories. Grapes are a laxative if you eat too many.
- 100 g fresh grapes just provide 69 calories but zero cholesterol levels.
- Grapes are classed as berries. The climbing plant can grow to 15-25 meters if it is not pruned. The flowers grow in clusters and are small, green, and fragrant. Fresh grapes are harvested by hand as machines are damaging.
- Good grapes are plump and firmly attached to stems. Avoid soft or wrinkled fruit and those browning around the stem. Store unwashed, in the refrigerator in a sealed container or plastic bag and use within 2-3 days.
- On average one acre of grapes can produce around 15,000 glasses of wine. It takes about 2.5 pounds of grape for the production of one bottle of vine.
- The grape industry worldwide produces over 72 million tons a year. It is the largest food-based industry in the world. 71% of produced grapes are used in the manufacture of wines, 27% are sold as fresh fruit and 2% are turned into raisins.
- The area which has the highest concentration of wineries in the world is The Napa Valley in California, with over 200.
- In the 1800’s many vines in Europe were destroyed by an insect that came from America.
- In Spain, the twelve strokes before midnight should be marked by eating 12 grapes. And it’s the time to make a wish: the grapes will bring you 12 months of good luck.
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