What am IIn the spring, my bush grows white or pink bell-shaped flowers. I am a popular berry and maybe even one of the first finger foods you ate! Over a summer weekend, especially over the 4th of July, you can find me in summer desserts. Where I growIt makes sense that I'm a big part of USA holidays, because I'm native to North America. Not long ago, you didn't find me at the grocery store, you had to pick me in the wild. I grow on a bush in highly acidic soil in cool climates, not ideal conditions for most farmers. In the early summer, my berries grow and start as lime green, turning red, and finally are ready to pick when it is dark blue. After I'm pickedI am very delicate, so I am handpicked. After you purchase or pick me, you should only wash me right before you're going to eat me. This is because the protective coating, called "bloom", is removed. I can be eaten raw. You can also dry them to add to baked goods or trail mixes. When frozen, I can be added to baked goods or mixed in a smoothie. It can even be made into a jam! Did you guess... BlueberryEspañol: Arándanos Enjoy some blueberries this weekend! Did you know that American Indians called blueberries Star Berries because of its five-pointed star shape at the end of the berry? Also, blueberries are one of the only foods that are truly blue! DID YOU KNOW
Feed your food curiosity! Snackster Sam provides fun and educational content about food that grows. Join the adventure. Download the Snackster Sam app from Google Play or the App Store.
What am I?I have a mystery flavor - sometimes I can taste like a blackberry, cherry, or even a grape. I am a fruit of the honeysuckle plant, which is where I get my name. I look like a long blueberry, and I can grow an inch or more. Where I growI grow on a bush on the ground. My bush grows up to 8 feet tall and can live for 50 years or more. I like cold temperatures. I grow in regions where the winter temperature is very cold. I can withstand temperatures down to 55 degrees BELOW zero (-55 degrees F). I’m native to Russia and am also grown in Japan and North America. After I'm pickedI’m the first fruit of spring, blooming even before strawberries. When I’m ripe, farmers will shake my bush and any ripe fruit falls off. Then I can be enjoyed fresh or made into jam! Did you guess... Honey BerryEspañol: baya de miel Did you guess honeyberry? Haven't heard of it? Either had Snackster Sam! Watch the video to learn more about how honey berries grow! Thank you to the farmers at HoneyBerryUSA.com for sharing these with Snackster Sam! Feed your food curiosity! Snackster Sam provides fun and educational content about food that grows. Join the adventure. Download the Snackster Sam app from Google Play or the App Store.
What am I?I'm the ultimate summer fruit. Besides my bright color, I have a delightful fragrance (smell). I am native to North America. Today I’m grown in every single U.S. state and Canadian province. I am the only fruit that has seeds on the outside. I have over 200 seeds on my fruit. Interestingly, if you get me from a grocery store, I wasn’t grown from a single seed. Where I growI grow on the ground, and my plant is a perennial, which means if you plant one, it will come back every year. Once my plant grows fruit, it will continue to do so for about five years. My flower needs bees to pollinate it for my fruit to grow. Farmers often have bee hives to ensure the flowers are pollinated. After I'm PickedMy fruit ripens at different times on a single plant. Because of this and my delicate flesh, farmers hand pick the fruit when I’m perfectly ripe. After I’m picked, I should be used right away. I can be eaten fresh or made into jam, frozen for smoothies, or made into baked goods like cake and muffins. Did you guess... StrawberryEspañol: fresa Did you guess Strawberry? Strawberry can be eaten fresh or made into a lot of foods! Watch the video to learn more. Feed your food curiosity! Snackster Sam provides fun and educational content about food that grows. Join the adventure. Download the Snackster Sam app from Google Play or the App Store.
What am I?I'm fuzzy and sweet. I'm also finicky, which means I like things a certain way. My tree needs a mild winter - not too warm and not too cold. I like the perfect amount of sun, and if my tree is not pruned (cut back), I won't grow sweet fruit. I am native to Asia, but my desired fruit was transported across the world by Spanish explorers. Where I growI grow on trees. Unlike many fruit trees, I don't live very long. My tree lives between 8-25 years. In the spring, my bright pink flowers bloom. The wind pollinates the flowers, and then my fruit can grow. Except, if all the flowers turned into fruit, my tree wouldn't be able to support them! So farmers hand-pick flowers off my branches. After I'm pickedFarmers hand pick me when my skin has no yellow or green. Once I'm picked, set me on the counter, or if I need to soften, put me in a brown paper bag. If I'm put in the fridge, I will dry out and lose flavor. My fuzzy skin protects me and locks in moisture, which makes me more juicy. That's why you should only wash me right before you're ready to eat my fruit. I can also be baked, canned, and even grilled! Did you guess... PeachEspañol: durazno Peaches are sweet and juicy stone fruits. Stone fruits have a pit in the middle. Did you know a nectarine is just a peach without fuzz? Feed your food curiosity! Snackster Sam provides fun and educational content about food that grows. Join the adventure. Download the Snackster Sam app from Google Play or the App Store
After I'm pickedI'm picked once my rhizome has hard skin on it. Then I'm boiled to kill any harmful bacteria. Then I am dried in the sun or in air dryers. Last, I'm tossed into a drum where I am skin is polished. I'm often added to recipes in a dried, ground form. I'm a spice with a lot to offer! Did you guess... TurmericEspañol: cúrcuma Turmeric is a bright gold spice with a bitter flavor. It goes well with cinnamon, ginger, orange, and more. Hey, Snacksters! Watch the video to learn more about turmeric.
Feed your food curiosity! Snackster Sam provides fun and educational content about food that grows. Join the adventure. Download the Snackster Sam app from Google Play or the App Store What am I?My oldest trees on in Lebanon and are 6,000 years old. My trees never quit producing fruit. Even if my tree is damaged, it can come back to life. But it's not just my tree that's exciting, it's the fruit on it and what that fruit juice becomes! You've been told my fruit makes oil, but it's really juice! Keep reading to learn more. Where I growI grow on trees and am native to the Mediterranean. There are over 700 varieties of me, and each one offers a different flavor. My fruit starts green and turns purple when it's ripe. When it's ripe, it produces more juice but less flavor. My tree is ready to beat and shake when I have fruit that's green AND fruit that's starting to turn purple. After I'm PickedAt harvest, timing is everything. If the weather is too hot, I can mature too quickly. If the weather is cold, I might have to be picked before I'm mature in case of a frost. Once I'm picked off the tree, I need to be made into juice right away. Farmers today try to get me from the tree to the mill in just 3 hours! Did You Guess?Español: aceituna Olive oil is full of flavor. Try this condiment that has been enjoyed by people for over 6,500 years! Let's try it!How Olive Oil is MadeFeed your food curiosity! Snackster Sam provides fun and educational content about food that grows. Join the adventure. Download the Snackster Sam app from Google Play or the App Store!
What am I?Do you prefer sweet or sour? I can be either! I'm known for my beautiful flowering trees and delicious fruit. I am native to Asia. Now I'm grown all over the world. I like cold winters and warm (not too hot) summers. Where I growI grow on trees. The tree takes about 4 years before it grows fruit. Most fruit trees live for 20 years, but there are 3 trees in Japan that are over 1,000 years old! Before other fruit trees, my tree blossoms. It's a sign that Spring is here! The flowers are so beautiful, most of the trees in Japan are grown for the flowers only and they don't grow fruit! I need pollinators (like honey bees) in order to grow fruit. When the flower dies, my fruit start to grow. After I'm pickedIn June and July, it's time to pick! I do not ripen when I'm off the tree, so I need to be picked at the right time. The average tree has 7,000 fruits on it! Today, farmers use a tree shaker to shake off my fruit in just 7 seconds. The fruit should be attached to my stem so it stays fresh longer. My sweet varieties are eaten raw, juiced, or canned and the sour kind is often dried and used for baking. There is a seed inside, so take a bite and spit out the seed! Did you guess... Cherry!Español: cereza Do you like cherries? Cherry trees are also used to make furniture. Watch the video to learn more. Remember, most cherry trees that come from Japan do not grow cherry fruit. Feed your food curiosity! Snackster Sam provides fun and educational content about food that grows. Join the adventure. Download the Snackster Sam app from Google Play or the App Store!
What am I?I grow in the tropics where every part of my tree is used, even to build roofs on houses! I have many layers, and I am a strong fruit with a hard shell. Parts of the fruit and shell are used for oil, drinking water, and food. Where I growI grow on trees in warm, tropical climates like the Philippines. My fruit is soaked in water for months until the seedling is ready to plant. Once I start growing, it takes 5-6 years until I grow fruit. After my tree is 15 years old, it will grow more fruit until it's about 80 years old! All year round I grow more fruit. After I'm pickedI'm not actually picked. If I'm fully mature, I fall from the tree. Although I can be picked before I fall because, depending on how I'll be used, I'm always ripe! When I'm ready to be used, you need a large sharp knife to cut open my husk and hard shell. Did you guess... CoconutEspañol: coco Did you CRACK the code? Have you had a fresh coconut? There are a lot of ways to try coconut like, coconut water, dried coconut, coconut milk, and coconut oil! Hey, Snacksters! Watch the video to learn how coconuts grow! Try it!Did you know you can eat a coconut after its sprouted? Watch the video below to learn more about how to eat mature, sprouted coconut. Feed your food curiosity! Snackster Sam provides fun and educational content about food that grows. Join the adventure. Download the Snackster Sam app from Google Play or the App Store!
What am I?You could say that I'm turned inside out. I'm a fruit with flowers on the INSIDE, which means I'm pollinated on the inside too. But we'll get to that next. Most people in the United States have tried me dried, but I can be eaten fresh. I'm common in the Mediterranean countries. Some historians believe it is the first cultivated crop, dating back to 6500 BC. Where I growI grow on trees in warm, dry climates. I need a special wasp to pollinate this fruit - but not how you think. The female wasp enters the fruit and lays eggs! When the eggs hatch, the wasps wiggle out. Don't worry, most of the fruit available today does not need wasps to grow. To grow new trees, farmers use cuttings from mature trees and grows it in pots. After I'm pickedI have to be picked at the perfect time when I just start to ripen. If you get a fresh one, eat it right away. Once I'm picked, 90% of the fruit grown is dried. If you've had me, it's most likely in a cookie. That's because my natural flavor is sweet and has a nutty texture from the seeds in the fruit. I've been used as a sweetener for a long time. Did you guess... Fig Español: higo Did you FIG-ure it out? If you come across a fresh fig, don't miss your opportunity to try it! Figs are pretty amazing and have been enjoyed for thousands of years! Watch the videos to learn more! Feed your food curiosity! Snackster Sam provides fun and educational content about food that grows. Join the adventure. Download the Snackster Sam app from Google Play or the App Store!
What am I?I'm often added to soups to add more flavor. I started growing in the Middle East and have been farmed for at least 3,000 years. I was used as a decoration on King Tut's tomb! The seed, which is actually the fruit of my plant, was used in ancient medicine. Where I growSee my gnarly roots? You guessed it, I grow under the ground. However, I have many varieties, and on other plants, you'll eat the part that grows above the ground, which is a long green stalk. I'm a cool weather plant, which means I grow best when temperatures are 55 to 70°F. After I'm pickedI grow slowly, and usually after the first frost, I'm ready to be picked. Farmers cut the stalks off the root. Once I'm picked, I should be kept cool. My root is delicious cooked and added to soups or mashed like potatoes. My seeds can also be used as a spice. And the stalk can be eaten raw or cooked. Did you guess... Celery RootEspañol: raíz de apio Have you tried celery root before? It can also be called celeriac. Feed your food curiosity! Snackster Sam provides fun and educational content about food that grows. Join the adventure. Download the Snackster Sam app from Google Play or the App Store!
What am I?I am a refreshing snack that is known for my cool and crisp nature. I have smooth or bumpy green skin and a watery flesh that is often enjoyed in salads. Sometimes people put me on their eyes to relax! I mostly come green, but also can be yellow and white! Can you guess what I am? Where I growI grow on the ground on a vine with a yellow flower. I started growing in India and now grow all across the world, including Europe, Asia, and the Americas. I've been an important food for thousands of years. Farmers have to plant me in the ground by hand. Once I start to grow, they wrap my vine around the nets. Honey bees play an important role in my life, without their pollinating, I wouldn't exist. (In fact, bees are important for most food!) After I'm pickedI am picked before I'm fully grown, otherwise I would taste bitter, have a lot of seeds, and be yellow. After I'm picked, I am usually washed and trimmed to remove any dirt or blemishes. I can be eaten raw with my skin on or peeled off. Some people like to slice me up and add me to salads or sandwiches for a refreshing crunch, while others enjoy blending me into refreshing drinks or pickling me. In fact when I'm pickled, I'm called... PICKLES! Did you guess... CucumberEspañol: pepino Cucumbers can even be used in beauty treatments to soothe and hydrate the skin! Watch the video to learn more about how it grows. Feed your food curiosity! Snackster Sam provides fun and educational content about food that grows. Join the adventure. Download the Snackster Sam app from Google Play or the App Store!
What am I?You could say I'm a power house vegetable. My scent is powerful enough that people used to keep me to scare away vampires. I was given to ancient Olympians to make them stronger. Before modern medicine, I was thought to fight illness. People would even put me on their cuts. Thankfully, we have Band-aids now! How I growMy bulb grows under the ground. My bulb holds water and nutrients for my plant, so even if the weather isn't perfect for growing, I can still survive. I have long green leaves that grow above the ground. The part you eat is also the seed. How I'm picked.Before I'm picked, the farmer stops watering my plant and starts the curing process, where I'm dried out. The farmer knows I'm ready for picking when there are 5 to 6 skins. After I'm picked, I'm dried out in the sun. Leaves cover the bulb to make sure I don't get sunburned! Did you guess... Garlic?Español: ajo Skip the garlic powder and try adding garlic cloves into your next dish! Feed your food curiosity! Snackster Sam provides fun and educational content about food that grows. Join the adventure. Download the Snackster Sam app from Google Play or the App Store!
What am I?If you smell me, you'll want to sniff again. My scent is delightful and tropical. I am a small, round fruit that is filled with juicy pulp and seeds. When you cut me open, you'll see that my inside is a bright yellow-orange color. I have a unique flavor that is both sweet and tangy, and I'm often used in desserts and drinks. Where I growI grow on a vine on the ground in tropical climates. I need plenty of sunshine, water, and warmth to thrive. Some people even grow me in their own backyards! My flower is colorful and complex. After my flower blooms, I rely on bees to share pollen so I can grow. After my flower is pollinated, my berry starts to grow. It's easy to know when I'm ripe, because I will fall from the vine. There are many different species, from green to purple. After I'm pickedAfter I am carefully harvested by hand, I am washed and sorted to make sure that only the best fruits make it to the market. Some people like to eat me fresh, scooping out my pulp and seeds with a spoon. Others like to use me in recipes, like pies, sorbets, and cocktails. No matter how you enjoy me, I'm sure to add a burst of flavor to your day! Did you guess... Passion FruitEspañol: maracuyá It might look like it's from an alien planet, but passion fruit is a tart and delightful food! Have you tried it? Watch the video to learn more about Passion Fruit. Feed your food curiosity! Snackster Sam provides fun and educational content about food that grows. Join the adventure. Download the Snackster Sam app from Google Play or the App Store!
What am I?You might think I'm a bean, but I'm actually a seed, or a legume. Not long ago, I wasn't found in as many dishes as I am now, well in the US that is. I've been an important food across the world for thousands of years. I started growing in the Middle East. Now, India grows the most crops. Where I growI grow on a plant on the ground in warm and dry climates. I can pull nutrients and water from the ground all summer long. But before harvest, farmers actually want me to dry out, so I am not watered! I also keep bugs away with a natural acid on my pod. When I am dried, the acid goes away. After I'm pickedI grow in a green pod all summer, and I'm ready for harvest (picking) in September. Farmers are looking for a unified (one) color, because most of me will be canned and blended into hummus. Did you guess... ChickpeasEspañol: garbanzo Do you like chickpeas? What about hummus? By the way, you may hear "garbanzo" for chickpeas. Garbanzo is the Spanish name! Go to the next slide to learn more about chickpeas! Chickpea FactsChickpeas (also called Garbanzo beans) are seeds, not a bean! It's a plant from the pea family. It's an important plant used in main dishes across the world and can grow without a lot of water. HOW IT GROWS Chickpeas grow on a bushy plant. It grows small white or reddish flowers. The seed then grows in a pod, just like a pea. The pods release acid (chemicals) through tiny hairs on the pod and stems of the plant. This protects it from insects, but it can also put holes in your clothing! A fresh chickpea is green, but this isn't a common way to eat it. Instead, the plant is naturally dried out from the heat of summer. By September, the plant is ready to harvest. DID YOU KNOW
HOW TO EAT IT At the grocery store, you will find canned or dried chickpeas. You can blend it (like hummus), add it to salads, roast it, and bake it. It can even be used to make desserts! Feed your food curiosity! Snackster Sam provides fun and educational content about food that grows. Join the adventure. Download the Snackster Sam app from Google Play or the App Store!
What am I?Don't call me nuts! Ok, maybe you can. My wild trees are native to the USA. Most people would say I come in one shape, size, and flavor, but... think again! There are thousands of varieties of me. Where I growI grow on trees in warm, sunny climates. My tree grows to be over 100 feet tall and can live for hundreds of years! I have male and female flowers on one tree! The small flowers that grow in the spring share pollen so I can grow. After I'm pickedI grow in a green husk that protects me all summer. In the fall when it's time for harvest, the husk turns brown and peels back, revealing my mature nut. Farmers shake my tree where I fall to the ground. I lay there for 3-4 days to dry out. Some nuts are sent to the cracker where I'm brought to the store. Did you guess... PecanEspañol: pecán Do you like pecans? Did you know you can light a pecan like a candle? Watch the video to learn more about pecans! Feed your food curiosity! Snackster Sam provides fun and educational content about food that grows. Join the adventure. Download the Snackster Sam app from Google Play or the App Store!
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