#food-origins

#food-origins

The Mexican Pizza has been a Taco Bell fan favorite since it was first introduced to the menu back in 1985 - though it went by a different name back then, the Pizzazz Pizza. In its current form at the fast food chain, this dish consists of two layers of crisp flour tortillas with refried beans and seasoned ground beef sandwiched in the middle, and "Mexican Pizza Sauce," melted cheese, and diced tomatoes on top.

For many Brits, a beer at the pub washed down with a salty snack is no doubt one of life's greatest pleasures. What's more uncertain, it seems, is where exactly these Great British delicacies come from. Experts at British Lion Eggs surveyed 2,000 British adults about their knowledge and opinions on nibbles commonly found behind the bar. Scotch eggs, pork scratchings and pork pies were found to be among the nation's favourites - but many were left scratching their heads over their origins.

One thing about me? I love to eat and drink. It's honestly the only thing that can pull me out of the occasional existential crisis. And while I'm busy inhaling my favorite snacks, I often catch myself wondering, "Who thought of this?" Well, turns out, a lot of our beloved foods weren't invented by culinary geniuses; instead, they were happy accidents. Researching one origin story sent me spiraling into a rabbit hole of delicious mistakes that turned into global favorites. Here's a list of them.

Hawaiian pizza? Ontario, Canada was its birthplace. These are just two of many foods named after places that they didn't actually originate from. Another is Russian dressing. Occasionally used on salads, Russian dressing is best known for what it brings to classic grilled Reuben sandwiches. This lightly spicy, creamy vinaigrette was most likely to have been originally dreamed up by a regular Joe or ... er, James, a New England grocer by the name of James E. Colburn of Nashua, New Hampshire.