We Bet You Knew Nothing About How These 8 Everyday Things Were Made

What are lipsticks really made of?

How ever does chocolate come to be?

Err… magic? Nice try.

Unless you’re a Google fanatic, you’re probably unaware of the origin stories of the vast majority of things we seem to have surrounded ourselves with in this 21^st century. While slurping on the tart goodness that is cola, you may have probably wondered, “Hmm, I wonder what’s exactly in this” but then promptly lost any such Sherlock-like inclinations as the lure of cool, crisp flavor flooded your taste buds.

Well, worry not my budding scientist. I’m here to assuage all the curiosity you’ve so dreadfully neglected. The following are 8 items you are sure to have used all the time (unless you’re Amish, of course). Some of these may just surprise you!

1. Instant Noodles

No matter where you are in the world, the next best thing to mom’s cooking in terms of comfort food has to be Maggi. This simple, flavorsome meal has successfully raised generations of children, starving students, and bachelors for decades. After sliced bread, instant noodles are probably one of the most iconic inventions of the 20^th century (Fun fact: they were first invented in Japan and sold under the brand name Chikin Ramen in 1958!)

• The basic set of ingredients consists of flour along with egg powder, tapioca starch, and also a This helps form that sturdy structure we’re all so familiar with.
• The noodles are boiled at the factory first, which is what makes them instant!
• After that, they are then deep fried, which is what gives them that long shelf life.

2. Lipstick

Lipsticks have a slightly gross origin story actually. Did you the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, one of the most infamous women in history whose name is synonymous with femme fatale, actually applied crushed bugs upon her lips to get a red tint? I know, poor Caesar.

So, what makes the modern day lipsticks? You’ll be glad to know you haven’t actually been smearing your lips with insect-puree all this while.

• All lipsticks consist of 5 foundation ingredients: oils, lanolin, colorings, mother-of-pearl, and waxes. At times, polyethylene is added to allow lipsticks to remain solid.
• Lipstick shades are actually made by mixing a dozen of different colors, including black, blue, and yellow.
• They’re also always perfumed, otherwise your lips would smell like candle wax!

3. Chocolate

Probably the greatest gift to mankind – scratch that – womankind, chocolate is the ultimate indulgence. Fun fact: Daniel Peter and Henri Nestle, who happened to add condensed milk to solid chocolate, first invented the modern day chocolate bar in 1845! So, what’s the recipe?

• First,cocoa beans are cleansed of their gelatin film, and then fermented for 8 days. After drying, they’re shipped to chocolate factories.
• There, the beans are roasted, then ground, and finally mixed with sugar and milk.
• After this, they areboiled for 12 hours straight!

4. Matches

The earliest matchstick that we can historically account for were small pinewood sticks infused with sulfur and were utilized by ‘impoverished court ladies’ in AD 577 Northern Qi! Modern day matchsticks, however, are made differently.

• Most manufacturers use aspen as the primary wood.
• The manufactured sticks have a special reagent added so that the future matches don’t smolder.

5. Mascara

Like most beauty products, the earliest mascara seems to have originated from ancient Egypt. 4000 BC records details of how women used kohl to darken their eyelashes. Modern-day mascara, however, is different.

• Their primary ingredient is Traditionally black mascara was made using carbon black.
• Depending on the type of mascara, the composition changes. Waterproof mascaras contain an abundance of Lengthening ones have a high level of microfibers and flexible polymers.

6. Soap

In my mind, soap led to human civilization. And ain’t nobody who can convince me any different. Originating from the ancient Middle East, the earliest soap formula was found detailed on a 2200 BC Babylonian tablet. But how are modern day soaps developed?

• Primary ingredients are fats and
• It’s traditionally boiled like a hot stew. After which the soap paste is left to settle for 36 hours.

7. Potato Chips

Fun fact: the earliest known potato chips recipe was actually published in a 1817 cookbook by Dr. William Kitchiner, an English optician and the inventor of telescopes! Talk about multi-talented. Commercial potato chips, however, are made the following way:

• The key is in the type of potatoes. The tubers can’t be too big or too small. For 1lb of chips, you’d require 4lbs of potatoes.
• Their maximum limit of thickness is 3mm.
• And they’re usually deep fried for 3 minutes.

8. Coca Cola

Did you know that a Colonel wounded in the American Civil War, who wished to find an alternative for his morphine addiction, initially invented Coca Cola? In 1886, he sold the carbonated water as a patent medicine for not only morphine addiction but also indigestion, headaches, nerve disorders and – I kid you not – impotence. Now, however, the recreational drink is made a tad bit differently:

• The main ingredient is a blend of sugar syrup and, of course, the super-secret concentrate that has made Coca-Cola the billion-dollar empire it is today.
• The blend is mixed with water and then

So, there you have it folks, the origin stories, and compositions of 8 everyday items, which I’ll probably bet you weren’t ever familiar with. I sure wasn’t. Comment down below which ones took you by surprise!

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Author

Emaan Shah

Emaan is a voracious and rather indiscriminate reader. She is also a writer, history buff, insomniac, amateur doodle artist, terrible poet and a self-professed philosopher (but only after 3 am). Currently, she is pursuing a degree in medicine.

Read full bio of Emaan Shah