Fruit and vegetables: we need it, we eat it, we often love it. It's nature's gift to humanity, with the best flavors around the world coming from mother nature herself. However, did you know that many of these nutritious treats are actually man-made? Prepare to have your mind blown and your mouth watered as we explore many such examples in this new gallery.
Orange
Oranges are amongst the most popular fruit in the world. However, they're actually a hybrid fruit.
Oranges can be traced back to a cross-breed between a pomelo and a mandarin. The orange apparently has its origins in China.
Banana
Believe it or not, bananas are man-made! This yellow delight has a history stretching back around 10,000 years.
The modern banana is apparently a blend of the wild Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana banana species. Try either of them and you'll find a pretty foul taste.
Grapefruit
The grapefruit has a storied history. It can be traced back to 1693, when a man named Captain Shaddock shipped pomelo seeds to the West Indies.
There, he planted the seeds next to some orange trees. After some cross-pollination, the grapefruit was born.
Strawberry
It's beloved around the world by those with a sweet tooth, but the strawberry isn't 100% original.
The strawberry we eat is a man-made hybrid of the wild strawberry. It's thought that the modern strawberry was introduced in France in the 18th century.
Boysenberry
Boysenberries are one of the lesser-known fruits, with a history stretching back to the '20s.
The boysenberry was created by Rudolph Boysen, who blended the blackberry with either the loganberry or the red raspberry.
Tangelo
The tangelo has its origins in the forests of Southeast Asia, where insects cross-pollinated mandarins with a relative of the grapefruit some 3,500 years ago.
There are different varieties of tangelos, but it's no surprise that the most popular gave birth to its name: the tangerine crossed with the pomelo.
Carrot
Did you know carrots weren't always orange? Back in the days of the Roman Empire, it's reported that natural carrots were either white or purple.
What's more, they were inedible. The carrots we eat today are a hybrid of the yellow carrot, which, in turn, is a hybrid of the white carrot.
Cabbage
The green cole crop is closely related to many vegetables. Here's the story of that good green stuff.
Selective vegetable breeding was popular in the 1600s, when wild mustard was blended with bigger leaf buds. The result was the cabbage.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is another lovable member of the Brassica oleracea species, which includes cabbage, broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts, and collard greens.
The vegetable was formed from wild mustard, which becomes kohlrabi.
Brussels sprouts
Love 'em or hate 'em, it's interesting to note that brussels sprouts are a member of the Gemmifera Group of cabbages.
Brussels sprouts are small-stemmed plants that are a hybrid between wild mustard and kohlrabi.
Broccoli
Broccoli is a very well-known veg, and many may be surprised to learn that it's actually man-made.
This vegetable is thought to be a hybridization of kohlrabi. In the '90s, a Japanese company crossbred broccoli with kai-lan (Chinese broccoli) to create broccolini.
Kale
This plant is getting more and more popular, but kale didn't just come from nowhere.
Kale has its origins in the Mediterranean and Anatolia. It's formed from wild mustard that is selectively breeded.
This loose-leafed, often overlooked plant is also man-made.
Collard greens
About 2,500 years ago, collard greens were created by blending wild mustard seeds with larger leaves.
The peanut as we know it today is actually a hybrid between two older types of peanuts.
Peanuts
That's right, the peanut is a cross between the Arachis ipaensis and the Arachis duranensis. It's thought that bees actually cross-pollinated both breeds.
Almonds
The modern almond we know and love is actually a hybrid of the wild almond.
The wild almond is pretty bitter and hardly pleasant to eat. That said, scientists can't quite figure out how humans made the modern almond.
Orange
Oranges are amongst the most popular fruit in the world. However, they're actually a hybrid fruit.
Oranges can be traced back to a cross-breed between a pomelo and a mandarin. The orange apparently has its origins in China.
Banana
Believe it or not, bananas are man-made! This yellow delight has a history stretching back around 10,000 years.
The modern banana is apparently a blend of the wild Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana banana species. Try either of them and you'll find a pretty foul taste.
Grapefruit
The grapefruit has a storied history. It can be traced back to 1693, when a man named Captain Shaddock shipped pomelo seeds to the West Indies.
There, he planted the seeds next to some orange trees. After some cross-pollination, the grapefruit was born.
Strawberry
It's beloved around the world by those with a sweet tooth, but the strawberry isn't 100% original.
The strawberry we eat is a man-made hybrid of the wild strawberry. It's thought that the modern strawberry was introduced in France in the 18th century.
Boysenberry
Boysenberries are one of the lesser-known fruits, with a history stretching back to the '20s.
The boysenberry was created by Rudolph Boysen, who blended the blackberry with either the loganberry or the red raspberry.
Tangelo
The tangelo has its origins in the forests of Southeast Asia, where insects cross-pollinated mandarins with a relative of the grapefruit some 3,500 years ago.
There are different varieties of tangelos, but it's no surprise that the most popular gave birth to its name: the tangerine crossed with the pomelo.
Carrot
Did you know carrots weren't always orange? Back in the days of the Roman Empire, it's reported that natural carrots were either white or purple.
What's more, they were inedible. The carrots we eat today are a hybrid of the yellow carrot, which, in turn, is a hybrid of the white carrot.
Cabbage
The green cole crop is closely related to many vegetables. Here's the story of that good green stuff.
Selective vegetable breeding was popular in the 1600s, when wild mustard was blended with bigger leaf buds. The result was the cabbage.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is another lovable member of the Brassica oleracea species, which includes cabbage, broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts, and collard greens.
The vegetable was formed from wild mustard, which becomes kohlrabi.
Brussels sprouts
Love 'em or hate 'em, it's interesting to note that brussels sprouts are a member of the Gemmifera Group of cabbages.
Brussels sprouts are small-stemmed plants that are a hybrid between wild mustard and kohlrabi.
Broccoli
Broccoli is a very well-known veg, and many may be surprised to learn that it's actually man-made.
This vegetable is thought to be a hybridization of kohlrabi. In the '90s, a Japanese company crossbred broccoli with kai-lan (Chinese broccoli) to create broccolini.
Kale
This plant is getting more and more popular, but kale didn't just come from nowhere.
Kale has its origins in the Mediterranean and Anatolia. It's formed from wild mustard that is selectively breeded.
This loose-leafed, often overlooked plant is also man-made.
Collard greens
About 2,500 years ago, collard greens were created by blending wild mustard seeds with larger leaves.
The peanut as we know it today is actually a hybrid between two older types of peanuts.
Peanuts
That's right, the peanut is a cross between the Arachis ipaensis and the Arachis duranensis. It's thought that bees actually cross-pollinated both breeds.
Almonds
The modern almond we know and love is actually a hybrid of the wild almond.
The wild almond is pretty bitter and hardly pleasant to eat. That said, scientists can't quite figure out how humans made the modern almond.
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