The 5 second rule. Is it correct?
Last night I watched the finale of the Next Food Network Star on the Food Network Channel. It’s not really my thing but my mother had me watching the marathon during the day so I kind of got into it.
It was ok, I guess. But the series that showed after is what really had me.
It’s called Food Detectives and I found it to be very insightful. Basically the show answers all the food questions that you have; all the myths you’ve heard and have been wondering about.
Take for example the 5 second rule. Most of us should know this one. Your food drops on the floor and we think that we have at least 5 seconds to pick it up before it gets all contaminated with bacteria (c’mon admit it. You’ve either done that or at least thought about it.) What the detectives proved is that the 5 sec rule is very inaccurate. Even before you can count to 5, your food will have accumulated a good set of bacteria.
The next question they answered is How do I stop my mouth from burning after I’ve eaten spicy food? I actually knew the question to this one through my personal experiences. The answer…. milk or in my case a milkshake. One evening I was eating a chicken wrap thing and it was very spicy. My mouth was on fire actually. I reached for the closest thing to me which was my milkshake. I took a big gulp and immediately the burning stopped. I actually felt quite smart about the fact that I knew the answer.
It also debunks the theory of baking soda being placed in the fridge. Now I’m not gonna give up that secret so you have to check it out when it airs again tomorrow at 9:00 pm.
Watch it, I highly recommend it.
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thanks for the tip about the spicy food and milkshake! I just ate a hot curry and my mouth is burning so I’ll pop around the corner and get a milkshake now
xxx
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Interesting post! I read the tip about the spicy food in a cooking magazine, tried it, and it works for me as well!
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love these kind of shows, they’re an excellent way to stay entertained while learning cool stuff! i just recently learned how to survive ‘brain freeze,’ the intense head pain you get after eating too much of something cold. you’re supposed to heat the top of your mouth, either with water or even your tongue and it’ll help the pain!
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I try to stay away from the spice! I’m a food punk-
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i had a feeling that the 5 second rule was false. in paris i saw a guy drop a cookie then eat it. and paris streets…. are like years of filth.
i love spicy so i knew about the milk thing.. yogurt works well too!
-wewearthings
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i don’t know how i’d feel watching a show like that, haha. but i did know the milk thing. i had to learn the hard way with some super spicy salsa, oy.
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ewww ! i cant believe the 5 second rule. Ive always done 3 seconds…but now as soon as my food drops, ill chuck it.
Thanks for letting a sister now
ahaha ! no really thanks for sharing the GOOD info !
xxx
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thanks for the amusing post. did know about milk but didn’t know much about 5 second rule. when I was in high school,i was in lots of art classes.. guys in the terracotta workshops used to just pick up whatever they drop on the floor.. yuk clay dust and all.. well no one died so… there you go.
^^
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MILKSHAKE! a perfect solution! I always knew milk does the trick but I don’t like milk unless it’s w/ my cookies or cereal.
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The busted the 5 second rule on Mythbusters too, I changed my habits rather promptly after! And milk is magical for spicy foods!!
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i guess hot tea works the best for me when i eat too spicy…gosh what a boring answer..but it’s the truth!
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ugh… I guess I’ll have to throw out my 5 second rule.
Dairy is definitely the best cure for spicy foods. I have mix plain yoghurt into my curries because I can’t handle the spiciness. I’m a total pussy when it comes to spicy food.
PS. Thanks for linking to our site. We’ve added yours to our link list too.
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WHY do i not live in New York?? Why, oh why?
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i always suspected the 5 second rule was bogus but i guess the truth is, i dont really care
ha
i knew the milk one too
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