I’d Like To Know

Q

My friend says that pavlova is named after a ballet dancer. I hadn’t heard of this connection before. Is she correct? Mrs R.T., Huddersfield.

A

Yes, your friend is correct. The meringue dessert is named after Anna Pavlova, a Russian ballerina, though there’s often debate as to whether it was New Zealand or Australia that first created this dish in her honour after she visited both countries in the 1920s.

Some other examples of foods named after people which are still enjoyed today include beef Wellington (named after Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington) and Victoria sponge (created in Queen Victoria’s honour).

Q

I know that the human skeleton is supposed to have 206 bones, but is it true that some people have an extra bone in their knees? Mrs F.G., Grangemouth.

A

The average human skeleton does have around 206 bones, but only after some fuse together from birth into childhood.

According to researchers at Imperial College London, however, a little “extra” bone in the knee seems to be more common today than in years gone by.

The experts estimate that this small sesamoid bone called the fabella – faba means bean in Latin – which sits in a tendon behind the knee is now three times more common today than it was around 100 years ago. It’s unclear as to why this should be.

Q

I spotted a fruit called a limelon in my local supermarket – what is this, what does it taste like and where is it grown? Miss N.H., Arbroath.

A

It’s a hybrid fruit and, as the name suggests, it combines the zingy sour taste of lime – though more subtle than an actual lime – with the texture of a melon. The green-striped fruit is grown in Spain and looks just like a melon when cut open.