Are you the one who always do shopping for groceries? Our list of food items that look similar is a challenge for you. While those who don’t even know the basic difference between common foods like ridged gourd (ghilki) and zucchini (summer squash) can improve their culinary knowledge here.
We bet you’d thank us for this.
Food Items That Can Make You Fool With Their Appearance
1. Plantain and Banana
You don’t even have to think what it is, Of course- A banana. But the green one is different; it is plantain and half-brother of the banana.
Similarities
- What makes them alike is their nutritional value and ability to reduce blood sugar levels.
- Both are Southeast Asian fruits
Difference
- Bananas can be eaten raw but plantains are usually cooked for consumption
- Plantains are long, have a thick cover, and are starchier than bananas.
[Fun Fact: There are over 1000 varieties of bananas ]
2. Agave vs Honey
Did you think that yellow sweet liquid is always honey? It can be agave if you don’t know what it is and how honey is different from it.
Similarities
- Both contain 64 calories
- Sweet in taste
Difference
- Agave comes from a blue agave plant whereas honey is made by bees
- Honey has thick consistency whereas the thin sweet yellow liquid is agave
- Honey is a high glycemic index food which makes it unfit for people with diabetes but agave is a good alternative
- Agave is mostly fructose whereas honey is both fructose and glucose
Also Read: Origin Of Jalebi- The Taste You Know, The History You Don’t!!!
3. Sweet Oranges vs Mandarin
Which is which? The pic on the left side is sweet orange which is a yellow-orange fruit, round in shape, and has a tart flavor. The other one is mandarin which is also an orange but sweetest of all. Their skin is thin and flesh is less acidic whereas sweet oranges are juicy and larger than mandarins.
And these two are not the only ones in the orange family, there are tangerines, clementines, satsuma mandarins, and blood orange. Too confusing!!!
4. Persimmon vs Tomatoes
These are not tomatoes though they look like. Persimmons are more like apricot and are mildly sweet in taste. But their yellow color and tomatoes-like appearance often confuse buyers who are buying them for the first time.
5. Peach vs Nectarine
via:rpoducemadesimple
Very few people know the difference between these two fruits; many don’t even know what nectarine is. Well, now you will.
Similarities
- Good sources of fiber and micronutrients
Difference
- Peach comes from Aisa and Nectarine is a North American fruit
- Peaches don’t have a smooth coating whereas nectarines have smooth skin.
- Nectarine smells good but is less sweet than peaches.
- You can bake peaches but nectarine is not good for baking
Also Read: Delve Into The Egg Tales Around The World
6. Raisins vs Sultanas
Raisins are one of the most confusing food items that look similar. They have got two twins-sultanas and currants but the former one is close to raisins. They are formed similarly by drying grapes but only those without seeds are used to make sultanas. Does it make any difference? Yes!
Differences
- Not as darks as raisins
- Treated with sulfur dioxide to get that golden color
- Raisins are large in size
- Sultanas are more juicy and sweet
7. Paneer vs Tofu
Unless the package is not labeled, one can hardly tell whether its tofu or paneer. Though both are used interchangeably in recipes and serve similar purposes, tofu and paneer taste different.
Similarities
- Both are vegetarian sources of calcium and protein
- High in fat and carbs
Difference
- Tofu is vegan, paneer is not though its completely okay for vegetarians
- Tofu has a bean flavor and paneer is milky in taste
- Tofu has a soft texture
8. Quinoa vs Millet
We bet you will give up identifying these similar-looking grains if you have never ever tasted the two or shopped for them. Let’s know the difference if you haven’t tried these two.
Similarities-
- Whole grains,
- Good protein source for vegetarians,
- Gluten-free
- Low glycemic index
Differences
- Millet is small in size than quinoa
- Quinoa comes in different colors like white, red, and black whereas millet can be yellow, green, and brown in color
- Quinoa is very expensive
- Millet is not good for thyroid patient
- Millet lacks lysine
- Quinoa is bad for kidney patients
9. Coriander vs Parsley
via:foodiosity
These two food items share a lot of resemblances but after knowing these differences you will don’t say the same
Similarities
- Low in calories and carbs
- Rich in phenolic compounds
Difference
- Parsley has bright green leaves whereas coriander is darker in color
- Coriander has a pungent taste but parsley tastes grassy
- Only leaves and roots of parsley are edible, whereas you can eat roots, seeds, and even leaves of coriander
10. Shrimp vs Prawn
via:everybodycraves
A tough job for every seafood lover! These two have got 10/10 in our list of food items that look similar because one cannot differentiate the two without having some serious seafood knowledge. But you can still bring the right one to your plate, orange one is shrimp and that in grey is prawn.
Similarities
- Both are crustaceans and have similar taste
- Low calories food
Differences
- Just check the second segment of each, if it overlaps the upper and lower part you have got a prawn, or else it’s a shrimp
- If you don’t understand this one, simply check the size- the prawn is larger than shrimp and has big legs
- Prawns are not curled at the end like shrimps
- Prawn is more expensive than shrimp
Hope your culinary quandary is resolved with our list of food items that look similar.