The world up close: Food edition

Welcome to the second edition of the world up close, a (new) weekly feature here at We Rep STEM where we fall down internet rabbitholes in search of cool science photos.

We’re always hungry, so we rounded up some cool food photos for you today. Grab a snack, sit back, and take a tour of the world up close.

Have an image you’d like to have added to our world up close gallery? Get in touch. We’ll make sure to give full credit and link to your accounts, websites and/or social media profiles.

This is a macro photo of romanesco broccoli, is an edible fllower bud that's part of the cabbage family. It was first documented in Italy in the 16th century and has a form that naturally approximates a fractal. Courtesy: Bold Frontiers CC-BY-2.0
Behold: A chicken egg without its shell. This is chemistry at work: Soaking a whole, raw egg in white vinegar for 48 hours causes the calcium in the egg's shell to dissolve, leaving behind the tissue that lined the inside of the shell. Courtesy: Biswarup Ganguly CC-BY-3.0
Rice terraces in Yuanyang County, Yunnan, China There is possible evidence of rice cultivation dating back to 11,500 BP, but scientists can't confirm if the rice was being cultivated or gathered as wild rice. Courtesy: CillanXC CC-BY-SA-3.0
Saffron is the world's most expensive spice, costing around $5,000/lb., depending on the quality. Harvesting saffron is a labour-intensive process that must be done by hand and only a small portion of the saffron flower is used. Courtesy: Canva Premium.
Crystals, mainly sugar, in a dried Coca Cola drop as seen under a microscope (cross polarized). Courtesy: Alexander Klepnev CC-BY-4.0
Ackee orginates in West Africa but migrated to Jamaica in the 1700s and is now the country's national fruit. It's found in many dishes but if improperly eaten, vomiting, sickness, and death can occur. Unripe ackee contains a poison called hypoglycin. The only edible part is the yellow arilli.
A spice shop in a souk in Marrakesh, Morocco. Spices are usually towered in pyramids. Common spices found in Moroccan cuisine include: Cayenne (felfla), cinnamon (karfa), turmeric (quekoum), and cumin (kamoon). Courtesy: Dan Lundberg CC-BY-SA-2.0
We added this beautiful photo of the Mikly Way galaxy to our 'food' gallery because Sagittarius B2, a dust cloud at the centre of our galaxy, contains ethyl formate -- a chemical that gives rasperries their flavour, and rum its distinct scent. Courtesy: Canva Premium.

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