# “Milk and Honey are the Only Foods that weren’t Originally Alive...” **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 30, 2018, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-honey-are-the-only-foods-that-weren-t-originally-alive/811473 "2018-03-30T13:49:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-honey-are-the-only-foods-that-weren-t-originally-alive/811473/1 "2018-03-30T13:49:43Z")
See this Reddit Showerthought here: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Showerthoughts/comments/8883e9/milk\_and\_honey\_are\_the\_only\_foods\_that\_werent/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Showerthoughts/comments/8883e9/milk_and_honey_are_the_only_foods_that_werent/) Really? Hmm, gotta ponder that. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-honey-are-the-only-foods-that-weren-t-originally-alive/811473/2 "2018-03-30T13:57:57Z")
From the linked thread. > [@](#): > > [–]Culinarytracker 21 points 7 hours ago > > Maple Syrup? Though you do have to stab the tree and let it bleed > > * * * > > [–]dworkphone 1 point 2 hours ago > > Delicious tree blood 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-honey-are-the-only-foods-that-weren-t-originally-alive/811473/3 "2018-03-30T13:59:01Z")
I’m pretty sure salt wasn’t originally alive. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-honey-are-the-only-foods-that-weren-t-originally-alive/811473/4 "2018-03-30T13:59:53Z")
Pssst, mods. Please fix the typo in the title. Sorry. Good luck with sorting through all those sweeteners man makes. Are they food? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-honey-are-the-only-foods-that-weren-t-originally-alive/811473/5 "2018-03-30T14:04:59Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > See this Reddit Showerthought here: [Reddit - Dive into anything](https://www.reddit.com/r/Showerthoughts/comments/8883e9/milk_and_honey_are_the_only_foods_that_werent/) > > Really? Hmm, gotta ponder that. And the question is…? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-honey-are-the-only-foods-that-weren-t-originally-alive/811473/6 "2018-03-30T14:13:58Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Pssst, mods. Please fix the typo in the title. Sorry. Fixed. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-honey-are-the-only-foods-that-weren-t-originally-alive/811473/7 "2018-03-30T14:15:32Z")
Presumably whether the factoid is true. I confess, I am having difficulty coming up with counterexamples, but there must be some, at least other secretions. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-honey-are-the-only-foods-that-weren-t-originally-alive/811473/8 "2018-03-30T14:24:55Z")
Some cultures consume cow’s blood directly the source. It seems that if milk counts, so does blood. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-honey-are-the-only-foods-that-weren-t-originally-alive/811473/9 "2018-03-30T14:30:49Z")
How are we defining “originally alive”? One of the components of milk is protein-does that count as “alive”? ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-honey-are-the-only-foods-that-weren-t-originally-alive/811473/10 "2018-03-30T14:32:54Z")
Eggs (especially unfertilized like they most commonly are) ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-honey-are-the-only-foods-that-weren-t-originally-alive/811473/11 "2018-03-30T14:36:39Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > Some cultures consume cow’s blood directly the source. It seems that if milk counts, so does blood. Blood contains living cells. As far as edible exudates, all I got is snot. A billion kids can’t be wrong\*. OK, and solidified saliva - in the form of birds nest. One suspects this is not far off snot. If you allow honey, clearly the source nectar must count. - Q. What is the difference between broccoli and snot? A. Kids will eat snot. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-honey-are-the-only-foods-that-weren-t-originally-alive/811473/12 "2018-03-30T14:38:05Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > Some cultures consume cow’s blood directly the source. It seems that if milk counts, so does blood. Blood has living cells in it, milk does not. Damnit, ninja’d. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-honey-are-the-only-foods-that-weren-t-originally-alive/811473/13 "2018-03-30T14:42:48Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Blood has living cells in it, milk does not. > > Damnit, ninja’d. The food doesn’t have to be currently not living-it has to be originally not living. If it were the former, then a well-done steak would count. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-honey-are-the-only-foods-that-weren-t-originally-alive/811473/14 "2018-03-30T14:43:49Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > OK, and solidified saliva - in the form of birds nest. One suspects this is not far off snot. Wait, did I miss something? Is eating birds nests a thing now? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-honey-are-the-only-foods-that-weren-t-originally-alive/811473/15 "2018-03-30T14:48:04Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > How are we defining “originally alive”? One of the components of milk is protein-does that count as “alive”? I would think that sugar would count as not having been alive, if honey is. ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-honey-are-the-only-foods-that-weren-t-originally-alive/811473/16 "2018-03-30T14:48:27Z")
Kaolin? ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-honey-are-the-only-foods-that-weren-t-originally-alive/811473/17 "2018-03-30T14:48:35Z")
> [@Hermitian](#): > > Wait, did I miss something? Is eating birds nests a thing now? One particular bird’s nest. [Edible bird's nest - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edible_bird%27s_nest) ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-honey-are-the-only-foods-that-weren-t-originally-alive/811473/18 "2018-03-30T14:53:57Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > One particular bird’s nest. [Edible bird's nest - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edible_bird%27s_nest) Ah. This makes me think of Rhino horn. Is/was Keratin alive? ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-honey-are-the-only-foods-that-weren-t-originally-alive/811473/19 "2018-03-30T14:55:05Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > I would think that sugar would count as not having been alive, if honey is. Sugar is a funny one. Given most sugar we buy is derived from the mechanical processing of plants - beet or cane mostly, it involves the destruction of a living thing to produce. Honey is made from nectar that is deliberately formed by the plant to attract insects, and is harvested not only with no harm to the plant, but with a side benefit of pollination. That said - beekeepers will feed hives with syrup made from commercial sugar in hard times. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-honey-are-the-only-foods-that-weren-t-originally-alive/811473/20 "2018-03-30T14:58:13Z")
> [@Hermitian](#): > > Ah. This makes me think of Rhino horn. Is/was Keratin alive? I was thinking of keratin - hair and fingernails as well. I think it counts as never being alive. No actual cells in there. But since we don’t seem to have the capability of digesting it, it doesn’t seem to pass the “food” requirement. Maybe there is a viable way of processing keratin to make it into a useful food. Maybe I could teach my cats to process their hairballs. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-and-honey-are-the-only-foods-that-weren-t-originally-alive/811473.md?page=2)