Trivia Omnibus 2

What drupaceous fruit were Hawaiian women once forbidden by law to eat? Whats the most common non-contagious disease in the world? How many children were in Enid Blyton's Famous Five? What does VSOP stand for on a bottle of Brandy?

Another round of random questions of a trivial nature.

What drupaceous fruit were Hawaiian women once forbidden by law to eat? - This refers to coconuts. As to the reason for this somewhat odd taboo, I have no idea.

The most common non-contagious disease in the world is tooth decay. I suppose that is good news for the Dental Profession. Their services should be in high demand. However, it also points out that most of us do a poor job of following their advice.

How many children were in Enid Blyton's Famous Five? - There were four children. The fifth member of the Famous Five was actually a dog owned by the ringleader of the group, a yong lady named George. The Famous Five were the central protagoinsts in a collection of 21 young readers novels written between 1942 and 1963. Here's a link to the whole set at the author's aetherial space: http://www.enidblyton.net/famous-five/

What does VSOP stand for on a bottle of Brandy? - VSOP stands for Very Superior Old Pale. Brandy is distilled wine, that is the wine has been heated, the vapors collected and cooled. This removes most of the water from the wine and raises the alcohol percentage. Any wine with a an alcohol content above 15% is considered a Brandy. Brandies made in the Cognac region of France are considered Superior. They are made from distilled Champagne. French law dictates the labling of Cognacs. A congnac must be aged at least one and a half years to be labled VS, and at least four to bear the VSOP rating. The Old portion therefore refers to the aging. Pale refers to the use of white grapes, champagne grapes specifically, in the making of the wine from which the cognac was distilled.

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