The origins of red velvet cake date back to the 1920s in the United States, where it was served at fancy hotel restaurants. The cake's distinctive red color was thought to be a result of the reaction between the cocoa powder and acidic buttermilk. But, as it turns out, that's not the whole story.
In the 1950s and 60s, food manufacturers started using a new type of food coloring called cochineal or carmine. And, guess what? Cochineal is derived from the cochineal insect, a tiny bug that lives on cacti in Central and South America. Talk about a fun fact!
