I didn’t know a cheesecake had cheese in it!

[CormoranStrike]

Okay, not these days, cos I’m a sophisticated and cultured woman now, but I can clearly remember being utterly astonished as a teenager to find out a cheesecake had cheese in it.

In my defence, the only cheese in my house till then had been blocks of cheddar, or cheese slices. I had no idea that cheese could be anything other than orange!

What were your WTF discoveries, which seem even more bizarre through the lens of time?

DD thought the channel tunnel would have a glass roof like the ocean tunnels at the Sea Life centres.

I was waiting for the Peter Kay reference

I had to make butter by shaking cream in a jar at school for some kind of experiment. It was eye opening, and very tasty.

@Nighthawker

I thought that Transylvania was a fictional place made up for Dracula until well into adulthood.

I think I thought that too.

I also thought Kazakhstan was a made up country in Borat. I remember watching the TV show once with my (Eastern European) dad and I think I mentioned it was a fake country and he was like "no.... it's real, and very advanced, that's the joke"

@TheSockMonster

DD thought the channel tunnel would have a glass roof like the ocean tunnels at the Sea Life centres.

Whenever I'm on the Eurostar I glance through the window hoping to see some fish too 😂

Oh yes @cocolapew. I used to make those with my granny.
Thank you for that hidden memory from the 1950s

I used to think that Abbey Road was in Liverpool. The Beatles were photographed in front of it, they're from Liverpool. I moved to London as a student and it still took several years before I realised!
Now, after more than 30 years here I finally got to visit it.

@SnowyBranches

Like many others, as often becomes evident on Mumsnet, I thought CentreParcs were constructed under a giant glass dome, woods and all, so the weather wouldn’t spoil your holiday. I thought this until I actually went there, in my late 30s. Looking back, I can’t understand how I thought this was possible in so many ways, I suppose I just didn’t give it that much thought.

This is why listen and watch the first advert from 1989

I haven't had a London cheesecake for about 40 years, and I want one now

@DrMadelineMaxwell

I love the wtf faces I get in my class when we look at the life cycle of a dandelion and some of the 11 yo kids realise for the first time that the white seed heads are the same flower as the yellow dandelions.

Oh dear.

....I thought they were two different types of dandelion

@Snowymcsnowsony 🤣

When I was little, mid 60s on, we were given a bun sometimes, plain but with a blob of icing and shredded coconut on top. Bakery used to sell them as “cheese cakes”. Don’t think any cheese was involved. Does anyone else remember them?

I was also shocked carrot cake was made with actual carrots.

I thought until I had my first child (16 years ago) that when you had fed the baby and got their wind up, you had to do it until they had been sick a little bit 😳 (I’m honestly not thick).

Whenever I'm on the Eurostar I glance through the window hoping to see some fish too

You really wouldn't. Think of what would have had to happen for the train to be underwater?

Not all cheesecake has cheese in it ....

@LongPauseNoAnswer

I love when people realise that the channel tunnel doesn’t actual go through the water

What !!!!!!!!

Channel tunnel

@SeeYouInAnotherLife

I thought narwhals were mythical until embarrassingly recently. In my defence, I’d only ever seen stylised cartoon pictures of them so I’d mentally put them in the same category as unicorns.

Until my child enlightened me.

I’m educated to a postgraduate level and wouldn’t say I’m generally dim.....though others may disagree!

Me too, I fecking ARGUED with my 8 year old over it!

@OhWhyNot

London Cheesecake or what used to be known as cheese cake is a stale tasting flaky pastry with white icing and white wormy things on. Not sure what the white wormy things are

The white wormy things were coconut.

They were very dry overall weren’t they? Okay with an enormous cup of tea but otherwise a bit much.

Wait how does the channel tunnel get to France if not through the water?

Exactly the same way as London underground trains go under the Thames, the Mersey tunnel goes under the Mersey, the Dartford tunnel goes under the Thames.

I find it odd that people are surprised by the Channel Tunnel when I don't know any tunnel that's not, well, a tunnel. An underground passage way.

@Neolara

As a mid teen, I was astonished to find that the tongue my mum was cooking ( it was the 80s) was an actual tongue and not a type of fish. Was one of the key moments in my journey to becoming veggie. Why would anyone in their right minds even think about eating tongue? Bleugh!

My nana gave us them too. Gives me the heave now.

I'm Jewish so the idea of not knowing about cream cheese, curd cheese or cheesecake is bizarre.

Similarly when people talk about olives as an exotic food item. They've always been a staple.

On the other hand I never tried bacon, ham or pork until I was late teens and I've never understood what all the fuss is about! Fat and salt

There are bears in Peru Who knew?

One of the girls on my teacher training course thought wolves were mythical creatures.

She also asked what happened to the stars during the day. We told her God collected them up and put them in a little box.

@LongPauseNoAnswer

I love when people realise that the channel tunnel doesn’t actual go through the water

What??? (Rushes off to google 😱)

And I lived in Europe for YEARS and travelled back and forth on that bloody train numerous times a year 😂😳)

Wolverines. I had no idea they were an actual animal. I thought it was a film character (I'm not into superhero films), sort of wolf like.