An Asian Capital Idea
This city made history as the first city ever to host both the Summer (2008) and Winter (2022) Olympic Games
Beijing
"King of Fruits," this spiky tropical fruit is banned on public transit across Southeast Asia.
Durian
Arctic, Indian, Atlantic
Oceans
Found in all organic life on Earth, this essential element forms both soft black graphite in pencils and ultra-hard clear diamonds.
Carbon
Denmark and France
Germany
Home to the iconic Namsan Tower, the bustling Gangnam district, and the scenic Han River, this city’s name literally translates to "capital city" in its local language
Seoul
Although botanically a fruit, the U.S. Supreme Court legally classified it as a vegetable in 1893 for tax purposes. Used for pizza.
Tomato
Pectoralis major, Latissimus Dorsi, Deltoid
Muscles
This metal binds with oxygen inside human red blood cells to transport oxygen throughout the body.
Iron
Afghanistan and Kazakhstan
China
Known as the "Garden City," this city-state capital features futuristic Supertrees and the world's tallest indoor waterfall inside its Jewel Changi Airport.
Singapore
Roasted directly over hot coals as a cozy street-food snack in both North America and East Asia, this root vegetable gets its rich orange or purple hue from beta-carotene.
Sweet Potato
Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte
Military commanders / leaders
Named after powerful Greek mythological giants, this lightweight metal boasts the highest strength-to-density ratio of any metallic element, making it ideal for jet engines and artificial joint implants.
Titanium
India and Thailand
Myanmar (Burma)
Famous for its vibrant street food culture, this city's skyline is defined by the 88-story steel-and-glass Petronas Twin Towers
Kuala Lumpur
Holding the record as the largest tree-borne fruit in the world—weighing up to 80 pounds—its shredded, unripe flesh has become a popular plant-based meat alternative in Western cuisine.
Jackfruit
The Yen, the Won, and the Baht
(Asian) Currencies
From the Latin word argentum, this shiny precious metal holds the absolute title for the highest electrical conductivity of any element on the periodic table
Silver
Morocco and Niger
Algeria
Home to the world’s tallest brick minaret (Qutub Minar) and the stunning petal-shaped Lotus Temple, this sprawling capital was officially established in 1911 to replace Kolkata as the seat of government
(New) Delhi
” “Queen of Fruits", this fruit features a thick purple skin that splits open to reveal juicy, snow-white segments shaped like garlic cloves
Mangosteen
The Suez, the Panama, and the Kiel
Man-made shipping canals
Known by the symbol W from its original name Wolfram, this heavy metal boasts the highest melting point of any pure metal on Earth (3,422°C)
Uruguay and Venezuela
Brazil