Shellac; You’ve Probably Eaten it Before

Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!

MINI BELIEVE IT OR NOT –

Shellac, a substance commonly used as a shiny glaze on candy, is made from the secretions of the Lac Beetle.

Shellac is a resin secreted by the female lac bug
It’s made by the beetle sucking the sap out of trees and then excreting it onto the branch
It’s processed and dissolved in ethanol to make a liquid
It is then used as a brush on colorant, food glaze, and wood varnish



MINI BION
“BIONs” – short for Believe It or Not – is the word we use at Ripley’s to refer to anything that is unbelievable and worthy to become part of Ripley’s lore and collection.

Source: Shellac; You’ve Probably Eaten it Before