OtterKnow Kids EncyclopediaHops are green, cone-shaped flowers that grow on long, twisty climbing vines. They look a little bit like tiny pinecones hanging from the vine! Hops have a very special smell and the flowers are covered in a sticky yellow powder.
People have been growing hops for over a thousand years. They were used long ago as a medicine to help people feel calm and sleepy. After the hop flowers are picked in the fall, they are dried out and packed up to be used all year long. People use hops to add flavor to certain grown-up drinks.
- Hop vines can grow up to a foot in just one day!
- The flowers have a bitter taste that most kids would think is pretty yucky.
- The sticky yellow powder on the flowers is what gives hops their strong, special flavor.
