It’s easy to take for granted how easy it is to find our favorite breakfast, snack, and fast foods in the modern world. But many of these familiar food items have surprisingly ancient origins that predate written recipes, kitchens, refrigerators, restaurants and food factories by thousands of years. Archaeologists and food historians have discovered hard evidence that people in ancient societies enjoyed many of the same foods we like today. Here are some fascinating details about a few of them.
Butter
Butter is a dairy product that feels so modern. But humans were making butter over 4,000 years ago. Nomadic herders probably discovered butter as a happy accident. When milk was stored in bags made of animal skins and shaken during travel, it would separate into butter. We know this from ancient Mesopotamian tablets that describe butter as both food and trade goods.
Pancakes
Pancakes seem like a modern-day comfort food, but our ancient ancestors were making some version of them long before modern ovens, refrigerators, or flatirons. Archaeologists believe early humans created pancake-like food by mixing ground grain with water and heating the paste on a hot stone. And some historians trace pancakes to prehistoric humans using simple grains and fire for cooking, before yeast-raised bread became common.
Noodles
Instant noodles might be a new invention. However, the oldest noodles discovered by archaeologists are about 4,000 years old. In China, archaeologists discovered preserved noodles in an ancient bowl, and the noodles were made from millet. Long before modern instant noodles, ancient people stretched dough with their hands to make a fast, filling food.
Ketchup (in a very different form)
Most of us assume that ketchup is a modern invention that just recently began with tomatoes. In fact, some of the very earliest forms of ketchup predate tomatoes by centuries. Historians have traced the origins of ketchup-like sauces back to ancient Roman recipes made from fermented fish, vinegar, spices, and other seasonings. These were used to add flavor to meat and other dishes. Ketchup didn’t start with tomatoes for thousands of years. The very concept of a sauce made from fermented fish goes back to ancient times.
Chewing gum
Did you really think chewing gum was a modern invention? Actually, ancient people chewed tree resins and plant saps. Archaeologists have discovered 9,000-year-old chewed birch bark sticks in Europe with telltale human teeth marks. It is likely early humans chewed bark and resin to clean teeth or gums, relieve stress, or out of habit, as many people do today.
Ice cream (in early forms)
Long before refrigerators, freezers, and ice cream shops, ancient civilizations were making early versions of ice cream. In ancient China, people would mix milk and rice and then cool the mixture in snow. Persian societies poured fruit syrups over ice that was brought from the mountains. These early frozen delicacies were a luxury for the wealthy.
Popcorn
Popcorn predates the first movie theater by thousands of years. Indigenous peoples in the Americas were popping corn at least 5,000 years ago. Corn cobs and popcorn kernels were found in ancient caves in Peru and Mexico. Popcorn was both food and used in ceremonies and for decoration.
The following sources were consulted in the preparation of this article:
