Food timeline has to be one of the most interesting parts of history for someone who loves food. I’m personally a history enthusiast myself. Almost everything about history interests me in its own way (it does now, I didn’t like it much in school). And especially the parts about food, because food has evolved almost as much as we humans have–think about it, you know I’m right.
So when I came across this food timeline on the internet, I was left mindblown. I mean seriously, I could not have ever imagined that tortilla is 8000 years old. That is really old.
It’s about time we store some of these dates in our memory (if possible!), so that we can show off all the knowledge and sound like a real #foodnerd.
1. Wine
Photo by Devon Carlson
Grapes were first grown for wine way back in 6000 BC. It is the one of the oldest drinks in existence, right after mead (and possibly beer).
2. Cheese
Photo by Amanda Shulman
The earliest evidence of this delightful delicacy is from 5500 BC. God bless whoever discovered it–they made our lives complete. Can you imagine a world without cheese on your pizza or mac without cheese? I know I can’t.
3. Beer
Photo by Anthony Nomakeo
Beer is speculated to have been in use since around 9000 BC. This means beer is one of the oldest drinks we have.
Some archeologists also say that beer was fundamental in the rise of civilizations. Cheers to (and with a mug of) beer–helping people make friends since 9000 BC!
4. Popcorn
Photo by Andrea Kang
Apparently popcorn has been around since 3600 BC. Hmm…if only those guys had movies too. Because popcorn are sort of incomplete without movies, right?
5. Chocolate
Photo by Aakanksha Joshi
Turns out, our ancestors from 1900 BC had been adding chocolate to their drinks too. We’ve always moved towards evolution, and with time our chocolate has also evolved. Today, we like to combine it with a lot of other things, as this article states.
6. Sushi
Photo by Eva Chen
Sources say that Sushi first came to Japan in the 8th century. Before that, it was used to only preserve fish in the fermented rice. Somewhere down the line, people started eating the rice along with their fish, and obviously ended up liking it a lot.
7. Pizza
Photo by Mackenzie Barth
The term first appeared in history records in the 10th century, and pizza in its modern form was later developed in Naples, Italy in the 18th (or early 19th) century.
8. Pasta
Photo by Gabby Phi
Pasta’s first mention can be traced back to the 12th century Sicily, Italy. Italy has definitely contributed a lot to the food universe. And aren’t we glad?
9. Cake
Photo by Helena Lin
The word cake comes from the Old Norse word ‘kaka,’ and the OED traces it back to the 13th century. These cakes were different from the ones we see around today. The present-day cake dates back to the mid-17th century.
10. Coffee
Photo by Maeve Greeley
The earliest signs of the use of coffee as a beverage can be traced back to the 15th century around Mocha in Yemen. Now we know where mocha got its name from. Needless to say, we’re grateful. Coffee is, after all, our one true love.