A Taste of the Past: Discovering the 10 oldest foods on Earth

Stew Evidence suggests early humans cooked meat and vegetables in liquid over fire, creating basic stews perhaps 8,000 years ago.

Bread Natufian hunter-gatherers made flatbreads from wild cereals over 14,000 years ago, grinding grains and cooking them on hot stones.

Porridge or Gruel Simple grain and water mixtures were consumed globally. Early evidence from China dates barley porridge to 4,000 years ago.

Tamales Dating back to 8,000 BC, these corn-dough parcels with fillings, cooked in leaves, were a staple for ancient Mesoamerican civilisations.

Cheese The earliest evidence of cheesemaking tools was found in Poland from 7,500 years ago, suggesting ancient methods of preserving milk.

Pancakes Traces of starch grains on 30,000-year-old grinding stones suggest prehistoric humans made flat, pancake-like cakes from wild plants.

Soups Early humans boiled bones and plants. A 20,000-year-old reindeer bone suggests marrow extraction for soup was a primal form of cooking.

Noodles The oldest known noodles, made from millet, were discovered in China’s Lajia. These date back a remarkable 4,000 years.

Curry Archaeological evidence from 4,500 years ago in the Indus Valley suggests use of spices like turmeric and ginger, pointing to early curries.

Honey-cakes Sweetened cakes, often with honey, were common in ancient civilisations. Recipes for such treats exist from ancient Egypt and Greece.

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