Learning about nutrition at school we were told that food is one of the basics that we need to survive.
Culturally, food is such an important staple that has shaped who we are and helped us understand what is important. But it also tells us a lot about ourselves as people, and how we have evolved.
Below we look at the history of what was being eaten thousands of years ago that is still being enjoyed today.
Butter is one of the world’s greatest foods. Picture: Supplied
Butter
Butter is one of the world’s greatest foods. It has been seen as a symbol of good living and is a beloved food and a staple in many cultures across the globe.
According to the Butter Journal, butter is as old as Western civilization, and that in ancient Rome it was medicinal - swallowed for coughs or spread on aching joints.
They report that although some of the earliest records of butter consumption come from Roman and Arabian sources, Mediterranean people have always favoured oil in their cooking and that it was popular among peasants as a cheap source of nourishment and prized by the nobility for the richness it added to cooked meats and vegetables.
is one of the oldest things in history. Picture: Supplied
Wine
If you are a wine lover you will also know that it is one of the oldest things in history. The little knowledge that I have about wine is that it was consumed for many reasons such as religious purposes (which it still is), rituals, or just for the love of it.
Science of Cooking reports that the history of wine spans thousands of years and is closely intertwined with the history of agriculture, cuisine, civilization, and humanity itself and that archaeological evidence suggests that the earliest wine production came from sites in Armenia, Georgia, and Iran, dating from 8000 to 5000 BC. Little is actually known of the early history of wine but let’s continue to pop the cork.
Noodles are a basic staple food in China and are generally made from wheat flour or rice flour. Picture: Supplied
Noodles
Noodles are a basic staple food in China and are generally made from wheat flour or rice flour. According to the World’s Instant Noodles Association, Instant noodles were born in Japan in 1958. They report that it was the time when the advent of television as new media was about to drastically change people's consumption patterns.
They also mention that "Chicken Ramen," the world's first instant noodles, invented by Momofuku Ando was an epoch-making product, which was made by dehydrating the steamed and seasoned noodles in oil heat.
If you have never tried making noodles I suggest you do. Noodles are easy to prepare, contain few nutrients, and have high amounts of sodium. They've become super popular with anyone wanting a quick meal and range from ordinary ramen noodles to fried noodles and noodle-based stir-fries.