Ranker

Anime Underground

Button Mash

Graveyard Shift

Total Nerd

Unspeakable Times

Weird History

Weird Nature

Weirdly Interesting

Sports

Music

Entertainment

Living

Culture

Food

Makeup

Halloween

Thanksgiving

Holidays

Watchworthy

HBO Max

Fun facts and fascinating trivia about historical, bygone, and modern foods for people who love eating food.

Food History

What makes a food so tasty? You might say, a skillful chef, high-quality materials, and recipes passed down and improved upon from generation to generation. While that’s certainly true, you’d be surprised to learn that there are a great deal of foods that were found on accident. That’s right - &nbsp;instead of complimenting the chef, sometimes you can just thank the universe for the twists of fate that created awesomeness in the form of these accidental foods.&nbsp;While we know it took <a href="http://biography.yourdictionary.com/colonel-sanders" target="_blank">Colonel Sanders</a> years and 1009 rejections to create and sell the perfect fried chicken recipe, that’s not always the case. Who would have thought that cheese curls were a waste product from a machine? Or that beer came about as an accidental food discovery while storing wheat to make bread?In fact, some of the world's most popular foods were discovered accidentally.So the next time you try to make something in the kitchen and it turns out as something entirely different, remember to embrace your culinary accidents - they might wind up as the next international taste sensation.

Food is tradition. We cook and eat what our parents made, and what their parents made before them. But since the dawn of the 20th century, when&nbsp;it became easier&nbsp;for both people and information to travel throughout the world, Americans have been exposed to all kinds of new cuisines. From one decade to the next, the country experienced rapidly changing food trends, from the tasty to the healthy to the bizarre. The <a href="https://www.ranker.com/collections/lifestyles-of-the-very-wealthy" target="_blank">well-off</a> usually decided what was fashionable - on plates and otherwise -&nbsp;for better or worse.&nbsp;

The times we live in influence <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/us-beauty-trends-in-the-twentieth-century/nicky-benson" target="_blank">how we perceive beauty,</a> and they affect&nbsp;the foods we love, too. It&#39;s impossible to predict a <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/food-trends-2019/samantha-dillinger" target="_blank">culinary trend</a>, but once it hits, the whole country just has to try it. Some last forever;&nbsp;others fade quickly.&nbsp;Either way, they remain indelible markers of our cultural history - and might even serve as inspiration for the next swanky restaurant.

What It's Like

If you&#39;ve ever been to the restaurant Medieval Times or eaten at a Renaissance Faire, then you&#39;ve been horribly misled about medieval <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/weird-foods-in-ancient-rome/carly-silver">diets</a>. The real story&nbsp;of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/medieval-junk-food/genevieve-carlton" target="_blank">medieval foods</a> and cooking is actually simultaneously a lot more disgusting and a lot more boring, depending on who was doing the eating. But there definitely weren&#39;t any turkey legs, okay?

So what did people eat in the Middle Ages? Bread, soup, meat, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Does that sound boring? Well, they also ate porpoises and deer guts.&nbsp;How&nbsp;did people cook in medieval times? They cooked everything, any way they could, because they thought that&nbsp;even raw fruits and veggies were disease-ridden. Read on for some more&nbsp;interesting facts about the medieval diet of nobels and <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/life-of-a-serf/oliver-pretl-drummond" target="_blank">serfs</a>. Huzzah!

History

For centuries, troops have marched off to fight, risking their lives in combat. But what did soldiers eat in different eras? And which conflict offered the tastiest military foods? From blood soup to fermented horse milk, soldiers&#39; rations throughout history have contained some unappetizing options. There have even been military provisions so disgusting that they actually took the lives of soldiers.

Some armies would have been happy to get any food. George Washington&#39;s army was forced to go days without rations, and Confederate soldiers stopped to dig up vegetables as they marched. For centuries, soldiers survived on hardtack, tasteless dried crackers that sometimes only contained flour and water. By the 20th century, soldiers complained about mushy canned food but also received smokes and chewing gum in their rations.

While rare <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/world-war-2-pictures/ashley-reign" target="_blank">WWII photos</a> capture the trauma of combat, they often leave out daily life for soldiers. Even the most <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/accurate-war-movies/justin-andress" target="_blank">accurate movies</a> sometimes forget that soldiers had to eat multiple times a day. And nations that struggled to feed their troops could lose everything, like Napoleon&#39;s humiliating march into Russia. After all, military rations could be the difference between victory and defeat.

Old Stuff

Food and drink are meant to be enjoyed, right? Not always.

<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/history/comments/4w4d7k/does_anyone_here_know_of_a_foodbased_catastrophe/" target="_blank">Redditors</a> point out that the preparation, storage, and consumption of food and drink can have disastrous consequences. It&#39;s suprising to discover that food has been the focal point of several castastrophes throughout history. Shortages, overabundance, and even tainted food preparation have caused calamity in ways we never thought imaginable.

As you look through the list of food-based calamaties, vote up the ones that lead you to view your dining experience with more caution than ever.&nbsp;

There's no shortage of weird&nbsp;diet trends. Whether you want to eat like a caveman, only eat super foods, or cleanse yourself within an inch of godliness, there's some diet out there for you - along with, of course,&nbsp;some annoying friend who has nothing else to talk about besides their latest all-juice fast. But it's not just a modern problem.&nbsp;Although the most common fad diets you've&nbsp;heard about may have been Atkins and gluten-free, you may be surprised to hear what came before.&nbsp;These crazy diets&nbsp;aren't new -&nbsp;and neither is the idea of celebrity trend setters influencing what people eat. There have been plenty of weird diet fads for centuries, some so disgusting they make a maple syrup, lemon, and cayenne pepper drink&nbsp;look downright scrumptious.&nbsp;Don't get any ideas, because some of the&nbsp;crazy diets on this list are also downright dangerous. What these diets demonstrate is&nbsp;just how far (and how illogical) people will go in order to lose a few pounds. Most of these will make you grateful for Weight Watchers, because counting points is way better than poisoning yourself to speed up your metabolism. (Yup, that really happened.) The search for the miracle diet has been going on for centuries, and it continues. Until it's discovered, we'll all just have to keep suffering through brick-flavored gluten free bread.&nbsp;

Food is the language of cultural expression. It tells us what is available, what is desirable, and who gets to have it. Its role as a tool of sociological study is unique because it can be easily consumed and understood by all, though we may not initially think of it as more than a substance of survival.&nbsp;

Many delicacies that we take for granted in the milieu of food trucks and meticulously plated Instagram posts are not only the best international foods, but they&#39;re often born out of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/most-important-historical-events-of-the-20th-century/mwahahahaha" target="_blank">historical</a> tragedy. From suppression&nbsp;to servitude&nbsp;to conquering&nbsp;to theft, many of&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-delicious-foods-in-the-world" target="_blank">best foods in the world</a>&nbsp;have a dark backstory. While it&rsquo;s important to understand the often tragic cultural context behind our favorite cuisines, we can all agree that our world is richer for having access to these delicious recipes.

Diet

Eating healthy foods is a bit of a relative concept, especially with the gift of hindsight. What was once considered healthy may now amount to one of many food fads that continue to enter the diet landscape. The Atkins diet, paleo diet, and other low-carb diet options have come and gone for decades, and&nbsp;while many have reappeared in different forms, they often claim to be a healthy alternative to mainstream eating habits. Within <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/photos-of-grocery-stores-then-and-now/kellen-perry" target="_blank">vintage grocery stores</a> and modern markets alike, it was always possible to find fad health foods.

Food fads over the past century reveal a lot about how people viewed their relationships with food, the availability of information about eating, and how resources and preferences may not have always aligned. Nutrients, weight loss, strength - these have all been factors in determining the best foods to eat. The history of health&nbsp;food is&nbsp;as complicated as any assessment of the past, but it&#39;s obvious consumers, <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/what-foodies-ate-every-decade-20th-century/ryan-sargent" target="_blank">foodies</a>,&nbsp;and advertising professionals throughout the 20th century have&nbsp;considered many foods healthy.

Food is an essential part of culture. As communities, states, and nations form their identities, food becomes part of how they see&nbsp;themselves and shapes the perceptions of others. Dining at an Italian restaurant, for example, means pasta, pizza, and the like, while the names of some foods even attest to national origins.

But what if someone&nbsp;told you a food as prolific as french fries are Belgian? That tempura is Portuguese? Would the origins of these dishes, so commonly - and incorrectly - associated with one part of the world, change anything?&nbsp;

The origins of some so-called &quot;national&quot; dishes may surprise you more than others. If nothing else, you may never view a restaurant menu the same way again.&nbsp;

It can be fascinating to look at <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-influential-people-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">famous historical figures</a>&#39; favorite food. Some of the best food throughout history is representative of the culture of that time. Other dishes, however, come from <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/disgusting-food-from-vintage-cookbooks/kellen-perry" target="_blank">recipes</a> that may appear a little odd to modern diners.&nbsp;The real question is not what people were preparing in a particular era, but whether or not it would still be considered appetizing&nbsp;today.&nbsp;

Some recipes, like figs and Devonshire cream, are undoubtedly delicious decades later;&nbsp;but&nbsp;Jimmy Carter&#39;s cheese ring&nbsp;- through it&nbsp;sounds pretty okay on the surface - contains a&nbsp;suspicious amount of mayonnaise that might make you think twice before giving it a go. Part of the fun of&nbsp;cooking is venturing into unknown territory, and some of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-delicious-foods-in-the-world" target="_blank">best foods in the world</a> have proved to be&nbsp;the most surprising. Who first thought of ice cream? And who was the first brave soul to eat&nbsp;a plate of sushi with wasabi? Variety is the spice of life, after all.

From Sir Francis Drake&#39;s mojito to Emily Dickinson&#39;s coconut cake,&nbsp;there&#39;s no shortage of recipes from history that offer a taste of life before the 21st century.&nbsp;

Ancient History

Lamb Brain

The people of ancient Rome may have lived thousands of years ago, but their diets were anything but old-fashioned. In fact, they chowed down on many foods we would shudder to even consider consuming today. The rich and famous, ranging from studs like Caesar and Antony to leading ladies like Livia, loved nothing more than sampling the&nbsp;oddest&nbsp;dishes our modern brains can imagine.

Even ancient writers loved to parody the weird things Romans ate. In his Satyricon, comic writer Petronius joked about the insanely lavish meal hosted by the freedman Trimalchio. So gauche it was gross, Trimalchio&rsquo;s feast shows Roman foodies - and the nouveau riche - at their worst.

So what did ancient Romans eat? Gourmands like the gluttonous Emperor Elagabalus might have served up&nbsp;parrot heads or dolphin meatballs; guests might have seasoned their dishes, no matter how fancy, with garum, a sauce made out of fermented fish guts. Romans consumed the flesh of animals that came straight outta the arena, turned sacrificial blood into pudding and stuffed sausages, and cooked pests, making them&nbsp;into both yummy treats and remedies for serious medical conditions.

Vote up the weird foods from ancient Roman cuisine you wouldn&#39;t&nbsp;dare eat.

In the years after WWII, Americans became more affluent than they had been in previous generations. Veterans were going to college and&nbsp;buying homes&nbsp;in droves, the population boomed,&nbsp;and cities around the country grew rapidly.&nbsp;

As Americans enjoyed greater prosperity, their day-to-day habits changed due to new&nbsp;innovations and technologies. They wanted to be able to come home after a long day of work, put on&nbsp;their favorite <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-50s-tv-shows/ranker-tv" target="_blank">1950s TV show</a>, and enjoy a quickly cooked meal with their families.&nbsp;Refrigerators&nbsp;were more accessible to the average&nbsp;family than ever before&nbsp;and they soon came to change&nbsp;the American palate. Consumers didn&#39;t have to go to the butcher shop every day to pick up the night&#39;s entree, and leftovers could be stored overnight without spoiling.&nbsp;

Families of the 1950s wanted everything to be convenient and filling,&nbsp;and some of the dishes that figured&nbsp;heavily in American diets reflected those purposes. Some of those foods&nbsp;have disappeared in subsequent decades, but others&nbsp;are still with us.

Human history is built on food. Just about any social occasion or backroom deal, no matter how small, has had some kind of food present. Armies need it to fight, people need it to live, and economies need it to function. The most historically important foodstuffs are more than consumable quantities... they&#39;ve tipped balances of power in the world.

The <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/weird-but-true-food-history-facts/genevieve-carlton" target="_blank">foods that changed history</a> come in all shapes, sizes, and flavors - from sweet to salty to savory. However, they always managed to fill a specific need at a specific time. Whether it be a new way of persevering crops, a delicacy for the nobility, or a way to feed the masses, food has been the cornerstone of humanity&#39;s foundation.

But what foodstuffs were the most influential of all time? You&#39;d think that would depend on the time and place, but most of the big discoveries still have relevance in today&#39;s world.

Restaurants like <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-panda-express-menu-items/ranker-food" target="_blank">Panda Express</a>, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut might suggest Americans love <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-delicious-foods-in-the-world" target="_blank">ethnic cuisine</a>, but do they really?&nbsp;They offer foods people are familiar with, but if you were to compare Panda Express&#39;s offerings with that of an authentic Chinese restaurant, you&#39;d see some pretty glaring discrepancies.&nbsp;

From burritos to gyros to spaghetti and meatballs, cuisine from around the world has been brought to America (and other &quot;western&quot; countries) and gone through some pretty serious changes to suit different palates. Food changed in the West isn&#39;t necessarily better or worse, though,&nbsp;than the original version. It can sometimes even change into its own distinct cuisine, like Chinese-American versus classic Chinese.&nbsp;

Some people prefer traditional food, while others openly embrace the new dishes our cultures have created. In the end, <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/good-foodie-instagram-accounts/best-of-instagram" target="_blank">each meal has its own story to tell</a> and a&nbsp;unique history.

They say you must take the bitter with the sweet, but what about the toxic? We all have a few&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/real-halloween-candy-horror-stories/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">candy horror stories</a>, but some people's sweet trauma goes beyond eating a popcorn butter flavored Jelly Belly.&nbsp;Take <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/all-about-kinder-surprise-eggs/matt-manser" target="_blank">Kinder Eggs</a>, which have been banned in the US&nbsp;since the 1930s. The plastic toy hidden inside the candy has caused several children to choke (though everyone affected&nbsp;knowingly consumed the toys), and citizens who attempt&nbsp;to smuggle them into the States can be&nbsp;fined up to $2,500 per egg.While worldy&nbsp;sugar junkies can still pick up Kinder Eggs in other parts of the world, there are some candies you can't buy anymore, as they were <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/discontinued-foods-brought-back/anncasano" target="_blank">discontinued</a> for being too dangerous. Production was halted on the original Toxic Waste Nuclear Sludge Chew Bars after it was revealed that they contained&nbsp;high amounts of lead. Once you learn the truth about dangerous discontinued candy, you'll wonder how some of these products ever got approved.&nbsp;

Some of the most common foods you see on grocery store shelves have been around for decades - if not centuries. These items have been staples in the diets of people around the world for much longer than you realize, perhaps gracing the palates of international celebrities, political leaders, or your own ancestors from days gone by. While the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-world-s-oldest-corporations-that-are-still-around-today/daveesons" target="_blank">companies and corporations</a> that own many food brands have changed over time, many have held true to original recipes and processes.

Identifying exactly when brands were developed alongside significant historical events offers a unique context for how long the foods you eat have been enjoyed by the masses. It may really surprise you. Next time you head to the pantry to grab a snack, think about what was happening in the world when your favorites were first made - and just how far back that really happened.&nbsp;

Though Vikings are known for pillaging the coasts of Europe, <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/viking-history-facts/mike-rothschild" target="_blank">Viking facts</a> reveal that the marauders were more than just bearded warriors filled with&nbsp;blood-thirsty rage. Analysis of what Vikings ate shows that the ancient Norse people had surprisingly modern appetites. The Viking diet went beyond slabs of meat and tankards of mead to include a healthy balance of vegetables and breakfast staples like yogurt.The perception of Vikings as crude, dirty troublemakers&nbsp;doesn't match up with the refined nature of their meals. Viking cuisine incorporated a range of food and drink options, creating the balanced diet that made <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/viking-sex-lives-facts/lyra-radford" target="_blank">Viking men</a>&nbsp;such notorious bruisers. &nbsp;

19th Century

The 19th century was a time of great expansion and growth for the American empire. International and domestic conflicts, territory grabs, and Native displacement were commonplace&nbsp;during this period, which was marked by another major development: the discovery of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/effect-of-the-gold-rush/" target="_blank">gold</a>. While rumors of gold date back to the 16th century, most gold prospecting happened in the second half of the 1800s.

The <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/goldrush-california/" target="_blank">first major gold rush</a> began when the naturally occurring element was discovered in Sutter&#39;s Mill, CA,&nbsp;in 1848, less than two weeks before America won the Mexican-American War, opening up the western edges of the continent. Nearly 100,000 people (known as&nbsp;49ers) flocked to the Sierra Nevada mountains over the next&nbsp;two years. The entrepreneurial spirit brought on by gold mining survived until the end of the century, when&nbsp;the next great gold rush arose <a href="https://www.nps.gov/klgo/learn/goldrush.htm" target="_blank">in the Yukon Territory</a>&nbsp;covering southern Alaska and western Canada. After gold was found in the Klondike River in 1896, the Klondike Gold Rush began the next year, bringing 100,000 potential miners - called Stampeders - into the treacherous, frigid region.

Northern California and the Pacific Northwest were forever changed by these gold rushes, from population increases to economic growth&nbsp;to the introduction of new foods. People from all over the country - even all over the world - were crammed together in overcrowded camps and settlements, mixing ideas and recipes. Supplies were often limited, and food rations had to last much longer than normal, especially in remote regions.

Resourceful <a href="https://www.nps.gov/klgo/learn/historyculture/tonofgoods.htm" target="_blank">gold</a><a href="http://www.nps.gov/klgo/learn/historyculture/tonofgoods.htm" target="_blank">&nbsp;miners</a>&nbsp;knew how to pack accordingly for long journeys and use the flora and fauna available to them. This list brings together some of the more interesting and unusual foods consumed by those who participated in these gold rushes, some of which have become staples of American cuisine, and some of which have&nbsp;not survived the passage of time.

Times and tastes definitely change, but some of the Founding Fathers' favorite foods were undeniably gross. True, 18th century America was full of <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/what-people-ate-in-colonial-america/setareh-janda" target="_blank">disgusting food</a>; it's not like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and other storied leaders had much say in what ended up on their dinner tables. They probably liked the taste of this cuisine, too. Modern appetites have changed, though, and no one would blame you if you wanted to stay far, far away from these menus.Reading about the food of the Founding Fathers can make you feel a little queasy. George Washington reportedly loved slurping down greasy peanut soup, while Thomas Jefferson had a taste for bone-filled shad. Alexander Hamilton probably had stale bread for breakfast. And then there was&nbsp;the always-innovative Benjamin Franklin, who was an early adopter of tofu – though he called it &quot;cheese.&quot;Colonial American food was certainly... something. You might be curious to taste some of these dishes, while others sound so strange and disgusting you'd never want to even see or smell them. Regardless of how much they intrigue or repulse you, these foods give an interesting insight into the dietary habits of storied figures from history.

Organized Crime

Thanks to notable films like The Godfather and Goodfellas, Italian-American life now harbors at least two major stereotypes: the expectation&nbsp;of delicious home cooking&nbsp;and the assumption of Mafia connections. The truth is, everyone enjoys good food, and <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/list-of-famous-gangsters/reference" target="_blank">famous gangsters</a> from around the world are no exception. From the mean streets of 1940s Los Angeles to the end credits&nbsp;of Martin Scorsese&#39;s <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/all-mafia-movies-or-list-of-mafia-films" target="_blank">best mafia movies</a>, delectable recipes have often tempted America&#39;s most notorious underworld bosses.

Over the decades, some of these recipes have filtered out to the public for everyone to enjoy. If you&#39;ve ever thought, &quot;What did Al Capone eat?&quot; you can now find out for yourself. A number of classic, delicious gangster recipes are free to cook up in your home kitchen, and the best restaurants visited most frequently by notorious families have set the standard for classic dining.

Chew on This

pageType

top_fb_3-4

top_search_3-4

pushable

wh_team

Top Tier

srch

cb_chew-on-this

The 1990s was the era of grunge, independent films, and the dawning of the world wide web, but what was it like at the grocery store? For generations, people have commented on the rising cost of groceries, but when factoring in inflation, some items are actually cheaper today than they were in the 1990s. Food prices in 1990 were often similar to today&#39;s prices - which one would hope for since it wasn&#39;t all that long ago - though some items have actually come down in price in the past 30 years.

Have you ever wondered, &ldquo;how much was a loaf of bread in the 1990s?&rdquo; How about the price of eggs? This list will break down <a href="http://https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=12&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjL-JT44NnoAhWQhJ4KHatpA1cQFjALegQIBxAB&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fnaldc.nal.usda.gov%2Fdownload%2FCAT91960192%2FPDF&amp;usg=AOvVaw3LzA_fIuaI7cfmaiGusyVK" target="_blank">1990 food prices</a> by listing the average price back then, the 1990 price factoring in inflation &ndash; using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics&#39;s <a href="https://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl?cost1=0.60&amp;year1=199001&amp;year2=202003" target="_blank">inflation calculator</a> &ndash; and today&#39;s cost for the same items.

Vote up the grocery store items that you think have the best 2020 value and vote down any food that you&#39;d rather go back in time to purchase.

How Much Grocery Store Items Cost In 1990 Vs. 2020

Food/Drink

Best Rankings of Food and Drinks. Most Popular Snacks, Candy, Alcohol, Soda, and More

food-and-drink

Jude Newsome

Millenials

Age 30 and over

Gen Xers

Age under 50

Beef

Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. Acceptability as a food source varies in different parts of the world.
Beef muscle meat can be cut into roasts, short ribs or steak. Some cuts are processed, and trimmings, usually mixed with meat from older, leaner cattle, are ground, minced or used in sausages. The blood is used in some varieties of blood sausage. Other parts that are eaten include the oxtail, liver, tongue, tripe from the reticulum or rumen, glands, the heart, the brain, the liver, the kidneys, and the tender testicles of the bull. Some intestines are cooked and eaten as-is, but are more often cleaned and used as natural sausage casings. The bones are used for making beef stock.
Beef from steers and heifers is very similar, except steers have slightly more marbling and fat. Depending on economics, the number of heifers kept for breeding varies. The meat from older cows and bulls is usually tougher, so it is frequently used for mince /ground beef.

Rice

Rice is the seed of the grass species Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima. As a cereal grain, it is the most widely consumed staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in Asia. It is the agricultural commodity with the third-highest worldwide production, after sugarcane and maize, according to data of FAOSTAT 2012.
Since a large portion of maize crops are grown for purposes other than human consumption, rice is the most important grain with regard to human nutrition and caloric intake, providing more than one fifth of the calories consumed worldwide by humans.
Chinese legends attribute the domestication of rice to Shennong, the legendary Emperor of China and inventor of Chinese agriculture. Genetic evidence has shown that rice originates from a single domestication 8,200–13,500 years ago in the Pearl River valley region of China. Previously, archaeological evidence had suggested that rice was domesticated in the Yangtze River valley region in China. From East Asia, rice was spread to Southeast and South Asia. Rice was introduced to Europe through Western Asia, and to the Americas through European colonization.

Apples

Apple

The apple tree is a deciduous tree in the rose family best known for its sweet, pomaceous fruit, the apple. It is cultivated worldwide as a fruit tree, and is the most widely grown species in the genus Malus. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, is still found today. Apples have been grown for thousands of years in Asia and Europe, and were brought to North America by European colonists. Apples have religious and mythological significance in many cultures, including Norse, Greek and European Christian traditions.
Apple trees are large if grown from seed, but small if grafted onto roots. There are more than 7,500 known cultivars of apples, resulting in a range of desired characteristics. Different cultivars are bred for various tastes and uses, including cooking, eating raw and cider production. Apples are generally propagated by grafting, although wild apples grow readily from seed. Trees and fruit are prone to a number of fungal, bacterial and pest problems, which can be controlled by a number of organic and non-organic means.

Cheese

Cheese is a food derived from milk that is produced in a wide range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, the milk is usually acidified, and adding the enzyme rennet causes coagulation. The solids are separated and pressed into final form. Some cheeses have molds on the rind or throughout. Most cheeses melt at cooking temperature.
Hundreds of types of cheese from various countries are produced. Their styles, textures and flavors depend on the origin of the milk, whether they have been pasteurized, the butterfat content, the bacteria and mold, the processing, and aging. Herbs, spices, or wood smoke may be used as flavoring agents. The yellow to red color of many cheeses, such as Red Leicester, is produced by adding annatto. Other ingredients may be added to some cheeses, such as black peppers, garlic, chives or cranberries.
For a few cheeses, the milk is curdled by adding acids such as vinegar or lemon juice.

Pork

Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig. It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved. Curing extends the shelf life of the pork products. Ham, smoked pork, gammon, bacon and sausage are examples of preserved pork. Charcuterie is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, many from pork.
Pork is the most popular meat in East and Southeast Asia, and is also very common in the Western world. It is highly prized in Asian cuisines for its fat content and pleasant texture. The religions of Judaism and Islam, as well as some Christian denominations, forbid pork consumption; the sale of pork is illegal in many Muslim countries, particularly in those with sharia law as part of the constitution, and is severely restricted in Israel.

Dozen Eggs

Eggs are laid by female animals of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have been eaten by humans for thousands of years. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen, and vitellus, contained within various thin membranes. The most popular choice for egg consumption are chicken eggs. Other popular choices for egg consumption are duck, quail, roe, and caviar.
Egg yolks and whole eggs store significant amounts of protein and choline, and are widely used in cookery. Due to their protein content, the United States Department of Agriculture categorizes eggs as Meats within the Food Guide Pyramid. Despite the nutritional value of eggs, there are some potential health issues arising from egg quality, storage, and individual allergies.
Chickens and other egg-laying creatures are widely kept throughout the world, and mass production of chicken eggs is a global industry. In 2009, an estimated 62.1 million metric tons of eggs were produced worldwide from a total laying flock of approximately 6.4 billion hens.

Sugar

Sugar is the generalized name for sweet, short-chain, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. They are carbohydrates, composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. There are various types of sugar derived from different sources. Simple sugars are called monosaccharides and include glucose, fructose and galactose. The table or granulated sugar most customarily used as food is sucrose, a disaccharide. Other disaccharides include maltose and lactose. Longer chains of sugars are called oligosaccharides. Chemically-different substances may also have a sweet taste, but are not classified as sugars. Some are used as lower-calorie food substitutes for sugar described as artificial sweeteners.
Sugars are found in the tissues of most plants, but are present in sufficient concentrations for efficient extraction only in sugarcane and sugar beet. Sugarcane refers to any of several species of giant grass in the genus Saccharum that have been cultivated in tropical climates in South Asia and Southeast Asia since ancient times. A great expansion in its production took place in the 18th century with the establishment of sugar plantations in the West Indies and Americas.

Flour

Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, beans, or other seeds or roots. It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history. Wheat flour is one of the most important ingredients in European, North American, Middle Eastern, Indian and North African cultures, and is the defining ingredient in most of their styles of breads and pastries.
While wheat is the most common base for flour, maize flour has been important in Mesoamerican cuisine since ancient times, and remains a staple throughout the Americas. Rye flour is an important constituent of bread in much of central Europe, and rice can also be used in flour, though this is relatively uncommon.

Oranges

Orange

The orange is the fruit of the citrus species Citrus × sinensis in the family Rutaceae. The fruit of the Citrus sinensis is considered a sweet orange, whereas the fruit of the Citrus aurantium is considered a bitter orange. The orange is a hybrid, possibly between pomelo and mandarin, which has been cultivated since ancient times.
As of 1987, orange trees were found to be the most cultivated fruit tree in the world. Orange trees are widely grown in tropical and subtropical climates for their sweet fruit. The fruit of the orange tree can be eaten fresh, or processed for its juice or fragrant peel. As of 2012, sweet oranges accounted for approximately 70% of citrus production. In 2010, 68.3 million metric tons of oranges were grown worldwide, production being particularly prevalent in Brazil and the U.S. states of Florida and California.

Milk

Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to its young and can reduce the risk of many diseases. Milk contains many other nutrients and the carbohydrate lactose. The majority of the world's population is lactose intolerant.
As an agricultural product, milk is extracted from mammals during or soon after pregnancy and is used as food for humans. Worldwide, dairy farms produced about 730 million tonnes of milk in 2011, from 260 million dairy cows. India is the world's largest producer and consumer of milk, yet neither exports nor imports it. New Zealand, the European Union's 28 member states, Australia, and the United States are the world's largest exporters of milk and milk products. China and Russia are the world's largest importers of milk and milk products.
Throughout the world, there are more than six billion consumers of milk and milk products. Over 750 million people live within dairy farming households.

Corn flakes

Corn flakes are a popular breakfast cereal originally manufactured by Kellogg's through the treatment of corn. A patent for the product was filed on May 31, 1895, and issued on April 14, 1896.

Bread

Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history it has been popular around the world and is one of the oldest artificial foods, having been of importance since the dawn of agriculture.
There are many combinations and proportions of types of flour and other ingredients, and also of different traditional recipes and modes of preparation of bread. As a result, there are wide varieties of types, shapes, sizes, and textures of breads in various regions. Bread may be leavened by many different processes ranging from the use of naturally occurring microbes to high-pressure artificial aeration methods during preparation or baking. However, some products are left unleavened, either for preference, or for traditional or religious reasons. Many non-cereal ingredients may be included, ranging from fruits and nuts to various fats. Commercial bread in particular, commonly contains additives, some of them non-nutritional, to improve flavor, texture, color, shelf life, or ease of manufacturing.
Depending on local custom and convenience, bread may be served in various forms at any meal of the day.

Doritos Nacho Cheese

Lemons

Lemon

The lemon is a small evergreen tree native to Asia. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world, primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used in cooking and baking. The juice of the lemon is about 5% to 6% citric acid, which gives lemons a sour taste. The distinctive sour taste of lemon juice makes it a key ingredient in drinks and foods such as lemonade and lemon meringue pie.

Potatoes

Lettuce

Lettuce is an annual plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable, but sometimes for its stem and seeds. Lettuce was first cultivated by the ancient Egyptians who turned it from a weed, whose seeds were used to produce oil, into a food plant grown for its succulent leaves, in addition to its oil-rich seeds. Lettuce spread to the Greeks and Romans, the latter of whom gave it the name "lactuca", from which the English "lettuce" is ultimately derived. By 50 AD, multiple types were described, and lettuce appeared often in medieval writings, including several herbals. The 16th through 18th centuries saw the development of many varieties in Europe, and by the mid-18th century cultivars were described that can still be found in gardens. Europe and North America originally dominated the market for lettuce, but by the late 1900s the consumption of lettuce had spread throughout the world.
Generally grown as a hardy annual, lettuce is easily cultivated, although it requires relatively low temperatures to prevent it from flowering quickly.

The 1990s was the era of grunge, independent films, and the dawning of the world wide web, but what was it like at the grocery store? For generations, people ...