The World's Oldest Recipes

If you could throw a potluck with all the oldest foods in the world, what would you bring? We asked ourselves that question and prepared a menu of tasty snacks for you to consider, from tamales and noodles to our favorite ancient boozes. Bon appetit!

Hosted by: Reid Reimers (he/him)

Chapters:
Beer & Wine 1:14
Cheese 4:07
Bread 5:57
Tamales 8:03
Noodles 9:35
Burnt Meals 11:10

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Sources:

[xEAE]

Fun fact - the epic of Gilgamesh, one of humanity’s oldest recorded stories from thousands of years ago, itself refers to the invention of bread as an ancient and distant event

[systemG]

That chef in ancient times: "I may have burned an entire meal, but it's not like anyone is going to remember it forever". Us: "this belongs in a museum!"

[Narmatonia]

Wow the archaeologists must've freaked out when they realised there were still ancient noodles in the overturned bowl

[bloomnights]

As an anthropology/archeology students, "archeological potluck" sounds like a great theme for a party

[TroyDowVanZandt]

We natives of Tucson, AZ, have long sidestepped the Pima County Health Department by getting our tamales directly from the kitchens of little old ladies on the south side of town. It makes you wonder just how ancient the institution of the Tamale Lady is.

[rylandrc]

9:50 Epitomy of: "If you dont wash your dishes right after eating pasta, it'll be harder to get off later"

[svenmorgenstern]

Y'know, 7000+ years is a long time to wait for a grilled cheese sandwich. 🧀

[TheJohtunnBandit]

Glad to know that there is precedent to just throwing out the entire pot when something goes horribly wrong 🤣

[AppliedCryogenics]

Nixtamalization does more than break down the outer seed coat. It makes an essential nutrient (vitamin b3) more bioavailable, averting the risk of pellagra in a corn-heavy diet.

[sunnyquinn]

There's a reason why the word "bread" has been used for so long and in so many cultures as a term for food in general.

[MyChevySonic]

Actually, if you think about it, it makes sense that we would have figured out a way to store it first before figuring out how to grow it. Since wild grain isn't a very reliable source, the pressure is to find a way to convert it or store it.

[superpapiringo]

We mexicans have a corn beer called "tejuino". It's so low alcohol that we find it out of schools, and with a bit of lemon ice, chamoy and some spicy candy tubes as straws... Tasty...

[Beutimus]

Me: I'll eat lunch before food shopping so I'm not hungry!
SciShow: but consider giant noodles

[MichaelOKC]

I knew it! I didn't mess up that dinner! I was creating research!😂😅

[lenabreijer]

They have found Neanderthal meals with chick peas and meat. I was hoping they were going to discuss that.

[AsiniusNaso]

Ea-Nassir 🤝 Person who burned their porridge

[TheSuzberry]

My favorite antique recipe: Season to taste and cook until done. 😎

[DragongodZenos]

It makes perfect sense that bear bread and other recipes using grains would be older the agriculture. Why domesticate wheat and grains if you have not recipes to use them. The domestication of grains likely came about from cultures who regularly made flours or gruel like foods from wild grains, so they could more easily stockpile processed grains.

[davidva]

Chunky beer is what straws are meant for

[thecollierreport]

My wife is Mexican by lineage and we always had Tamales for Christmas