History of Cooking

The specific beginnings of cooking are unknown, but early humans conquered fire and began using it to
prepare food at some time in the distant past. Researchers have discovered what appear to be the
remnants of 1.5 million-year-old campfires built by Homo erectus, one of the first human species.

The first cook almost likely discovered it by chance. When a piece of raw meat fell into a fire, man
realized it was tastier and easier to chew, and he became the first animal to prepare his meal. Broiling
was the earliest way of cooking. An animal or bird was placed on the end of a stick and kept over a fire
until it was considered good enough. Food tasted better when the covering of fur or feathers was
removed before cooking, and the insides of the beast or bird were removed and replaced with a filling of
grain and herbs. Man eventually learned that cooking food on a spit, or metal rod, that transfers heat to
the interior, cooks food more rapidly and evenly. Roasting on a spit was popular until around a century
ago. Outdoor grills still use it.

By use of a heated flat stone for frying and baking was another major advance in cooking. This was also
the first technique of baking bread. The flat stone was replaced with a sheet of iron or copper as metals
entered the house. The oven, which was probably originally a pit in the ground walled with stones and
filled with fire, was a later development. Food was placed in the ashes of the fire and covered with large
leaves. Some primitive peoples still use this way of cooking. Hot coals were also used in early brick or
stone ovens, but the coals were raked out before the food was placed within. While the stones cooled,
the meal cooked.

As noted in Wrangham's phylogenetic study of early man, the evolution of man from the hominid stage
to the homo sapien stage was greatly aided by the introduction of these numerous primitive but
dependable techniques of cooking. Cooking, according to Wrangham, was important in human evolution
since it shortened the time necessary for hunting and resulted in an increase in brain size. He believes
that the percentage decline in early human gut size is precisely proportional to the development in brain
size.

Cuisine is much more than a substance, and it has become a component of material culture. Good food
has always been associated with a sense of mutual respect among people, acting as a crucial component
that has influenced the growth and stability of civilization.

When someone dropped his lunch on a piece of rock where seawater had evaporated, the same thing
happened. Later, agriculture was established, and grains and pulses were produced, as well as fruit trees
imported by the Romans (peaches, lemons, cherries, apricots, walnuts, and plums) from their much
further journeys to Eastern lands (peaches, lemons, cherries, apricots, walnuts, and plums).

Primitive people are said to have started cooking 250,000 years ago by putting a raw piece of meat into
the fire. Roasting was the original way of cooking, which involved placing a fish or a bird on the end of a
stick and holding it over an open fire. Some scientists believe the Peking man cooked food, however
there was little evidence to back up this allegation.
Ancient Egyptians utilized culinary methods such as roasting, broiling, frying, and boiling, according to
Egyptian wall paintings dating back to 4000 BC. Early carvings from Assyria and Babylonia reveal the
usage of charcoal in cooking pots, and Biblical allusions to old cooking methods abound. Baking arose
from the development of the oven, the earliest of which was found 6,500 years ago. The first baking
guild was created in Rome in 168 BC. Mesopotamia's civilization was responsible for one of the most
major advances in human history. Mesopotamians have been irrigating and cultivating plants, as well as
domesticating plants and animals, since 9,000 BC. During the year 3,000 BC, crops like as cereals, barley,
wheat, beans, peas, lentils, leeks, turnips, onions, radishes, and garlic were grown, and the
Mesopotamian diet consisted mostly of these foods. For food, they understood how to care for sheep,
cattle, and ducks. Pigs, deer, game birds, gazelle, and fish were also hunted. Meats were often smoked,
cured, or salted for preservation before being roasted, broiling, or boiling.

Boiling and stewing were done in pots placed near the fire, or in cauldrons suspended over a fire by
connecting chains linked to a beam or a tripod made by three poles connected at the apex. Lentils,
beans, and grains were used in a simple recipe.

In the Middle Ages, was determined by their social status. During feasts, huge groups of invited guests
were offered a variety of meals with varying quantities and quality of courses based on their social
position. The wealthy always had better food than the poor (and it looks like it has never changed, even
today). The typical man did not have a kitchen, but castles, monasteries, and palaces had enormous
kitchens with all types of culinary appliances and commodities. Huge houses featured tall ovens for
baking bread, and dinner consisted of a roast, white bread, fish, and custard or pudding.

Spice trading became prominent in the 1400s and 1500s, and additional components were gradually
added to recipes. Spices were traded by Portuguese ships in South Africa, India, and China. These were
widely employed in the preparation of delicious and tasty foods.

Cooking has a long and illustrious history, and new culinary innovations continue to emerge throughout
time. There is still plenty to learn and improve upon, but the stories of discoveries and improvements
are just too great to overlook, since they are the reason we love food so much today.