The History of Cooking

Cooking is one of the oldest human activities. People first learned to cook food over fire a very long time ago. Cooking made food safer to eat and easier to digest. Over time, people invented new ways to prepare meals from all around the world.

Early Cooking

Early humans cooked food over open fires. They roasted meat on sticks and heated stones to cook on. Later, people made clay pots to boil and stew food. Ancient civilizations like Egypt and Rome created many recipes. Spices were highly valued and traded between faraway lands.

Modern Cooking

In the 1800s, the modern stove was invented, replacing open hearths. Canned food made it possible to store meals for a long time. Refrigerators kept food fresh for days. Today, people cook with stoves, ovens, microwaves, and many other tools. Recipes from every culture are shared around the world.

Fun Facts

• Humans may have been cooking with fire for at least 400,000 years.
• The oldest known recipe is a stew from ancient Mesopotamia, written on a clay tablet.
• Popcorn was one of the first snack foods, eaten by Native Americans thousands of years ago.

Did You Know?

Cooking food actually helped early humans grow bigger brains because cooked food gives more energy.