3d ago

What are some food or drinks that where in use by cultures around the world before being "discovered" and changed?

What are some well known food and drinks that where in use by cultures around the world until someone "discovered" it and changed it

For example a culture uses a food or drink or even an ingredient in a specific way for a long time and then someone comes along and "discovers" it but changes it to make it more palatable to them

4 comments

The Sumerians made beer by soaking bread (usually made from barley) in water, waiting a while, and then drinking the bubbling liquid. Now beer is made from barley (mostly) that has been sprouted (malted) before being dried and ground along with a number of ingredients, hops in particular, that the Sumerians never heard of.
The maize that people eat today is very different than the maize indigenous people in the Americas ate. It’s been genetically modified through selective breeding.
Chocolate was a highly spiced beverage when the Spanish found the Aztecs drinking it. Look what it's become.
Alcohol was first distilled in the Arabian peninsula. Prior to that consumable alcohol maxed out at 13%. 'Hard liquor' had many applications and was mixed into potable water for long voyages as an antibacterial agent.
Coffee as a drink also originates in the Arabian peninsula, specifically Yemen where it was used to stay awake during prayer. Prior to that it was chewed.