No item has had a greater impact on the path of civilization than food. Shortly after life began in the cradle of civilization humans found themselves branching out to Asia in search of a killer curry, heading to the Mediterranean for the perfect pesto, and colonizing the British Isles for… well, no one is quite sure.
As ancient people discovered new lands, strange and exotic plants were discovered along with it. Typically the most gullible member of the tribe would be appointed the honor of testing out the edibility of new delicacies. Though considering some plants came with names like death caps, poison sumac, and burning nettle I’m sure they required a bit more persuasion before they were eaten.
It was around this same time that the Japanese discovered the blowfish, a delicious fish called Fugu that will kill you if not properly prepared by a skilled chef. A stubborn ancient fisherman first caught this fish and fed it to his family, promptly killing them all. Upon realizing its lethal potential he eagerly fed another one to his mother-in-law, but to no ill effect. Confounded by the different reactions to the same dish he began a personal quest to continue making the dish until he tamed its deadly properties. After irradiating 3 ½ neighboring villages at potluck socials he was finally able to perfect the Fugu dish we know today. Encouraged by his success he opened the Snake Venom Tavern but died shortly after from unknown causes.
Even in modern times great discoveries in food are still being made. It was only earlier this past century after a catastrophic meltdown at a PlayDoh factory the first batch of Velveeta cheese was produced. Even as recently as 1967 Miller Lite was accidentally discovered after an overachieving college student added distilled water and yeast to a cocktail shaker looking for a way to create a beverage for kids who don’t like the taste of beer yet still want all of the enjoyment of frequent peeing.
There is no doubt new and exciting discoveries are still on the horizon. We would be arrogant to think we have found all there is for us. The next tomacco is just waiting to be discovered!
Leave a Reply