What did people eat in the past?
Who, When, Fruits, vegetables, desserts, soups, snacks… There are so many foods we can think of! Sometimes we can’t even decide which one to eat because nowadays, there is a wide variety of options. Well, how do you think things were in the past?
The foods we consume today or years ago usually vary according to the culture of our environment. The place and time we live in affect the foods we can access. For example, about 500 years ago, only people living on the American continent could eat tomatoes, because tomatoes were not yet found elsewhere. However, as the years passed, tomatoes spread to other continents, and today we can find and eat them in many parts of the world.
Every society has different dietary habits and culinary cultures. Variables such as the technology of the era, the climate of the region, the structure of the soil, or water resources are highly influential on these differences. After all, even during the periods when all societies began practicing agriculture and animal husbandry, completely different climates were experienced, so the products that could be obtained also varied. Just like it is impossible to grow wheat in very wetlands or sugarcane in very arid environments…
The technology of the era is particularly effective in producing, processing, and consuming food in various ways. Just think about it, before the use of fire was learned for cooking, all food was consumed raw. Nowadays, there are different tools or devices for cooking, cooling, freezing, whisking, cutting, and many other tasks.
Thanks to developing technology, it has become very easy for us to access foods consumed in far away places and different cultures today. For this reason, it is now possible for us to consume almost every type of product, even if it is not grown or produced in our country. Well, would you like to learn what different societies consumed years and years ago when this was not possible?
Ancient Egypt (2,000 – 5,000 years ago)
Shall we talk about the first place that comes to mind when pyramids are mentioned? Meaning Egypt! Between 2 and 5 thousand years ago, people here grew plenty of grains, especially emmer wheat, and used them to produce many different foods. They also frequently consumed various vegetables and fruits in cooked, raw, or dried forms. Although red meat was consumed in Ancient Egypt, it was not very frequent, and not everyone could eat it. They often ate certain mammals, birds, and fish found in the Nile River. However, eating certain fish species could be forbidden due to their beliefs.
What do you think? Which of the things you see on this page was not eaten in Ancient Egypt?
- Options: Grape, Pomegranate, Pigeon, Sea Bass, Bread
- (Upside-down answer text): Sea bass… Because it was one of the forbidden fish species due to their beliefs.
The Hittites (3,000 – 4,000 years ago)
Now it’s time for a society that lived 3-4 thousand years ago on the lands where our country is currently located: The Hittites. Practicing agriculture and animal husbandry was one of the prominent features of the Hittites. This ensured that they had plenty of grains, vegetables, fruits, and dairy products in their kitchens. They also consumed plenty of meat. However, bird and fish meat were rarely eaten in those periods. They usually ate red meat, such as beef, mutton, and goat meat. Since sugar had not been discovered yet, they couldn’t add it to their food, but they flavored their food with various natural sweeteners.
What do you think? Which of the things you see on this page would the Hittites not eat?
- Options: Honey, Cow, Apple, Cheese, Chicken
- (Upside-down answer text): Chicken… Because bird meat was not preferred in that period.
The Vikings (1,000 – 1,300 years ago)
Now let’s talk about the Vikings, known as a seafaring and warrior society. Living near Norway, Sweden, and Denmark 1,000-1,300 years ago, this society highly developed itself in agriculture, trade, and crafts. Since they were successful in seafaring, they could travel to many different countries and get to know different foods. They made meals with a variety of vegetables and fruits they grew, as well as rare spices and sweeteners. They also consumed plenty of meat, especially fish… Well, did you know that they stored some of the foods they loved using different methods so they could consume them in winter too?
What do you think? Which of the things you see on this page did the Vikings not eat?
- Options: Carrot, Blackberry-Strawberry, Fish, Pickle, Mushroom
- (Upside-down answer text): Pickle… Because the pickling method was not yet known back then.
The Aztecs (500 – 700 years ago)
Let’s get a little closer to the present day and examine the cuisine of the Aztecs, a large society that lived 500-700 years ago. Located in Central America, this society was highly advanced in agriculture, and corn stood out among what they produced. They obtained brand-new products from corn and utilized it in almost every food. They could make very delicious dishes with the aromatic plants they used. Did you know they even had a type of hot chocolate with bitter spices? They could also consume plenty of fish and other seafood thanks to their environment.
What do you think? Which of the things you see on this page did the Aztecs not eat?
- Options: Cow, Tomato, Avocado, Popcorn, Crab
- (Upside-down answer text): Cow… Because there were no cows in that region during that period.
