God created Adam in this idyllic garden of Eden, where he had everything he needed; Eve appeared and then sin, however the historical and archeological discoveries speak about those times, thus we get some information, lacunar at it may be regarding the beginnings.

Before discovering fire, primitive people is said to have used to feed on fruits, roots and raw meat. Researchers say that roasted meat was first discovered by pure chance. Thus, the meat of animals which fell victims to fire incidents apparently had a better taste and were more easily digested than raw meat. Other rudimentary cooking procedures included frying wild cereals on flat stones or using shells, skulls or carved stones in order to heat beverages. Nonetheless, cooking did not evolve until the introduction of pottery in the Neolithic. Researchers have also discovered that the oldest complex meal was a sort of raw paste similar to the recipe later on used by Roman legions, called “polenta”, or resembling the Romanian “mamaliga”. This paste was made by mixing water with seeds from wild plants, and then crushing them. This paste was soon fried on a hot stone until it formed a crust and this is how the first type of bread appeared.

Cooking techniques have of course improved after the appearance of the clay jars and vessel, and especially after the development of human settlements, together with the domestication of animals and the cultivation of edible plants. The very first beverages used by the primitive man included human milk, which proved to be vital for the growth and development of infants, and for the survival of the species. Read the rest of this entry »