Kids in the Kitchen-History of Food
Prehistoric Times The earliest people ate anything they could find. They ate things like wild fruits,mushrooms, nuts, roots, and seeds. They caught fish and small land animals and ate the meat from dead animals they found. Later, people found new ways to hunt bigger animals, they used weapons. Some of the large animals hunted with weapons were bison, bears, wild cattle, and deer. People from the early ages probably roasted some of their food over burning wood from fires that had started naturally. When people discovered how to make fire, they roasted food more often. Then they learned how to make pots in which they could boil food. At about 8,000 B. C., people began to raise plants and animals for food. Farming assured people a steadier supply of food. Farming also meant staying in one place. Farmers raised cattle, sheep, goats, and other animals for meat and milk. Some groups of prehistoric people were nomadic shepherds. Groups like these traveled across the countryside in well-established patterns. They raised animals such as sheep,camels, and goats. Most of the nomads diet consisted of meat and milk from their livestock.
Ancient Times Between 3500 and 1500 B.C., the first great civilizations developed in river valleys these valleys were the Nile Valley in Egypt and the Indus Valley in what is now Pakistan. These valleys had fertile soil and a favorable climates. In ancient Egypt, farmers along the Nile could raise two or three crops a year on the same fields. They grew wheat and barley and such vegetables as beans, lettuce, and peas. The Egyptians also raised such fruit as melons and grapes. Their live stock included cattle, goats, and sheep. Ancient Greece and later Ancient Rome couldn't produce enough food for their growing populations. They had to import large amounts of food from lands that had plenty of food. The Greeks and Romans enjoyed cherries from Persia,apricots, peaches, and spices from the Orient, and most important, wheat from Egypt. By 300 A.D. the Roman Empire covered most of Europe, the middle east, and the Mediterranean coast of Africa. Most of the empire' s large farms specialized in raising wheat, which formed the basis of the Roman diet.
The Middle Ages After the Roman Empire collapsed in 400 A.D., international trade fell sharply . In time most of Europe's land was divided into manors. A manor was a large estate controlled by a lord and worked by peasants. The manors provided enough food for peasants and lords. These foods were grains, grapes, and other fruits plus vegetables such as beans cabbages, and turnips, also poultry, cattle, and other livestock. From 1100 A.D. to 1300 A.D. European people went to the middle east to fight in the crusaders. They obtained a taste for spices and middle eastern foods. When the crusaders returned to Europe, their passion for other foods restarted international trade. It also helped speed the search for new lands. |