- marketing:: [tooted on mastodon](https://scholar.social/@eleanorkonik/107621131038418269) 2022-01-14 # Cuisine > Refind invited me to write a deep dive into the history of food, but some of the neat stuff I dug up from my notes didn't quite fit. Here's the rest of my notes, carefully gathered while trying to flesh out the cultures that populate my fantasy world, Verraine. ## Quick Facts - [[Aboriginal Australians Dined on Moths 2,000 Years Ago]] - Locusts are considered a delicacy in most cultures that experience swarms. Here are some [locust recipes](https://www.fao.org/ag/locusts/oldsite/LOCFAQ.htm#q19). %% [[What Are Locusts and Why Do They Swarm by Greg Uyeno]] %% - Traditional Italian [mozzarella cheese is made of milk from water buffalo](https://www.foodtimeline.org/foodmeats.html#bison), not the American bison sometimes known buffalos. - We have archaeological evidence that humans 30,000 years ago [roasted mammoths in prehistoric barbecue pits](https://nbcnews.com/id/wbna31085915). %% [[complex kitchens date to 30k years ago]] %% - Mexican food, with its many uses for different hot peppers, [may be one of the world's oldest cuisines](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070709171645.htm). ## Floral Foods Ever since I wrote [[2021-08-30 Roses]] I've been thinking about edible flowers. I recently started growing nasturtiums and the leaves actually have enough flavor to count as a low-calorie snack. Fried zucchini flowers are eaten around the world and some people make drinks from hibiscus petals. [This Article from Gastro Obscura](https://atlasobscura.com/articles/edible-flowers) touches others. %% [[The Colorful World of Edible Flowers by Anne Ewbank]] %% ## Bugs & Blue Algae Pre-Columbian [Mesoamericans ate](https://www.foodtimeline.org/foodmaya.html) maize, a multitude of fruits and vegetables, and wild game like fish and turkey. Most of their protein, though, came from easy-to-harvest insects like ants, grasshoppers, manuey worms, and jumil bugs. They also ate lots of _tecuitlatl_, a type of blue-green spirulina algae. It grows fast, is high in protein, and is easy to harvest with mesh nets. %% 2021-06-27 food timeline %% ## Taxes & Taxonomy A surprising number of desserts (like shortbread and JaffaCakes) become popular because they're a way to skirt around tax laws. For example, adding a bit of yeast to something to make it count as "bread." [Tasting History](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mda8Jetfnx8) on YouTube covers this in more detail, but it's not a new phenomenon. There's also the opposite effect, where [too much sugar can recategorize bread _into_ more expensive cake tax bracket](https://www.eater.com/2020/10/1/21496848/irish-supreme-court-rules-subway-bread-has-too-much-sugar-to-count-as-bread). ## Technology & Taste A culture's culinary choices are often dictated by technology. It seems obvious, when you think about it. After all, microwaves changed the dietary habits of modern-day Americans American. But the development of pottery had almost as big an impact on Northern Sudanic people, who were able to eat porridge (which doesn't require grinding grain) instead of bread. %% [[The Civilizations of Africa by Christopher Ehret#ch03p64 porridge takes less effort than bread]] %% - - - 📗 ICYMI: If you found this interesting, you may also enjoy my previous newsletter about [[2021-06-28 Food Preservation]] [[2021-10-04 Ovens (DRAFT)]] & my [[Deep Dive on Food History]]. 💚 If you learned something from this overview, consider forwarding it to a friend and encouraging them to [sign up](https://newsletter.eleanorkonik.com/membership/) for more research deep dives into obscure history and science. 📅 Next week's topic? SOMETHING If you know any SOMETHING, please hit "reply" and tell me about it.