Writing Reference: Food History
B.C.
10,000 - almonds, cherries, bread, flour, soup
8,000 - wheat âšś 7,000 - wine, beer, pistachios, pig, goat, sheep, lard
6,500 - cattle domestication, apples âšś 6,000 - tortilla, dates, maize
5,000 - honey, ginger, quinoa, avocados, potatoes, milk, yogurt
4,000 - focaccia, watermelons, grapes, pomegranates
3,200 - chicken domestication âšś 3,000 - butter, onion, garlic, apricots
2,737 - tea âšś 2,500 - olive oil, seaweed, duck âšś 2,300 - saffron
2,000 - peaches, liquorice, marshmallow, pasta, ham, sesame seeds
1,500 - chocolate, vanilla âšś 1,200 - sugar âšś 1,000 - mangoes, oats, pickles
900 - pears, tomatoes âšś 700 - cinnamon âšś 600 - bananas, poppy seeds
500 - artichokes âšś 400 - pastries, appetizers, vinegar
300 - parsley âšś 200 - turkeys, asparagus, rhubarb âšś 65 - quince
1st—13th Century
1st Century - chestnuts, lobster, crab, shrimp, truffles, blueberries, raspberries, capers, kale, blood (as food), fried chicken, foie gras, French toast, omelettes, rice pudding, flan, cheesecake, pears in syrup
3rd Century - lemons âšś 5th - pretzels âšś 6th - eggplant
7th Century - spinach, kimchi âšś 9th - coffee, nutmeg
10th Century - flower waters, Peking duck, shark's fin soup
11th Century - baklava, corned beef, cider, lychees, seitan
12th Century - breadfruit, artichokes, gooseberries
13th Century - ravioli, lasagne, mozzarella, pancakes, waffles, couscous
14th—19th Century
14th Century - kebabs, moon cakes, guacamole, pie, apple pie, crumpets, gingerbread
15th Century - coconuts, Japanese sushi and sashimi, pineapples, marmalade, risotto, marzipan, doughnuts, hot dogs
16th Century - pecans, cashews (in India), Japanese tempura, vanilla (in Europe), fruit leather, skim milk, sweetbreads, salsa, quiche, teriyaki chicken, English trifle, potato salad
17th Century - treacle, pralines, coffee cake, modern ice cream, maple sugar, rum, French onion soup, cream puffs, bagels, pumpkin pie, lemonade, croissants, lemon meringue pie
18th Century - root beer, tapioca, French fries, ketchup, casseroles, mayonnaise, eggnog, soda water, lollipops, sangria, muffins, crackers, chowder, croquettes, cupcakes, sandwiches, apple butter, souffle, deviled eggs
19th Century - toffee, butterscotch, cocoa, Turkish delight, iodized salt, vanilla extract, modern marshmallows, potato chips, fish and chips, breakfast cereal, Tabasco sauce, Kobe beef, margarine, unsalted butter, Graham crackers, fondant, passionfruit, saltwater taffy, milkshakes, pizza, peanut butter, tea bags, cotton candy, jelly beans, candy corn, elbow macaroni, fondue, wedding cake, canapes, gumbo, ginger ale, carrot cake, bouillabaisse, cobbler, peanut brittle, pesto, baked Alaska, iced tea, fruit salad, fudge, eggs Benedict, Waldorf salad
20th Century
1901 - peanut butter and jelly âšś 1904 - banana splits âšś 1905 - NY pizza
1906 - brownies, onion rings âšś 1907 - aioli
1908 - Steak Diane, buttercream frosting âšś 1909 - shrimp cocktail
1910 - Jell-O (America's most famous dessert)
1910s - orange juice âšś 1912 - Oreos, maraschino cherries, fortune cookies
1912 - Chicken a la King, Thousand Island dressing
1914 - Fettuccine Alfredo âšś 1915 - hush puppies
1917 - marshmallow fluff âšś 1921 - Wonder Bread, zucchini
1919 - chocolate truffles âšś 1922 - Vegemite, Girl Scout cookies
1923 - popsicles âšś 1924 - frozen foods, pineapple upside-down cake, Caesar salad, chocolate-covered potato chips
1927 - Kool-Aid, s'mores, mayonnaise cake âšś 1929 - Twizzlers
1930s - Pavlova cakes, Philly cheese steak, Pigs in blankets, margaritas, banana bread, Cajun fried turkey âšś 1931 - souffle, refrigerator pie
1933 - chocolate covered pretzels âšś 1936 - no-bake cookies
1937 - Reubens, chicken Kiev, SPAM, Krispy Kreme
1938 - chicken and waffles âšś 1939 - seedless watermelon
1941 - Rice Krispies treats, Monte Cristo sandwiches âšś 1943 - nachos
1946 - chicken burgers, tuna melts, Nutella âšś 1947- chiffon cake
1950s - chicken parm, Irish coffee, cappuccino, smoothies, frozen pizza, diet soda, TV Dinners, ranch dressing âšś 1951 - bananas foster
1953 - coronation chicken âšś 1956 - German chocolate cake, panini
1957 - Quebec Poutine âšś 1958 - Instant ramen noodles, crab rangoon, lemon bars âšś 1960s - beef Wellington, green eggs and ham, red velvet cake
1963 - black forest cake âšś 1964 - Belgian waffles, Pop Tarts, Buffalo wings, ants on a log, pita bread âšś 1965 - Gatorade, Slurpees
1966 - chocolate fondue âšś 1967 - high fructose corn syrup
1970s - California rolls, pasta primavera, tiramisu âšś 1971 - fajitas
1975 - hicken tikka masala âšś 1980 - turducken
1980s - Panko, portobello mushrooms, bubble tea, chicken nuggets, Sriracha, Red Bull energy drink, everything bagels
1990s - artisan breads, Jamaican jerk âšś 1991 - turkey bacon, chocolate molten lava cake, earthquake cake âšś 1993 - broccolini
1995 - Tofurkey âšś 1997 - grape tomatoes
21st Century
2002 - flat iron steak, tear-free onions âšś 2007 - Kool-Aid pickles, cake pops
2008 - Mexican funnel cake âšś 2013 - cronuts, test tube burgers
Source âšś Writing Notes & References âšś Writing Resources PDFs
