Did you know that cooking inside a kitchen is a relatively new aspect of human life? For much of our history, we cooked outside on an open fire but these days that is reserved more for holidays and social events.
Keep reading to learn more about the history of cooking and get reacquainted with your outdoor roots.
Early Years
There are some theories about how early humans discovered that cooked meat tasted so much better than eating it raw. One of those theories is that Homo Erectus smelled the roasted fat and meat of animals that were trapped and killed in a forest fire, and investigated the source of the smell.
Once early man tasted the new flavor of this cooked meat, there was no turning back and they continued to cook the meat that they trapped for their families. Learning to cook the meat that they captured helped the evolution of Homo Erectus into Homo Sapiens.
This new skill required better communication skills, critical thinking for hunting, and knowing how to prepare the meat which led to better tool development and so many other vital skills. Learning how to cook played a vital role in our overall evolution.
Recent Past
Eventually, we evolved from just placing the meat right on the fire to developing a metal grill grate that would help cook the meat more evenly over an open flame. All throughout history, there is evidence of grills and community cooking in outdoor kitchens and the improvements that were made along the way.
No matter where humans were, they had to eat, and it was also a huge aspect of our social development by gathering together over a hot meal. As time passed, technology was able to advance enough to maintain a fire without the fear of burning down your home and the kitchen was brought indoors.
Modern Day
These days there are all sorts of great appliances to aid families with meal prep and cooking. Such as a refrigerator to store your food, or the microwave and oven to cook it. An outdoor kitchen nowadays is more for having fun hosting parties at your house and making decisions whether you want a Rec Tec vs Traeger barbecue grill.
These advances in technology have revolutionized the way we prepare meals and makes things so much easier. Outdoor cooking will continue to change as new technologies are invented, but it will always be a great way to get together with friends and family and have a nice hot meal.
Learn More Today About The History Of Cooking!
Hopefully, this brief history of cooking has given you some insight into how far we’ve come from cooking food right on the flame to preparing meals inside our own homes. One thing, however, will never change and that is the importance of gathering together and socializing over a good meal.
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