Our odyssey begins with the act of nourishment and the journey necessary to achieve this feat. Currently, these two concepts are known as Food and Travel are often associated with leisure and pleasure. However, to become better human beings, it is crucial to understand the role that food plays in human life, to value the ingredients available to us, and to minimize food waste. After all, around 10% of the world's population suffers from hunger, not to mention the many others living with food insecurity!
The act of nourishment plays a crucial role in the development of humanity because it may have been the necessary factor for us to acquire the critical thinking that sets us apart from all other living beings.
According to the theory of the british primatologist, Richard Wrangham, all living beings eat to survive and act on instinct to stay in the food chain. However, hominids can go beyond survival and eat for the sake of sensations.
When our human ancestor from the Paleolithic period, Homo Erectus, mastered fire and developed the technique of cooking food (around 1 million years ago), the possibility arose for natural selection to follow the path of tooth and jaw atrophy and brain hypertrophy.
The oldest evidence of humans cooking was a large fish founded in the Middle East, at Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, dating back 780 thousand years. The discovery was published in the journal Nature, in 2022.The process of subjecting food to a high temperature reduced ancient men's exposure to worms and bacteria. This new skill marks the beginning of human food security.
According to Wrangham, logical reasoning may have emerged along with culinary culture, considering that brain hypertrophy allowed the development of the cerebral cortex, making thinking a leap in evolution.
The cerebral cortex is the outer layer of the brain responsible for complex functions such as thinking, reasoning, language, sensory perception, and motor control. It is a distinctive feature of higher mammals, and in humans, it is exceptionally large and highly developed compared to other species. This expansion of the cerebral cortex is often associated with the development of advanced cognitive abilities and the complexity of human behavior.
We highly recommend Michael Pollan's book "Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation" to anyone interested in exploring the profound relationship between humans and food. In this captivating work, Pollan delves into the art and science of cooking through the lens of the four classical elements: fire, water, air, and earth. Through engaging narratives and thought-provoking insights, Pollan takes readers on a journey from the kitchen to the broader cultural and ecological contexts of food. Another option to absorb knowledge from the book is the Netflix original "Cooked".
In the early days of humanity, journeys and expeditions arose out of necessity: seeking water and food or escaping drought, cold, and predators. Approximately 300,000 years ago, a new species of hominids emerged, dominating the animal kingdom and spreading across the globe until today. Homo sapiens demonstrated a remarkable ability to adapt to diverse ecological and climatic environments, resulting in a more diversified diet.
Homo sapiens developed more advanced hunting techniques, including cooperative hunting of large animals and the use of sophisticated weapons such as spears and bows and arrows. While Homo erectus is credited with mastering fire, Homo sapiens developed more advanced techniques for controlling fire and cooking food.
Additionally, they significantly expanded the variety of foods in their diet, including a greater proportion of plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts. This expansion can be attributed to the development of agricultural techniques and the cultivation of domesticated plants, which provided a more reliable source of plant-based foods. Over time different cooking techniques without liquid have been developed, but the ancestral techniques consist of: Roast in the fire, Bury the food and cover it with coals, Roast over the fire, and Smoke.
Another skill was the development of pottery. The Homo sapiens were able to manufacture pots, jars, and dishes, which were used for cooking, storing, and transporting food and water. The development of ceramics around the world enabled human ancestors to cook food in liquid. The oldest evidence of liquid cooking was found in Xianrendong, China's Immortal Cave. The ceramic pieces date back 20,000 years and the study was published in the journal Science.
Scientific evidences strongly correlates the discovery of fire with the method of cooking food to human evolution. This pivotal advancement not only facilitated safer and more nutritious diets but also played a crucial role in the evolution of our species. The mastery of fire and cooking transformed not only our physical abilities but also our social structures, cognitive capacities, and cultural practices. It stands as a testament to human adaptability, marking a milestone in our journey from primitive hominids to the sophisticated Homo sapiens we are today. In other words, fire is associated with the act of cooking, which is related to human evolution.
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