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Noodles -

Noodles of all shapes and sizes have been a staple of the human diet around the world for thousands of years. The oldest noodles found in the world were discovered in China, and date back to around 4,000 years ago.

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Pancakes -

Pancakes are a truly timeless comfort meal, dating back at least 5,300 years ago. When the famous Ötzi the Iceman was discovered in the Italian Alps, mummified and preserved by the cool conditions, scientists found cooked wheat in his stomach that most agree to be the ancient ancestor of the pancake.

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Pot pie -

Pot pies might evoke images of the cold and cozy hearthstones of North America, but, as a matter of fact, these delicious saucy meat pies originated in Mesopotamia around 3,700 years ago.

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Tamales -

Tamales are an ancient meal of the Americas that date back even further than the time of the Mayans. These delicious corn masa treats have been enjoyed since around 5000 BCE.

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Cheesecake -

Cheesecake remains one of the most popular desserts around the world, even 2,000 years after its original inception in ancient Greece. Cheesecake was the energizing meal of choice for the original Olympic athletes.

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Bread -

Bread, of course, is perhaps the single most enduring food staple of humankind. Bread has been around for even longer than the earliest agricultural societies. Raised bread has been enjoyed by humans for at least 14,000 years.

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Curry -

Curry, as we know it today, is usually defined by three main ingredients: ginger, garlic, and turmeric. The first known instance of this particular mix of spices in a sauce dates back to around 4,500 years ago.

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Honey -

Honey is famous for being practically imperishable, and has been found in numerous ancient Egyptian tombs. The oldest honey found in the world, however, is over 5,000 years old, and was found being used as a preservative for fruits in an ancient tomb in the country of Georgia.

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Popcorn -

Corn, or maize, was the primary crop for most of ancient Mesoamerica, and there wasn't much they didn't use corn for. Popcorn, everyone's favorite movie theater snack, was no exception. Popped corn kernels have been found in Mexico that are around 4,000 years old.

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Butter -

Huge quantities of butter have been found across Ireland and Scotland, where it was stored in the low-temperature, high-acidity murky waters of the countries' many bogs, earning these discoveries the name "bog butter." The oldest chunk of bog butter discovered thus far is over 5,000 years old.

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Olive oil -

The oldest olive oil found to date was uncovered in the ancient city of Galilee, and is around 8,000 years old.

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Cheese -

It is assumed by most experts that cheese became widely consumed before milk was, since most early humans were lactose intolerant. Cheese was such a hot commodity that, 3,200 years ago, an ancient Egyptian chose to be buried with a cheese made of goat, sheep, and buffalo milk. Today, that cheese is the oldest known specimen in the world.

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Pilaf -

Pilaf in all its delectable forms is enjoyed around the world, but it has its origins in ancient Persia. This vibrant and flavorful rice dish has been around since 1000 BCE, and was even enjoyed by Alexander the Great of Macedonia on his conquests.

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Rice pudding -

Sweet and comforting rice pudding comes from the Indian subcontinent, where it's known as kheer. Kheer has a rich history that stretches back to the 4th century BCE.

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Burgers -

Arguably the most popular food item in the world, hamburgers trace their roots back to ancient Rome, in the 4th century CE. Back then, the dish was known as isicia omentata, and skipped the bread buns.

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Cake -

The earliest cakes were essentially just sweetened versions of bread, but they have been enjoyed as tasty treats for over at least 5,000 years. The first signs of cake appeared in ancient Egypt.

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Stew -

Hearty stews are one of the oldest dishes in human history. For just about as long as humans have hunted game, they have boiled meats in water with the addition of all sorts of vegetables and herbs gathered from their surroundings. The oldest definitive evidence of stew dates back nearly 8,000 years.

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Bone soup -

Bone soup was a staple of ancient Chinese cuisine not only for its taste, but also for its nutritional and medicinal properties. Bone soup is still enjoyed today, and has been for at least 2,400 years.

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Buttermilk -

Buttermilk was originally, of course, a byproduct of butter, and has been collected and used in baking for as long as butter has been produced, making it at least 5,000 years old.

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Focaccia -

Vibrant, herby, and delicious focaccia is pretty hard not to enjoy. Focaccia has long been associated with Italy, but few people know just how old this unleavened bread is. It was first made by the pre-Roman Etruscans of Northern Italy, sometime around 1000 BCE.

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Chutney -

Chutney originated in eastern India nearly 2,000 years ago, as a fresh mixture of tomatoes, onions, and nuts that would be served with a variety of dishes. It was subsequently adopted by the Romans and then Britain, where it remains popular in its preserved form to this day.

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Sauerkraut -

Although most famously associated with German cuisine, sauerkraut is actually one of numerous food inventions that should instead be attributed to ancient China. A version of this pickled cabbage condiment was already being made in the 11th century BCE, and was most likely brought to Europe via ancient trade routes.

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Tofu -

The first recorded production of tofu, which is made out of soybean curd, comes from ancient China, nearly 2,000 years ago. According to legend, tofu was invented by Prince Liu An, who lived in the 2nd century BCE.

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Wontons -

Wonton dumplings have been enjoyed in China since at least the days of the Han dynasty, which began in 202 BCE. Back then, they were only differentiated from normal bread by the fact that they were stuffed with fillings consisting of vegetables and meat.

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Kombucha -

Kombucha has become one of the most popular health food crazes of the 21st century, but its history stretches far back into the ancient past. The most reliable sources place the invention of kombucha at around 220 BCE in Northeast China.

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Yogurt -

Yogurt, like many other dairy products, originated in ancient Mesopotamia around 5000 BCE, when dairying became a common practice in the earliest civilizations.

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Hummus -

Hummus is a widely enjoyed across the Middle East and North Africa, and has been for many centuries. The first written reference to hummus appeared in a 13th-century Egyptian cookbook.

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Tempeh -

Indonesian tempeh, a delicious soy product that has gained popularity in cuisines around the world, has a very contested past. Some claim tempeh has only been enjoyed since the 1300s, while others suspect it has been utilized by native Javanese for closer to a thousand years.

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Feta cheese -

One of the most famous food products of Greece has been enjoyed at least since the times of Homer and the Odyssey, marking the start of feta production around the 8th century BCE.

Sources: (Discover Walks) (Realm of History) (Ranker)

See also: Food favorites that may soon be extinct

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