THE OLDEST FOODS IN THE WORLD DISCOVERED BY ARCHAEOLOGISTS
BY DEBRA KELLY/JUNE 7, 2022 5:23 PM EDT
In today's 21st century world, it's no secret that the foodie culture is alive and well. One look at any social media site will make it clear just how creative people are getting these days, and here's the thing: That's actually nothing new, and it may be more important to the survival of humans as a species than it seems.
Archaeologists have long been wondering just why Homo sapiens were able to fight and claw their way to the top of the food chain because let's face it — humans are soft and squishy, while other creatures we share the planet with are not. Archaeologists from the University of Oxford have an interesting theory that, in a nutshell, suggests early humans' adventurous eating habits helped encourage them to spread out into new territories (via NPR). It's unclear whether our ancient ancestors were looking for a little variety to their diet or were just able to eat whatever they found in the new places they moved to, but either way, research suggests that our taste for new eats has gone a long way to shaping the history of the species.
So, what were our ancient ancestors eating, and do traces of ancient meals still exist today? Absolutely! Can you sample some of them? Technically, yes ... if you're both very lucky and very brave.
BOG BUTTER
Over tens of thousands of years, some of Ireland's lakes were turned into bogs, says The Living Bog. These highly acidic, nutrient-rich patches of the landscape haven't just supplied the country with fuel for a long time and been home to a diverse ecosystem, either — they're also great for preserving things.
Bog bodies are definitely a thing, sometimes discovered in such an incredible state of preservation that it kicks off a modern-day murder investigation. Also preserved in bogs? Butter, and a lot of it. According to a 1997 report in The Journal of Irish Archaeology (via JSTOR), most bog butter deposits have been found in the western counties, with Co. Mayo leading the way. Age estimates also vary: According to CNN, one 100-pound stash of bog butter discovered in Co. Offaly in 2013 was estimated to be around 5,000 years old. A few years prior to that, a 3,000-year-old, 77-pound lump of butter was found in Co. Kildare (via NBC News).
Read More: https://www.grunge.com/887930/the-oldest-foods-in-the-world-discovered-by-archaeologists/?utm_campaign=clip
= new reply since forum marked as read
My favorite butter for anything is Kerry Gold from Ireland. The taste is so much better than any butter I've found in the States.
Those people know how to make butter and apparently have for thousands of years. I don't actually think Kerry Gold is old bog butter, but who knows? 
