Quick Bites is your fun-filled guide to surprising food history facts—from the invention of the spork to why salt paid Roman soldiers, how ancient chocolate was sacred, and why medieval banquets featured fake peacocks. Snack on history, one bite at a time!
The Spork
The Spork: In 1874, a U.S. patent was awarded to Samuel W. Francis for a utensil with a handle and a spoon-like end outfitted with a knife-edge and fork tines—an early innovation in multifunctional dining tools that lives on in lunchboxes and takeout today.
🍞 Bread and Power
Did you know where the phrase “bread and circuses” originated? In ancient Rome, emperors used free grain and bread to keep the people fed and politically in sync.
🧂 Salt Was Money
Roman soldiers were sometimes paid in salt, hence the origin of the word “salary.” Salt was so valuable that it helped build empires and fund wars.
🍫 Chocolate: From Sacred to Sweet
The Maya and Aztecs drank chocolate as a sacred, bitter beverage, nothing at all like the sugary treat we enjoy today. It was reserved for ceremonies and royalty.
🍷 Wine in Ancient Greece
Wine wasn’t just a drink—it was a symbol of civilization. The Greeks mixed it with water (never drank it straight!) and used it in political debates and religious rituals.
🍗 Medieval Feasts Had Fake Food
Banquets in the Middle Ages featured illusion foods—like fake peacocks stuffed with chicken. It wasn’t just about taste—it was all about spectacle and status.
Historical Nibbles
Quick Bites is your fun-filled guide to surprising food history facts—from the invention of the spork to why salt paid Roman soldiers, how ancient chocolate was sacred, and why medieval banquets featured fake peacocks. Snack on history, one bite at a time!
🍞 Bread and Power
Did you know where the phrase “bread and circuses” originated? In ancient Rome, emperors used free grain and bread to keep the people fed and politically in sync.
🧂 Salt Was Money
Roman soldiers were sometimes paid in salt, hence the origin of the word “salary.” Salt was so valuable that it helped build empires and fund wars.
🍫 Chocolate: From Sacred to Sweet
The Maya and Aztecs drank chocolate as a sacred, bitter beverage, nothing at all like the sugary treat we enjoy today. It was reserved for ceremonies and royalty.
🍷 Wine in Ancient Greece
Wine wasn’t just a drink—it was a symbol of civilization. The Greeks mixed it with water (never drank it straight!) and used it in political debates and religious rituals.
🍗 Medieval Feasts Had Fake Food
Banquets in the Middle Ages featured illusion foods—like fake peacocks stuffed with chicken. It wasn’t just about taste—it was all about spectacle and status.
