Ever wonder who thought up some of life’s basics? Bread, for example. Who decided to try taking the grain from wheat (or some such plant), grind it to a powder, mix it with yeast, add water to make dough, and then heat it until it was edible? How many poor slobs ended up with major belly aches trying out bad bread recipes? I can’t help but think a bad recipe for bread led to beer. Similar ingredients, and all. “Mein Gott, Hermann, you added way too much water. Maybe if you let it sit for a few weeks it’ll dry out.”

And imagine the fun of being the original wine taster. “Well it was easy, Julius. I just filled a vat with grapes and stomped on them with my filthy feet until the juice ran out. I collected the juice in a barrel and let it rot. Go ahead and give it a try.” 

I’d imagine the first cups of coffee led to a few sleepless nights. And how many leafy plants failed the -cough- test before someone -hack- tried tobacco? (If you’ve never heard Bob Newhart’s tobacco skit, you’ve been missing one of the greatest one-man comedy schticks of all time.)

Ever wonder if there’s still some future staple out there waiting to be discovered? Any taste-test volunteers? 🙂