10 Breakthroughs That Transformed Food History

Even the most basic dishes we enjoy today owe their existence to groundbreaking innovations in food history. Who was behind the creation of sliced bread? How did the microwave oven come into being? And who was the visionary behind the spork? From cotton candy machines to zucchini spiralizers, explore some of the inventions that have redefined how we experience food, as explored in an episode of Food History on YouTube.

1. The Wok

The wok is one of the most adaptable and influential cooking tools ever conceived, with the Chinese using it for over 3000 years. This metal pan is known for its rounded bottom and expansive surface area, enabling a wide variety of cooking techniques such as braising, boiling, steaming, and stir-frying. A key feature of this tool is something known as wok hei. This Cantonese phrase, which was translated to 'breath of the wok' by food writer Grace Young, describes the unique, smoky flavor it imparts to dishes. When heated to high temperatures, the wok quickly eliminates excess moisture from ingredients, enhancing caramelization and intensifying flavors.

2. The Oven

Fire is often hailed as one of the most significant discoveries in human history, and rightly so—it played a crucial role in human evolution. However, as people started to cook, there were still many things they couldn’t easily accomplish with an open flame, such as cooking food evenly at controlled temperatures. For that, ovens were necessary.

The earliest ovens can be traced back 30,000 years to Central Europe. These ovens were essentially large pits dug into the earth and lined with heat-conducting stones. Hot coals or ash generated a steady heat, while a layer of dirt on top kept the warmth contained. These earth ovens cooked food slowly at low temperatures, breaking it down and making the nutrients more accessible. From the Māori hāngi to New England clambakes, underground ovens are still used today for celebratory feasts around the world—though what’s cooked in them has evolved over time. Fossils discovered near ancient earth ovens suggest that mammoth was once the star of the first barbecues.

3. The Microwave

Humans have developed a variety of methods to heat food throughout history. After the advent of wood-fired brick ovens in ancient times, gas ovens and electric stoves became common in the 19th century. However, the microwave oven represents one of the most revolutionary advances in cooking technology. In 1945, Percy LeBaron Spencer, an engineer at Raytheon Company, was in a lab testing microwave-producing magnetrons when he discovered that a candy bar in his pocket had melted. What began as an accidental discovery turned into a groundbreaking invention. Spencer later had the idea of using microwave radiation as a fast and efficient heat source for cooking, a concept that would lead to his filing a patent for the microwave oven that same year.

4. The First Refrigeration Methods

In ancient times, keeping food cool was just as important as cooking it. The Chinese began using rudimentary refrigeration techniques over 3,000 years ago by collecting ice and storing it for preservation. Over time, other civilizations, including the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Hebrews, and Indians, developed their own methods of chilling food and drinks, either by gathering snow and ice or even producing it themselves.

One of the most remarkable early refrigeration systems was the yakhchāls of Persia. Built around 400 BCE, these distinctive pointed domes were designed to preserve ice in the desert heat. An aqueduct would supply water to a chamber dug deep into the cool sand beneath the structure. Some yakhchāls even incorporated wind-catching features known as bâdgirs, which diverted air underground to lower the temperature. This technique is still a part of traditional desert architecture in Iran today.

Beyond food preservation, ancient Persians also used refrigeration to create delectable desserts. Traditional frozen delicacies such as sharbat and faloodeh owe their origins to the yakhchāls of Persia.

5. The Invention of the Can Opener

Food preservation has played a pivotal role in many of history's greatest culinary advancements. The invention of modern canning in the early 1800s made it easier to consume nutritious meals during long journeys or harsh winters. Yet, the can opener, which arrived nearly five decades later, was equally vital. Before its creation, opening metal cans was a laborious task, often requiring chisels to access the food inside.

While Robert Yates from the UK is often credited as the first to create a can opener, American inventor Ezra J. Warner is widely considered to be the most influential figure in the history of the tool. In 1858, Warner patented a design for an early can opener that featured a sharp blade for piercing the lid and a protective guard for the can’s exterior. By rotating the blade in a circle, users could easily remove the lid without needing a hammer and chisel. Although Warner’s design didn’t become widely popular, it was utilized by soldiers during the Civil War, and some grocers also used it to pre-open cans for customers.

Can openers evolved over the years until the 1920s, when Charles Arthur Bunker introduced a revolutionary tool that incorporated a cutting wheel and a turnable knob. This invention made opening cans much simpler, transforming canned goods from essential survival supplies to everyday convenience items.

6. The Cheese Grater

The cheese grater is a kitchen essential with a surprisingly ancient history. According to the Oxford Companion to Cheese, the Mesopotamians of the 3rd millennium BCE may have used perforated bowls for grating sun-dried cheese. By the 9th century BCE, Greek and Roman civilizations had developed clear evidence of cheese graters. In fact, Homer’s Iliad refers to what might be considered one of history’s most peculiar drinks: wine, grated goat cheese, and barley meal.

7. The Bread Slicing Machine

Sliced bread is often hailed as one of the most significant inventions in human history, but when did pre-sliced loaves actually become commonplace? In 1928, Iowa inventor Otto Rohwedder patented a machine that could slice an entire loaf of bread at once. However, not everyone recognized the brilliance of this innovation at first. Many bakers feared that slicing bread would make it stale more quickly or cause it to fall apart. To address this concern, Rohwedder suggested using pins to hold the slices together, though this introduced an inconvenient step to a product designed for convenience.

Rohwedder eventually found a customer for his bread-slicing machine in the Chillicothe Baking Company of Chillicothe, Missouri. The company was ready to launch Kleen Maid Sliced Bread on July 7, 1928. The day before, the Constitution-Tribune published a rave review of the product and also ran an ad calling it 'the greatest forward step in the baking industry since bread was wrapped.' This phrase is widely believed to be the origin of the popular expression 'the greatest thing since sliced bread.' So, when we say 'since sliced bread,' we’re referencing a period of approximately 94 years if you’re reading this in 2022.

8. The Egg Carton

Twenty-nine years before sliced bread became the norm, Scientific American published a short article in 1899 about the egg carton. While it’s hard to pinpoint the exact inventor—since the design wasn’t patented until 1928—this 1899 mention identifies Robert J. Barkley from Kansas as the creator of a carton 'designed to contain a dozen eggs, and to obviate the necessity of counting and of the danger of breaking the eggs by frequent handling.'

Unfortunately, little is known about Barkley beyond his death in 1905. His local newspaper noted that although 'the public has been somewhat slow in adopting [egg cartons] for general use… they are destined to some day be used everywhere.'

9. The Spork

The origins of forks and spoons can be traced all the way back to Ancient Egypt, but the spork—a combination of spoon, fork, and knife—came much later. In 1874, American doctor Samuel W. Francis patented this hybrid utensil, which was just one of many inventions he designed throughout his career. Among his other creations were a matchbox that ignited from the inside and a cane with a hidden compartment for bus fare. It wasn’t until the 1950s, however, that the spork became popular, after Hyde W. Ballard trademarked the name 'spork' and the rise of plastic manufacturing made it easier to mass-produce. Francis passed away in 1886 without realizing that his spork would become his most enduring legacy.

(Interesting aside: While Francis’s early spork design set the stage for the modern version, our fact-checker shared an image of an Ancient Roman utensil, which, as he pointed out, 'is not a spork, but it’s not NOT a spork!' It’s hard to argue with that logic.)

10. Cling Wrap

Cling wrap, a staple in many kitchens, was invented by accident. In 1933, a lab technician named Ralph Wiley at Dow Chemical was cleaning equipment used in the development of dry cleaning products when he noticed a thin plastic film forming inside a vial. This film naturally stuck to surfaces while also blocking water and oxygen molecules. Though the material was technically called polyvinylidene chloride, Wiley's boss, John Reilly, decided to name it Saran, presumably after his wife, Sarah, and his daughter, Ann.

The new product quickly proved versatile. Initially, Dow Chemical used it as a spray to protect military fighter planes from the elements. It was later used in the creation of car upholstery and military combat boots. However, it wasn’t until 1949 that Dow Chemical eliminated Saran’s unpleasant odor and green hue, focusing on its food protection qualities. Today, Saran Wrap is actually made from polyethylene, which may not be as clingy as the original material but offers environmental benefits and is considered safer for food use. While it may not be as groundbreaking as the first oven or refrigerator, Saran Wrap has undoubtedly preserved countless leftovers over the years.