Buzz
Consuming expired food is a bit of a gamble. It might turn out just fine, or it could cause severe digestive issues and an unpleasant mess. With this in mind, we recommend not snacking while reading this—not because it's revolting, but because it reveals how food can last much longer than most people expect. For instance, think about...
10. Kiviaq, The Dish Left Outside for 18 Months
In Greenland, during the harsh winter months when food was hard to come by, the locals devised a clever way to survive: kiviaq, a dish that remains edible for up to an entire year, even if left outdoors.
It’s important to note that the term “edible” is used loosely here. Kiviaq is so overpowering in smell that it’s recommended to only consume it outdoors, but it does provide nourishment, which is why it’s still consumed. The dish involves stuffing as many auks (a type of sea bird) as possible into a seal carcass, typically between 300 and 400 birds, and then sealing the skin and storing it under rocks.
The small auks dissolve and transform into a smooth, gooey substance. It might not win any taste awards or be a hit at social gatherings, but you can’t help but be amazed that food can be left buried in a pit and still be edible after an entire year. Try leaving a sandwich outside and a squirrel will snatch it up. But speaking of sandwiches...
9. Battle Butties, The Sandwich That Stays Fresh Two Years After Purchase
The military has a history of providing soldiers with long-lasting, freeze-dried meals, but the soldiers always craved one thing: a simple, fresh sandwich to enjoy.
Scientists encountered two main challenges when attempting to create a sandwich that would never spoil: bread tends to go stale, and the filling can make the bread soggy. Both of these obstacles may have been overcome with the development of “Battle Butties,” a revolutionary sandwich that can last an impressive two years without going stale.
The creators’ ultimate ambition is to develop an immortal peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but in the meantime, soldiers have generally been pleased with the available options. As one soldier put it, “They’re the best two-year-old sandwiches I’ve ever eaten.”
Well, we suppose that’s about the best review they could get.
8. Hardtack, The Cracker That Endures for Years
When the military isn't concerned with things like “freshness” or “flavor,” it creates low-tech foods that outlast any sandwich. For centuries, soldiers and sailors have relied on a type of cracker called “hardtack.” This simple cracker is made from just water, flour, and salt, designed to be as dry as possible in order to maximize its shelf life. Although often linked to the Civil War, variations of hardtack have been made for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
While we don't know the exact lifespan of hardtack, soldiers during the Civil War were often given hardtack that was a year old. The soldiers were so distrustful of the crackers that they joked the “BC” stamp on them wasn’t the baker’s initials, but the date of manufacture.
Thanks to its remarkable dryness, a well-stored hardtack could last for years. When it finally became inedible, you could soften it by soaking it in water, coffee, or even whisky. While it could technically be eaten dry, it was strongly discouraged. One of its alternate names was “tooth dullers.”
Although there’s no solid proof, persistent rumors suggest that hardtack made during the Civil War was reused and distributed again during the Spanish-American War 35 years later.
7. Rations That Endure for 40 Years
Forget those rumors about hardtack. We know for a fact that some military rations have survived for as long as 35 years—and sometimes even longer.
There are stories of rations from World War II being consumed as much as 75 years after they were made, but we'd like to highlight one particular tale. Mainly because the food involved is cake—a food that typically spoils in just a few days.
US Army Colonel Henry Moak made a vow that when he retired, he would eat a piece of pound cake he received during the Vietnam War. True to his word, at his retirement ceremony in 2009, Moak opened and ate a 40-year-old slice of cake. Naturally, he cut it with a sabre to add to the drama.
When asked about the taste, Moak simply gave a thumbs up, which either meant the cake was surprisingly good or he was in desperate need of medical attention.
6. The Chicken Consumed After 50 Years
When Les Lailey married Beryl in 1956, he made a vow that surpassed even Colonel Moak’s promise. The couple received a can of chicken as part of their wedding gift, and Les boldly declared, “On our 50th wedding anniversary, I will eat that can of chicken.”
The can of chicken stood as a silent witness to their marriage for the next 50 years. Then, on their 50th anniversary in 2006, Les opened it and ate the contents. Remarkably, he suffered no adverse effects, though one might say he was left with a metaphorical hole in his life after consuming poultry older than many people he’d ever known.
5. The 64-Year-Old Can Of Lard
Some of you might not even recognize lard, as it’s one of those ingredients that’s fallen out of fashion. Lard is rendered animal fat that was once a popular cooking fat. It could even be eaten raw or spread on bread if there’s truly nothing else to pair it with.
We don’t recommend going that route, but it’s the path chosen by German food expert Hans Feldmeier. In 1948, Hans received a can of lard as part of a care package to Germany from the United States, and he decided to reserve it for a future emergency.
Sixty-four years passed without any emergencies, but Hans found himself caught up in a debate about canned food and expiration dates. He pointed to his can of lard (which had no expiration date) as evidence that canned food can remain edible indefinitely.
Hans’s argument didn’t convince anyone, so he decided to prove his point by opening the can and eating the lard. This not only confirmed his claim but also earned him what’s likely the worst case of stink breath in Germany’s history.
4. The 125-Year-Old Cake, Eaten By Jay Leno
The fruitcake’s extraordinary journey through time is truly remarkable, as it lived on for more than a century before making its way to television for a taste test.
Jay Leno’s brave act of tasting the cake shows the surprising resilience of this dessert, which, despite its age, didn’t seem to cause him any harm, proving that some foods truly stand the test of time.
3. Animals Eaten After 50,000 Years
If you're wondering which mythical creatures could possibly have flesh that’s still edible after such an absurd length of time, we hate to disappoint by not mentioning 'Unicorns.' But let us ease that disappointment by answering with: 'Extinct creatures.'
Mammoth carcasses have been discovered with plenty of preserved meat, thanks to the bodies being encased in permafrost. Some of this ancient flesh is actually consumable. Numerous intriguing, albeit unverified, tales circulate about explorers—often Russian—who have allegedly sampled mammoth meat.
The idea of chomping down on meat from a creature that vanished tens of thousands of years ago is both surreal and fascinating, showing the surprising ways nature can preserve the past.
There have been verified instances of people consuming food that’s tens of thousands of years old. For example, paleontologists once prepared and ate a dish using the marrow from a 50,000-year-old horse bone. There are also accounts of researchers eating meat from a 36,000-year-old bison carcass, all in the name of scientific curiosity.
What we’re trying to get at is this: One, old food likely won’t harm you if you're careful. Two, intense study might just reward you with the opportunity to taste a piece of history, like a dinosaur steak.
2. Honey: Still Good After Thousands of Years
In fact, honey can be found perfectly preserved in ancient tombs and jars, as its natural properties make it resistant to decay for centuries, or even millennia.
According to the Smithsonian Institute, honey can last for “millennia.” This is thanks to its naturally acidic composition and its “hygroscopic” property, a fancy term meaning it contains very little moisture.
Honey’s resilience is so remarkable that scientists have discovered completely edible pots of it inside ancient Egyptian tombs, resting alongside 5,000-year-old mummies.
1. Wine Consumed After Centuries
Wine truly stands the test of time, often fetching astronomical prices when discovered in forgotten cellars or shipwrecks. But how often do those fortunate enough to find these bottles actually drink from them? It’s rare, but it does happen.
In 2010, Finnish divers uncovered 200-year-old bottles of beer and champagne in a wrecked boat off the coast of the Baltic Sea. After testing, researchers declared the bottles safe and drank from them. Apparently, the ocean floor is an excellent place to preserve alcohol. As Richard Juhlin, a champagne expert, put it, “Bottles stored at the bottom of the sea are better preserved than in the finest wine cellars.”
The crew was especially excited about the beer. Not only did they get to crack open a bottle older than a house, but they also had the chance to analyze the contents to recreate the recipe. The beer even fizzed when opened, indicating the yeast inside was still alive.
Around the world, people have unearthed and sipped even older bottles of wine. The most ancient ones might have been the 300-year-old bottles tasted by wine experts working with the Museum of London in 1999. After testing, they immediately drank the wine for scientific purposes, calling it “fresh, clean, lively.” It was pretty much the same description you’d find on a $10 bottle from 7/11. Good job, guys.
