THE INVENTION OF COOKING

A gastronomical journey

An episode from the series THE HISTORY OF FOOD

Synopsis

The first episode focuses on the pivotal role of fire in human evolution, discovered by early humans in South Africa, and how cooking provided the necessary nutrition for brain development, transforming our diet by allowing the consumption of animal protein and foods previously indigestible.

We contrast the dietary practices of ancient hunter-gatherer societies like the Aboriginal Australians and the Hadza people of Tanzania with modern dietary trends, including raw-food diets, to explore their health effects and evolutionary significance.