Exploring the Evolution: A Timeline of Food History

History of Food Timeline

Welcome to the ultimate food timeline—a journey through the history of what we eat and how it got so delicious! This list is packed with significant food milestones, legendary inventions, and culinary game-changers that have shaped how we cook, snack, and feast today.

Now, I’d love to say I’m a world-class food historian, but let’s be real—I’m just a food history nerd who went down a rabbit hole of research. This timeline results from hours of internet sleuthing, piecing together the fascinating evolution of food from the dawn of time (or at least the first time someone figured out fire makes things taste better).

Our main source? Wikipedia’s Timeline of Food, a treasure trove of historical food facts. We also dug into lists of ancient dishes and did some detective work on specific foods to make sure we got the details right.

Of course, history is messy, and we’re always open to updates! If you spot a mistake, have a cool food fact to add, or just want to debate the most important snack invention of all time (spoiler: it’s probably pizza), drop a comment below. Your knowledge helps make this timeline even better!

Now, grab a snack and let’s take a trip through food history—trust me, it’s tastier than a history textbook.

Join our Vintage Recipe Facebook Group to discuss and find “new” old recipes to enjoy.

Links to find other recipes:

1600s Food Timeline

1610 Bagels
1653 Pumpkin Pie
1653 Lemonade
1664 Potato Bread
1686 Croissants
1691 Lemon Meringue Pie

1700s Food Timeline

1708 Casseroles
1740 Pound Cake
1740 Cupcakes
1747 Yorkshire Pudding
1747 Sweet Potato Pie
1754 Swedish Meatballs
1756 Mayonnaise
1756 Tartar Sauce
1760 Egg Nog
1762 Toad in a Hole
1765 Apple Butter
1782 Souffle
1784 Mulligatawny Soup
1786 Deviled Eggs
1796 Charlotte Russe
1798 Turnovers

1830s Food Timeline

1830 Carrot Cake
1830 Hopping John
1830 Bouillabaisse
1833 Iodized Salt
1834 Palestine Soup
1835 Worcestershire Sauce
1839 Cobbler

1840s Food Timeline

1842 Corn Starch
1843 Baking Powder, single acting
1846 Arm & Hammer Baking Soda introduced by John Dwight and Austin Church
1847 Peanut Brittle
1847 Vanilla Extract
1848 Pesto

1850s Food Timeline

1850 Anadama Bread
1850 Mock Apple Pie
1854 Cottolene, one of the first commercially produced shortening brands, is introduced
1855 Boston Cream Pie
1856 Navy Bean Soup
1856 Condensed Milk

1860s Food Timeline

1860 Baked Alaska
1860 Iced Tea
1861 Beef Stroganoff
1863 Fruit Cocktail
1864 Apple Brown Betty
1868 Tabasco Sauce
1868 Fleischmann’s Yeast
1868 Kobe Beef
1869 Fleischmann’s Yeast founded, becoming a staple in baking
1869 Chateaubriand

1870s Food Timeline

1870s American Pot Roast
1870s Parker House Rolls
1870s Margarine
1870s Unsalted Butter
1871 Marble Cake
1872 Jambalaya
1872 Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1872 Graham Crackers
1876 Heinz Ketchup
1877 Ambrosia
1877 Vinegar Pie
1877 Fondant
1879 Clabber Baking Powder

1880s Food Timeline

1880 Gold Medal Flour introduced by Washburn-Crosby Company (later General Mills)
1880s American Meatloaf
1880s Angel Food Cake
1880s Chocolate Pie
1883 Ladies’ Home Journal begins publishing recipes and homemaking tips
for women1883 Ladies’ Home Journal begins publishing recipes and homemaking tips
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1884 Porcupines
1886 Pecan Pie
1887 Cherries Jubilee
1887 Heavenly Hash
1888 Calumet Baking Powder Company was founded, popularizing double-acting baking powder
1889 Bundt Cake

1890s Food Timeline

1894 Swan Down Cake Flour introduced by Igleheart Brothers
1894 Eggs Benedict
1894 Minute Tapioca
1895 Peanut Butter
1895 Tea Bags
1896 Good Housekeeping launches, featuring household tips and recipes
1896 Fruit Cake
1896 Oatmeal Cookies
1896 Waldorf Salad
1897 Campbell’s Tomato Soup
1897 Jell-O
1899 Oysters Rockefeller

1900s Food Timeline

1902 Karo Syrup introduced by the Corn Products Refining Company, widely used in baking and candy-making
1903 Cranberry Bread
1903 US Senate Bean Soup
1903 Club Sandwich
1906 Brownies
1906 Banana Cream Pie
1907 Divinity Fudge
1908 Steak Diane
1908 Buttercream Frosting
1909 Shrimp Cocktail

1910s Food Timeline

1910 Rumford Baking Powder becomes a trusted household name
1911 Better Homes and Gardens starts featuring recipes and home advice
1911 Crisco shortening is introduced by Procter & Gamble as the first shortening made entirely of vegetable oil.
1911 Applesauce Cake
1911 Crisco
1912 Thousand Island Dressing
1912 Tomato Pie
1913: First electric refrigerator introduced (Domelre by Fred W. Wolf)
1913 Italian Cream Cake
1913 Clafoutis
1913 Coq au Vin
1913 Clover Leaf Rolls
1914 Fettucini Alfredo
1914 Chicken Fried Steak
1915 Hush Puppies
1915 Peanut Butter Cookies
1917 Marshmallow Fluff
1917 Icebox Cake

1920s Food Timeline

1921 Domino Sugar becomes a leading brand for baking needs
1922 Southern Living begins publishing recipes focused on Southern cuisine
1924 White Lily Flour established, specializing in soft wheat flour for Southern baking
1924 Pineapple Upside-down Cake
1924 Caesar Salad
1926 American Cookery (formerly Boston Cooking-School Magazine) evolves as a dedicated culinary magazine
1927 JELL-O expands its popularity with pre-flavored gelatin powders
1927 First countertop electric blender (The Arnold Electric Company)
1927 S’mores
1927 Mayonnaise Cake

1930s Food Timeline

1930 Woman’s Day launches with budget-friendly recipes and meal ideas
1930 First electric dishwasher (Westinghouse)
1930s Banana Bread
1930s Tomato Soup Cake
1931 Clabber Girl Baking Powder branded by Hulman & Company
1931 First electric toaster with automatic pop-up feature (Toastmaster)
1932 Family Circle founded, offering recipes and household advice, later becoming a leading women’s magazine
1933 Miracle Whip by Kraft Foods
1934 Nabisco’s Ritz Crackers
1934 Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup [Campbell’s Soup Recipes]
1936 Dagwood Sandwich
1937 First stand mixer (KitchenAid Model K)
1937 Cobb Salad
1937 Green Goddess Dressing
1937 SPAM

1940s Food Timeline

1940 Tupperware invented by Earl Tupper
1940 Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies
1941 Rice Krispie Treats
1941 Monte Cristo Sandwich
1943 Nachos
1944 Tortilla Soup
1946 First microwave oven (Radarange by Raytheon)
1947 Betty Crocker’s Cake Mix
1947 Chiffon Cake
1948 Chicken Vesuvio
1949 Duncan Hines brand was established, offering restaurant recommendations before later moving into baking goods
1949 Wacky Cake

1950s Food Timeline

1950 Mazola Corn Oil was introduced, revolutionizing liquid fats in baking
1950 First automatic coffee maker (Chemex)
1950 Pyrex introduces oven-safe glassware
1951 Duncan Hines Cake Mixes
1951 Gourmet magazine becomes a leading publication for upscale and global cuisine
1951 Bananas Foster
1952 Crockpot introduced (originally by Naxon Utilities)
1951 Duncan Hines Cake Mixes
1954 Ranch Dressing
1955 Green Bean Casserole
1955 Frozen Pie Crust
1956 German Chocolate Cake
1956 Chocolate Beet Cake
1958 Lemon Bars

1960s Food Timeline

1960 Red Velvet Cake
1962 Cream Cheese Brownies
1963 Imperial Margarine becomes a staple fat alternative for baking
1963 Black Forest Cake
1963 First cordless electric mixer (Sunbeam)
1963 Texas Sheet Cake
1965 Family Circle expands with practical, family-focused recipes
1965 Teflon-coated nonstick cookware becomes commercially available
1965 Hello Dolly Bars
1969 Hummingbird Cake

1970s Food Timeline

1970 Crockpot branded and mass-marketed by Rival Manufacturing
1971 Food processor introduced in North America (Cuisinart by Carl Sontheimer)
1971 Fajitas
1972 Taste of Home launches with reader-submitted recipes and stories
1973 Zucchini Bread

1980s Food Timeline

1981 Watergate Cake
1981 Watergate Salad
1983 George Foreman Grill introduced (Salton Inc)
1983 Harvard Beet Cake
1983 Penne alla Vodka

1990s Food Timeline

1991 Earthquake Cake
1991 Chocolate Molten Lava Cake