Tag Archives: Mayas

Hot Fudge Sundae: A Dessert 5,000 Years in the Making

Ice_cream_sundaeIt’s July and the temperatures have been rising…and rising…and rising.   How about forgetting the heat with a scrumptious hot fudge sundae?  But before you dig in, let’s take a moment to appreciate the human ingenuity over five millenia that brought you the cooling cream and rich chocolate sauce of this very ancient confection. Continue reading

KIDS’ BLOG! Ancient People Loved Chewing Gum!

kid chewingWhat is your favorite flavor of chewing gum?  Whether it is spearmint, wintergreen, cinnamon or fruit flavored, chewing gum is one of the world’s most popular habits with nearly 100,000 tons consumed per year.  Gum seems like a very modern invention with its fun flavors, colors and special additives for energy, fresh breath, teeth whitening and more.  In fact, the oldest known piece of chewing gum dates back at least 5,000 years and was found by an archaeology student in Finland.[1]  It was a simple lump of birch bark tar that experts believe was chewed by Neolithic people to heal mouth infections. Continue reading

Gum Chewing: A 5,000 Year Old Habit

Girl Chewing Gum

Whether it is spearmint, wintergreen, cinnamon or fruit flavored, chewing gum is one of the world’s most ubiquitous habits with nearly 100,000 tons consumed per year. Gum seems like a very modern invention with its myriad of flavors, colors and special additives for energy, fresh breath, teeth whitening and more.  In fact, the oldest known piece of chewing gum dates back at least 5,000 years and was found by an archaeology student in Finland.[1]  It was a simple lump of birch bark tar that experts believe was chewed by Neolithic people to heal mouth infections. Continue reading