Before Cereal, There Was Popcorn and Milk: The Forgotten Foods That Deserve a Second Chance

The Lost Recipes of History

Your ancestors ate plenty of things we wouldn't touch today, and most of those foods disappeared for good reason. But some of them, however disgusting they might sound, deserve a second look. Take 'popcorn pudding,' a surprisingly popular snack in 19th-century America.

1. Popcorn and Milk: The Original Breakfast Cereal

Despite its name, this 'pudding' was often just popcorn dumped into a bowl of milk. It sounds like a recipe for soggy disappointment. But here's the twist: it wasn't salted and buttered. It was sweetened. This combination was, in essence, a direct predecessor to modern breakfast cereal.

In fact, the Kellogg family, famous for inventing cornflakes, first tried and loved popcorn with milk. Their later invention was likely based on this very concept. So why did flakes win out? Marketing. Kellogg's found it hard to convince people to buy pre-made popcorn when they could easily pop it at home. But 'flakes' were a novel product they could successfully sell.

2. Hot Dr. Pepper: A Peculiar Winter Warmer

In the 1960s, Dr. Pepper ran ads with a strange suggestion designed to boost winter sales. "Just heat Dr. Pepper... till it steams," the ad urged. "Then pour over a thin slice of lemon and serve piping hot."

The company boasted that its unique flavor profile—"not a cola, not a root beer, but a blend of deep fruit flavors"—made it perfect for heating. The idea caught on, particularly in the American South, where central heating was less common and a hot beverage was always welcome. Modern reviews are mixed, with some suggesting a splash of whiskey makes it far more palatable. It's a weird piece of history you can still try today.

3. Yaupon: America's Native Caffeinated Tea

Long before coffee or tea reached the Americas, Indigenous tribes brewed a native caffeinated beverage from the leaves of the yaupon holly bush. Known as 'black drink,' it was poised to be a major competitor to imported teas.

There was just one problem: its scientific name, Ilex vomitoria, which translates to 'vomit-inducing holly.' The name arose because Europeans observed some Indigenous people vomiting during rituals involving the drink. However, historians suggest this was often a deliberate, ritualistic act on an empty stomach. It's also possible that the name was part of a smear campaign by British tea interests who didn't want the competition. After centuries of being forgotten, yaupon is now being revived by a new generation of brewers.

4. The Hallucinogenic Fish: One Best Left to History

Finally, there are some foods that should probably stay forgotten. In the Roman Empire and Polynesia, people ceremonially ate a fish called the salema porgy, once known as 'the fish that makes dreams.' The goal was to induce hallucinations.

However, this 'dream state' is actually a form of poisoning. The auditory and visual hallucinations are accompanied by a sore throat, feelings of impending doom, pain, and diarrhea. And the trip lasts for 36 hours. Unlike the other foods on this list, this is one culinary adventure we'd advise you to skip.