From mammoth hunters drying meat over open fires to today’s industrial food systems, the story of what we eat is deeply tied to human innovation. In this Osher UC San Diego Distinguished Lecture, Stanley Chodorow, Emeritus Professor of History at UC San Diego, traces this history by showing how food preservation began out of necessity. Early humans had to find ways to make massive kills last—first by drying food over fire, and later by adding techniques such as salting, storing in ice cellars, and eventually refrigeration and flash freezing. Each step not only extended shelf life but also expanded what was possible in daily diets.

Cooking evolved alongside preservation. Open fires gave way to hearths, then to gas and electric stoves that transformed home kitchens. Agriculture and animal domestication created steady food supplies, while new tools like the wheeled plow and horse harness dramatically increased productivity. These changes supported population growth and reshaped entire societies, linking technology and food in ways that reached far beyond survival.

The industrial age brought even greater change, as refrigerated transport, food processing, and global trade made sugar, chocolate, and packaged goods available worldwide. Chodorow emphasizes that these innovations didn’t just add variety—they fundamentally altered human health and nutrition. From the shift away from hunter-gatherer diets to the rise of processed foods, he shows how technology has always determined what—and how—we eat. His talk reminds us that our plates are living records of history, shaped by every tool and breakthrough along the way.

Watch The History of Food: The Universalization of Regional Food Practices.