I have occasional moments where I try to sit and think about the fact that you could take almost anyone from a few hundred years ago and they’d be just floored by the quantity and kinds of food available, like just the crazy flavors and variety of snack foods themselves.
And then show them just hot and cold water on demand, the incredible ease with which waste of all kinds is handled (at least for most of us). The time it takes to get dressed and wash clothes, similar for preparing food and cleaning up.
I mean, all jokes aside, it’s useful to think about the fact that - not that long ago - the things available to a ton of us as fairly default stuff - would be extreme luxury, basically royalty only, if it was available at all. Of course as part of the “standard package” we’ve lost important things that used to be available, by default, to most folks, too. Pretty weird.
Just think about the fact that 100 years ago everyone in the world could not get get out of season fruits and vegetables unless you grew them yourself and probably needed a greenhouse.
No tomatoes, no strawberries, no blueberries.
It’s why preserves and fermenting were such a huge thing. Through our history humans have invented tons of methods to keep food edible during times of less abundance.
Now there’s a world wide logistics network just so someone can have a fresh tomato in their salad in January.
This will not be popular but coffee is absolutely a luxury lol.
I have occasional moments where I try to sit and think about the fact that you could take almost anyone from a few hundred years ago and they’d be just floored by the quantity and kinds of food available, like just the crazy flavors and variety of snack foods themselves.
And then show them just hot and cold water on demand, the incredible ease with which waste of all kinds is handled (at least for most of us). The time it takes to get dressed and wash clothes, similar for preparing food and cleaning up.
I mean, all jokes aside, it’s useful to think about the fact that - not that long ago - the things available to a ton of us as fairly default stuff - would be extreme luxury, basically royalty only, if it was available at all. Of course as part of the “standard package” we’ve lost important things that used to be available, by default, to most folks, too. Pretty weird.
Something that also blows my mind: pre industrial era, people had more free time than we do today.
Just think about the fact that 100 years ago everyone in the world could not get get out of season fruits and vegetables unless you grew them yourself and probably needed a greenhouse.
No tomatoes, no strawberries, no blueberries.
It’s why preserves and fermenting were such a huge thing. Through our history humans have invented tons of methods to keep food edible during times of less abundance.
Now there’s a world wide logistics network just so someone can have a fresh tomato in their salad in January.
and cocoa beans 🍫
I mean in the sense that it’s not a necessity (unless you’re addicted or basically addicted) but it’s not fancy foreign stuff.