This is an IHeart podcast.

Guaranteed Human.

Welcome to Aaron Menke's Cabinet of Curiosity's, A Production of IHeart Radio and Grim and Mild.

Our world is full of the unexplainable.

And if history is an open book, all of these amazing tales are right there on display,

just waiting for us to explore.

Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosity's.

In 2022, archaeologists uncovered something fascinating.

Carbonized flat grain cakes at an Israeli site, their delicate layers preserved in ash.

Dating confirmed that they were baked over 70,000 years ago, over hot rocks, making them the world's oldest known proto-pancakes.

Long before wheat was cultivated on a massive scale, early humans were experimenting with

porridge and batter-like mixtures, turning simple grains into a quick, portable meal.

That humble beginning, set the stage for a food that would travel across continents,

survive wars, and become a breakfast ritual for billions.

Fast forward a few thousand years to the sunny streets of ancient Greece,

where vendors flipped Taganiti's, thin wheat flour cakes cooked on bronze griddles. These were not merely

sustenance, though. They were part of festivals and communal gatherings. And the Romans continued

the tradition with Alita Dolce, which were sweetened with honey, cheese, and sometimes even fruit.

And in both cultures, the pancake-like food occupied a dual role, an everyday snack for laborers,

and a ceremonial offering for the gods.

The basic formula of it all, a liquid, some flour, and some heat, proved remarkably

adaptable, a culinary canvas that could be dressed up or stripped down depending on the occasion.

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