20 Popular Foods We All Love That Used To Be Completely Different

Some foods are so familiar to us, it’s like they were always that way. However, most of the time our favorite meals and snacks have hidden stories. From fast food to fresh fruit, many of our most beloved foods have undergone mouth-watering makeovers, which changed them into the form we know and love today. Hungry to know more? Then keep reading.

1. Pizza

Cheese-encrusted pizza bases loaded with toppings practically scream “Friday night!” for households worldwide. Yet the original dish known as pizza is pretty far from what we now associate with the name. Initially an ancient snack, it went up a gear a couple of hundred years ago in Naples, according to website Ranker. Goodies were piled on flatbreads, and a tasty legend came to pass.

Savory and sweet

Immigrants from Naples landed in America, after which point the pizza (Italian for “pie”) exploded on a worldwide scale. Plus, it wasn’t always cheesy. The dairy delight was added to the mix either in 1889 or approximately 6th century B.C., depending on who you ask. You also had sweet pizzas. One thing seems to have been a constant — it was definitely a foodstuff for the masses.

2. Macaroni and cheese

Mac and cheese… what could be simpler, and indeed more satisfying? Yet this dinner table staple was even more straightforward back in the day. “De Lasanis” became the very first incarnation of the iconic meal, as outlined by Guinness World Records. There weren’t any pasta tubes. Instead you had squares measuring 2 inches, with grated cheese rather than a sauce.

Questionable origins

The recipe dates to the 13th century and featured in Liber de coquina, which translates as “The Book of Cookery.” Coincidentally, it was written by someone from Naples. Fast forward to the 19th century, and a cook named James Hemmings made the creamy treat a hit in the U.S. Though the location was reportedly Monticello, a plantation owned by Thomas Jefferson. That made skilled chef Hemmings a slave.