Researchers think that our species had a liking for boiled hot mush from as far back as 12,000 years ago.

It may even be that slop in a bowl is responsible for the initial population explosion of humankind: before the days of porridge or blenders, most food was pretty chewy — whether meat, leafy veg or tubers — and babies had to get sustenance from breast milk for some years. Breastfeeding acts as a contraceptive for many women, so once babies were weaned earlier, well, it was downhill from there. That’s just one theory, of course...

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