# What is the most unnatural food you can name? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 15, 2018, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unnatural-food-you-can-name/814222 "2018-05-15T15:21:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unnatural-food-you-can-name/814222/1 "2018-05-15T15:21:55Z")
If you were transported in time back, say 5000 years ago, what modern food item could you show people of that era that would be most unrecognizable to them as being food? It could either be by reason of its’ appearance or its composition or possibly some other criteria. The floor is open for nominations. Radium orange colored flaming hot Cheetos anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unnatural-food-you-can-name/814222/2 "2018-05-15T15:23:01Z")
Imitation margarine. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unnatural-food-you-can-name/814222/3 "2018-05-15T15:31:13Z")
Edible underwear. ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unnatural-food-you-can-name/814222/4 "2018-05-15T15:31:22Z")
> [@Cardigan](#): > > If you were transported in time back, say 5000 years ago, what modern food item could you show people of that era that would be most unrecognizable to them as being food? It could either be by reason of its’ appearance or its composition or possibly some other criteria. > > The floor is open for nominations. Radium orange colored flaming hot Cheetos anyone? Chocolate fudge ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unnatural-food-you-can-name/814222/5 "2018-05-15T15:46:40Z")
Those styrofoam-looking rice stick noodles in Asian food. And circus peanuts. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unnatural-food-you-can-name/814222/6 "2018-05-15T15:48:43Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > And circus peanuts. Aye: circus peanuts. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unnatural-food-you-can-name/814222/7 "2018-05-15T15:51:27Z")
Cheez Whiz ---
**Author:** ![Mikemike2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikemike2/32/305_2.png) [@Mikemike2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikemike2)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unnatural-food-you-can-name/814222/8 "2018-05-15T15:52:48Z")
Kraft Dinner (my favourite as a kid) Twinkies Vico Milk (a small carton of chocolate milk) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unnatural-food-you-can-name/814222/9 "2018-05-15T15:58:59Z")
Necco wafers. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unnatural-food-you-can-name/814222/10 "2018-05-15T16:11:40Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Necco wafers. Especially the _chalk_olate flavored ones. ---
**Author:** ![BlueInfinity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BlueInfinity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueInfinity)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unnatural-food-you-can-name/814222/11 "2018-05-15T16:19:05Z")
Freeze-dried ice cream. Not only would the natives not know what ice cream is, or cookies for that matter (or chocolate for that matter…), but the closest comparison they could make for this stuff is chalk. ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unnatural-food-you-can-name/814222/12 "2018-05-15T16:24:49Z")
5000 years is a long ways back. I don’t even know if leavened bread was around yet. So my pick: red velvet cake But you don’t need to go back in time at all: just take a trip to Japan ! I was served stuff that I could not even recognize as being from this planet ! ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unnatural-food-you-can-name/814222/13 "2018-05-15T16:24:54Z")
Sprinkles. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unnatural-food-you-can-name/814222/14 "2018-05-15T16:35:34Z")
Tofurkey. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unnatural-food-you-can-name/814222/15 "2018-05-15T16:39:17Z")
Tofu. Wouldn’t even pass the taste test when presented to the residents of the era. ---
**Author:** ![SuperAbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@SuperAbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperAbe)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unnatural-food-you-can-name/814222/16 "2018-05-15T17:07:54Z")
Cool Whip. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unnatural-food-you-can-name/814222/17 "2018-05-15T17:37:13Z")
Peeps; bright blue ones. ---
**Author:** ![Hedda\_Rosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hedda_rosa/32/1204_2.png) [@Hedda\_Rosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedda_Rosa)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unnatural-food-you-can-name/814222/18 "2018-05-15T17:51:16Z")
Starburst, which is basically edible sugary wax. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unnatural-food-you-can-name/814222/19 "2018-05-15T17:52:11Z")
Peanut butter. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unnatural-food-you-can-name/814222/20 "2018-05-15T17:54:50Z")
I see circus peanuts had already been taken. I have nothing else to add. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unnatural-food-you-can-name/814222.md?page=2)