On Wed, 21 Jul 2004 17:23:41 -0500, "jmcquown"
> arranged random neurons, so they looked like
this:

<snip>

>I suspect people first decided to eat crabs because they saw sea-birds (or
>maybe even bears in certain areas) cracking them open on rocks and plucking
>out the meat. Probably the same with oysters, clams, mussels, etc.
>
>Drinking milk is rather a given; human women have always breast fed and so
>do goats, cows, sheep. Naturally it would follow, milk the cow.
>
>Berries and fruit I can also understand; watch the birds and the deer, they
>eat them so they must be pretty much okay.
>
>But what made that first brave soul pluck a mushroom from the ground and eat
>it? So many nightshades are deadly. What wild critters were they watching
>to determine this one was okay and that one wasn't?
>
And you have to wonder about oysters and clams. Sure, the sea gulls
drop them from height to crack 'em open, but wouldn't you think the
human who first noticed this phenomenon, and after having pried the
oyster or clam open, would be reluctant to put it in his or her mouth?
And once there...well, it *is* an acquired taste, after all. (I
learned to like raw oysters in successful and repeated attempts to
gross my younger sister out. Ditto snails.)

And add snails to the list, come to think of it. I mean, you have a
critter meandering along in a tiny shell, leaving a little trail of
goo behind, waving their little "feelers" around, right? So, who would
be hungry enough to yank the little guy out of his shell and eat him?
I'm sure the first occasion of snail-eating wouldn't have seen it
cooked with butter and garlic.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret
had been as old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had
been as full as the waitress', it would have been a very
good dinner." Duncan Hines

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