And the reasons why...

1. Potatoes

When you think of the potato, the first thing that probably comes to mind is that side of french fries that typically accompanies a burger and soft-drink. Or perhaps the potatoes that your mom mashes for dinner. But during the 18th century when people mentioned the potato, it was generally believed to lead to "leprosy", and "out of control sexual urges". Today we now know this to be untrue, but in those times potato cultivation was banned for a time, and most of Europe had only used potatoes to feed their livestock from time to time. However in the late 18th century, as poverty levels were increasing Antoine-augustin Parmentier of France began a PR campaign to boost the Potato, which is easier to grow in the colder climates of Europe than most other crops.

2. Tomatoes

The tomato as we now know it is a versatile, and central ingredient in cuisine. In the 18th-19th century though, it was thought of as poisonous all over the European continent. The tomato acquired this reputation at the time as it was rumored to have members of the elite aristocracy. However in actuality the culprit was the pewter plates, cooking pots, and silverware which were high in lead content. Studies now show that the acidity in tomatoes were responsible for increasing the potency of the poison in the lead based china. So what finally made tomatoes famous and acceptable to eat? Among other things the invention of a cheap and easy dish called pizza in the 1880's is said to have helped the reputation of the tomato.

3. Tuna

Tuna fish is currently the most widely eaten fish in the World. But believe it or not this wasn't always the case. At the turn of the century, yellowfin tuna and skipjack tuna were avoided by fishermen and were normally junked do to the worlds demand for lighter meat. It wasn't until World War I and the Great Depression in the United States that companies began to capitalize on the widely-available and efficient source of protein. The fish was quickly rebranded as the "chicken of the sea" and people worldwide worse consuming canned tuna in phenomenal amounts.

4. Lobster

Lobster these days is synonymous with fine dining, or considered a "fancy food". However the marine crustacean was once considered unfite for human consumption and was only eaten by prisoners and the poor. Matter of fact, up until the 19th century the Lobster was considered a nuisance to fishermen, and they were mearly ground up as a source of fertilizer. The biggest influence for opening people up to the Lobster was perhaps the construction of the American railroad which spread the lobster, and other foods from beyond the Northeast of the United States. Lobster was also one of the few foods that wasn't rationed during World War II, which made it a more regular part of the American diet.

5. Hamburgers

With gastro-pubs and burger-joints being the trend these past 20 years, burgers have gone from a greasy, fast food fix to the next big gourmet dish. But since its invention around 1900, the burger has taken many strides. Because of the meat industry's nature during the early 20th century, hamburgers became widely viewed as unclean food for the poor. The rise of the hamburger started believe it or not when White Castle, which used the word "white" to redirect a stronger impression of cleanliness. Other companies such as Steak 'n Shake, and Mcdonalds helped solidify the hamburger as a staple for many eaters world wide.

6. Oatmeal

Back before oats could ever be found in ones pantry or store room, they were considered strictly animal feed only. It wasn't until a Ferdinand Schumacher, a German immigrant to the United States marketed his ground oats as a healthy alternative to breakfast meats such as bacon, and ham. Schumacher's oats empire would eventually become a part of the world renowned Quaker Oats company, and it expanded even further. The United States federal government put in orders for oatmeal quicker than Schumacher could supply them after an initial order of his product raved reviews.

7. Peanuts

Peanuts, as is name suggests was a food considered fit only for the poorest of poor. Rumored to have been brought over to North America by African Slaves, peanuts only started to take off as an American staple following the Civil war. After this time, Circus's, Stadiums, and food carts cashed in on the easy to eat snack. During the early 20th century he invention of peanut butter had also helped propel the delicious legume into a more global status.

8. Garlic

Garlic is one flavor everyone agrees makes everything taster, and smellier for that matter. But it was the "smellier" part that caused the garlic to first be viewed as uncouth in England for centuries. Because of its odor, the English have long viewed garlic as inappropriate and unacceptable, especially for young courting couples on time. It actually wasn't until Polish, German, and Italian immigrants brought their garlic rich recipes to North America that public perception of this vegetable began to mature.

9. Portobello Mushrooms

The Portobello mushroom is another success story, brought to the limelight by yetr another successful food PR campaign. It wasn't until the 1980's and its trend for raw, dark, and whole foods that the Portobello mushroom came into fashion. We now know that the Portobello is a healthy, delicious, earthy shroom which pairs well with cheese, veggies, meats and vegetables. With the rise of the umami food trend, its no surprise the Portobello has jumped into many restaurants regular menus.

10. Chicken Wings

Chicken wings have transformed voraciously in the 21st century. Once known as the the least valuable part of the chicken, restaurants and households alike are paying more and more for this part. We can attribute this change in opinion to a movement in the 1960's in Buffalo, New York. This is where the famous Buffalo Wing started, when someone deep fried some wings, threw some hot sauce on them, and blew everyone's minds away. So much to the point where Americans now consume 1.25 billion wings on Super Bowl weekend alone.

With that being said, it would be quite interesting to find out what food we consider unfit to eat today, may in fact be the next food trend tomorrow.

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