The Evolution of Fast Food
Fast food often comes with negative connotation, but it doesn’t have to. Fast food didn’t start out with preservatives, and some forms of fast food still don’t have those additives. Fast food literally means “already-cooked food” and spans to many genres. This idea first began in Ancient Rome where citizens could purchase fresh bread and wine from street stands. Noodle shops were some of the first fast food establishments in Asia, while falafel and flatbread were the first in the Middle East. Indian foods also brought in stands near the time that the French began selling meat sticks on the street.
During the Middle Ages fast food popped up all over London and Paris in the form of pies, pastries, waffles, and pancakes. Roman cities catered towards those who did not have the means to cook their own food. Later the rich were associated as the majority of fast food consumers. Coastal areas first prepared shellfish, seafood, and fish, leading to the popularity of the fast food fish and chips. Ultimately fast food is different in every region, with some more elaborate than others. For instance some forms of British fast food include pies with poultry, whereas American fast food includes some forms of sandwiches.
Many American fast foods items are those of other cultures. Examples include pizza, hamburgers, hotdogs, sandwiches, fries, and various other foreign to-go items, like Chinese and Mexican. Many people believe that America has the most fast food restaurants per person, but ironically this is wrong. A 2008 study showed that the United Kingdom is number one in the world, with Australia as second. Of course American came in third.
Fast food was again transformed when cars became popular. Drive-ins first arrived during World War I in Kansas. Hamburger chains were the first to use this innovative idea, later transferring to delivery to car via roller skating waiters. Now the most popular and well-known form of fast food is the drive-thru window, which has encompassed a majority of chain fast food restaurants.