At what point in time did dried and salted food come into being?

               Even primitive cave men used to eat dried meat. They hung mammoth carcasses to dry in the wind, and then took them inside for cool storage. Syrians, Iranians, and Palestinians started using dried cereals, figs, and grapes by 8000 BC.

               It was during the 3rd millennium BC that salt was first used to preserve game birds and fish in the Nile valley. During the Iron Age itself, Britons started salting their foods in order to preserve them during the intense winter.

               A special brine of salt was made and used by the Egyptians to pickle meat. Sauerkraut, made by fermenting shredded cabbage, was the first form of pickle in Europe. However, sauerkraut lost its demand in Europe gradually. Later, the Chinese introduced the famous pickled cabbage called kimchi.

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