Popular Foods That Were Invented by Happy Accident

For decades, the origin story of the humble chocolate chip cookie has been shrouded in myth. Popular legend has it that Ruth Wakefield, co-owner of Toll House, a popular restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts, accidentally created the classic treat in the 1930s when she ran out of nuts. Instead, she allegedly swapped in chunks of bittersweet chocolate and was pleasantly surprised when the pieces held their shape once removed from the oven. (Nestle later bought the rights to her recipe and the restaurant name.) According to The New Yorker, however, this anecdote might be more fiction than fact. Some claim that Wakefield actually invented the chocolate chip cookie through a rigorous series of trial and error before finally crafting the “perfect antidote to the Great Depression.”

Roughly 12,000 years ago, beer made its quiet debut alongside the development of cereal agriculture. With the advent of more agrarian civilizations – and their emphasis on creating crops of wheat, rice and barely – our earliest ancestors likely stumbled upon the intricate fermentation process that ultimately leads to a glass of brew. According to some historians, the earliest example of a boozy beverage dates back 9,000 years to a Chinese concoction made up of rice, honey and fruit. Heralded by many as one of societies happiest accidents, we raise a pint to those early inventors.

In 1886, Atlanta pharmacist Dr. John S. Pemberton was playing around with various flavours and drink creations when he accidentally crafted a yummy syrup concoction that he mixed with carbonated water. Curious as to the public’s reaction to his new fizzy drink, he sold it from a soda fountain at his neighbourhood pharmacy where patrons praised its flavour. Fun fact: although Pemberton died only two years after his world-famous invention in 1888, Coca-Cola‘s distinct script found on bottles and cans around the world is a carbon copy of the handwriting of Pemberton’s bookkeeper, Frank M. Robinson.