After the control of fire, which was almost certainly used for direct roasting, pit ovens and leather bag based boiling are probably the next developments in cookery. Both rely on a fire heating stones or rocks. For the pit oven, the fire and stones are heated in the bottom of a pit. They're then covered with grass and leaves, which generate steam. The meat is placed on top and the whole is buried. The heat from the fire and the steam cook the food. For boiling in a leather bag, the water and food to be cooked are placed in a leather bag. The hot stones are dropped in and these bring the water and the contents of the bag to a boil. As soon as the ingredients begin to cool drop in another stone... this being the original 'boil in a bag' meal. So, you can boil food long before the invention of pottery or metal working. Indeed, boiling was almost certainly being used as a method of cooking long before the advent of farming. It lends itself to the hunter-gatherer lifestyle as a leather bag is easy to make and light to transport. It can be used to cook seafood, shellfish, game meat and any vegetables or grains that are foraged.

As a method of disinfecting water, bringing it to its boiling point at 100°C (212°F), is the oldest and most effective way since it does not affect the taste, it is effective despite contaminants or particles present in it, and is a single step process which eliminates most microbes responsible for causing intestine related diseases. The boiling point of water is 100°C (212°F) at sea level and at normal barometric pressure. In places having a proper water purification system, it is recommended only as an emergency treatment method or for obtaining potable water in the wilderness or in rural areas, as it cannot remove chemical toxins or impurities.

The boiling point of water is typically considered to be 100°C (212°F; 373K), especially at sea level. Pressure and a change in the composition of the liquid may alter the boiling point of the liquid. High elevation cooking generally takes longer since boiling point is a function of atmospheric pressure. At an elevation of about one mile (1,600 m), water boils at approximately 95 °C (203 °F; 368 K). Depending on the type of food and the elevation, the boiling water may not be hot enough to cook the food properly. Similarly, increasing the pressure as in a pressure cooker raises the temperature of the contents above the open air boiling point (which is why pressure cooking reduces the time required to cook food).

The advent of fireproof pottery allows meals to be cooked by placing the cooking vessel next to the fire. Once metalwork is developed cooking pots can be suspended over a fire, which is why stews feature in so many cuisines. During Medieval times in Europe, boiling was a major way of cooking and both savoury and sweet dishes were boiled, becoming known in English as 'puddings'. This is why, in Britain at least, black pudding, haggis, steamed cakes, Christmas pudding etc are all known as 'puddings'.

Tea and Brewing: As boiling renders water potable and safe, it's interesting how this developed to produce safe drinks in Europe and Asia. In Europe, boiled water was used to make beer, the alcohol in the beer then keeping the water safe and bacteria free for a long time after brewing. In Asia, water was boiled and made into an infusion with green or fermented tea leaves, a drink intended to be imbibed immediately.

The alphabetical list of all the boiling-based recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 390 recipes in total:

Page 3 of 4

Locusta Elixa cum Cuminato (Boiled Lobster with Cumin Sauce)      Origin: Roman	Oshigali (Namibian Fermented Millet Porridge)      Origin: Namibia	Podin Pes (Cornish Pease Pudding)      Origin: England
Lu Pulu (Corned Beef and Onion in Taro Leaves)      Origin: Tonga	Pan Haggis      Origin: Scotland	Polbo á Feira (Galician Style Octopus)      Origin: Spain
Makerel in sauce (Mackerel in Sauce)      Origin: England	Pap II      Origin: South Africa	Pollo Relleno (Stuffed Chicken, Andalusian Style)      Origin: Spain
Malawi Yellow Rice      Origin: Malawi	Papeda (Sago Congee)      Origin: Papua New Guinea	Porcellum Lacte Pastum Elixum (Boiled Suckling Pig, Fed on Milk)      Origin: Roman
Mallow Cheese with Seaweed Paste      Origin: Fusion	Papeda (Sago Congee)      Origin: Papua	Porcellum Liquaminatum (Suckling Pig in Sauce)      Origin: Roman
Manti (Meat-filled Boat-shaped Pastry)      Origin: Armenia	Parched Peas 2      Origin: England	Porcellum Liquaminatum (Boiled, Stuffed, Suckling Pig)      Origin: Roman
Mantı (Turkish lamb dumplings)      Origin: Turkey	Patates Antinaktes (Tossed New Potatoes)      Origin: Cyprus	Porcellum Thymo Sparsum (Suckling Pig Sprinkled with Thyme)      Origin: Roman
Mantı (Turkmen lamb dumplings)      Origin: Turkmenistan	Pâte d'awara (Awara paste)      Origin: French Guiana	Porcellum Traianum (Suckling Pig à la Trajan)      Origin: Roman
Manx Butter Fudge      Origin: Manx	Patellam Lucretianam (A Dish à la Lucretius)      Origin: Roman	Pork and Ginger Dumplings      Origin: China
Manx Salt Duck      Origin: Manx	Patina Versatilis Vice Dulci (Nut Custard Turnover)      Origin: Roman	Portuguese Percebes      Origin: Portugal
Marillenknoedel (Austrian Apricot Dumplings)      Origin: Austria	Patinam de Piscibus (A Dish of Fish II)      Origin: Roman	Posho      Origin: Uganda
Marmalade of Quinces of Damsons      Origin: Britain	Payn Ragonn      Origin: England	Pounded Banana      Origin: Burundi
Mashed Neeps      Origin: Scotland	Pelmeni (Kyrgyz Mutton Dumplings)      Origin: Kyrgyzstan	Preparing Fresh Snails      Origin: France
Matzo Balls      Origin: Jewish	Pelmeni (Siberian Beef Dumplings)      Origin: Siberia	Preparing Giant Land Snails for Food      Origin: Nigeria
Mawa Peda      Origin: India	Penwaig Hallt (Salt Herring)      Origin: Welsh	Preserved Pine-apple      Origin: American
Medieval Sweeteners Vino Cotto      Origin: Italy	Percebes Tapas (Gooseneck Barnacles Tapas)      Origin: Spain	Preserved Pippins      Origin: American
Meghli (Lebanese Rice Pudding)      Origin: Lebanon	Perna Apruna ita Impletur Terentina (Filled Gammon of Wild Boar Terentine)      Origin: Roman	Preserved Plums      Origin: American
Meghli (Rice Flour Pudding)      Origin: Lebanon	Pernae Cocturam (Preparation of a Ham)      Origin: Roman	Preserved Quinces      Origin: American
Mendip Wallfish      Origin: England	Pernam (Ham)      Origin: Roman	Puerto Rican Dulce de Leche      Origin: Puerto Rico
Mofago (Boiled Chicken)      Origin: Botswana	Petasonem ex Musteis (Shoulder of Pork with Sweet Wine Cakes)      Origin: Roman	Pulaka      Origin: Tuvalu
Mollag (Manx Christmas Haggis)      Origin: Manx	Phoenicoptero (Of Flamingo)      Origin: Roman	Pullum Anethatum (Aniseed Chicken)      Origin: Roman
Moroccan Rice Pudding      Origin: Morocco	Pia Sua (Coconut Pudding)      Origin: Tuvalu	Pullum cum Olivis Columbadibus (Boiled Chicken with Columbadian Olives)      Origin: Roman
Mortrews of Fysche (Mortar-paste of Fish)      Origin: England	Pia Sua (Coconut Pudding)      Origin: Solomon Islands	Pulpo con salsa cítrica de mango (Octopus with citrus mango sauce)      Origin: Easter Island
Mrs Beeton Boiled Neck of Mutton      Origin: Britain	Pia Sua (Coconut Pudding)      Origin: Kiribati	Pumpkin Ricotta gnocchi (Gnocchi de Zucca e Ricotta)      Origin: Italy
Mrs Beeton Herodotus Pudding      Origin: Britain	Pick-up Saltfish      Origin: US Virgin Islands	Pwdin Berwi (Boiled Pudding)      Origin: Welsh
Mrs Beeton's Recipe for Brill      Origin: Britain	Pierogi z Jagodami (Polish Bilberry Dumplings)      Origin: Poland	Pwdin Clwt (Clootie Dumpling)      Origin: Welsh
Mushaari      Origin: Somaliland	Pierogies      Origin: Georgia	Pwdin Crynu (Quaking Pudding)      Origin: Welsh
Nalot (Root Vegetable Mash)      Origin: Vanuatu	Pirohi      Origin: Slovakia	Pyggus in sauce (Pork in Sauce)      Origin: England
Nettles      Origin: Britain	Plain Boiled Rice      Origin: Anglo-Indian	Ragi Roti      Origin: India
Nigerian Rice Flour FuFu      Origin: Nigeria	Plain Boiled Rice for Curries      Origin: Britain	Rapa Nui Dumplings      Origin: Easter Island
Oatmeal Potatoes      Origin: Scotland	Poached Chicken      Origin: Britain	Rasmalai      Origin: India
Ofellae Aprogineo (Starters in the Manner of Wild Boar)      Origin: Roman	Poached Egg      Origin: Britain	Ravjul (Maltese Ravioli)      Origin: Malta
Okra with Seaweed Paste      Origin: Fusion	Poddash Meinn-corkey (Oatmeal Porridge)      Origin: Manx
Onunu (Mashed Yam and Plantain)      Origin: Nigeria	Podin Nadelik (Cornish Stout and Marmalade Christmas Pudding)      Origin: Britain

Page 3 of 4