When it comes to the 10 foods edible for astonishingly long periods, the line between culinary curiosity and survival hack blurs. Eating something past its “best‑by” date can feel like a high‑stakes gamble—one bite might be perfectly fine, the next could send your stomach on a wild ride and your sofa into disarray. That’s why we’re urging you to keep the fork away while you read this list; not because we’re picky, but because the examples below prove that many foods can outlive the usual expiration expectations by a massive margin. For instance, consider …
Why 10 Foods Edible Can Defy Time
10 Kiviaq, The Dish You Leave Outside For 18 Months
Up in Greenland, where winter can turn the landscape into a frozen desert, early inhabitants faced severe food shortages. Their answer? kiviaq, a traditional preparation that can remain safe to eat for up to a year, even if you simply stash it outdoors.
We should stress that the term “edible” is being used generously here. Kiviaq is so pungent that locals advise never to consume it inside a house, yet it supplies enough calories to keep a starving person alive. The method involves stuffing a seal’s skin with hundreds of auks—sea birds numbering between 300 and 400—then sewing the hide shut and tucking it beneath rocks.
Over time, the tiny birds break down into a thick, gooey paste. It isn’t exactly a delicacy, nor is it a party‑favor, but the fact that you can bury a meal in a pit and still eat it a year later is nothing short of impressive. Try doing that with a regular sandwich and a squirrel will snatch it in seconds. Speaking of sandwiches…
9 Battle Butties, The Sandwich That’s Fresh Two Years After You Buy It
The armed forces have long relied on freeze‑dried rations, yet soldiers have repeatedly asked for something simpler: a fresh‑tasting sandwich. Researchers identified two major hurdles—stale bread and soggy fillings—and claim to have cracked them with a product dubbed “Battle Butties.” This engineered sandwich can sit for an astounding two years before the crumb starts to crumble.
The creators’ ultimate ambition is an immortal peanut‑butter‑and‑jelly sandwich, but even the current versions have earned praise. One serviceman summed it up: “They’re the best two‑year‑old sandwiches I’ve ever eaten.” That’s about as glowing a review as a military‑grade snack gets.
8 Hardtack, The Cracker That Lasts For Years
When the military decides that freshness and flavor are secondary concerns, it turns to ultra‑basic sustenance: hardtack. This cracker, made from only water, flour, and salt, is deliberately baked to be bone‑dry, extending its shelf life dramatically. Though most associated with the American Civil War, variants of hardtack have existed for centuries across many cultures.
Historical records show soldiers receiving year‑old hardtack without complaint. The “BC” stamp on some packages was joked to stand not for a baker’s initials but for the birth‑date of the cracker. Because of its extreme dryness, a well‑stored piece can survive for years, becoming edible when softened in water, coffee, or even whisky. Eating it straight is discouraged—its alternate nickname, “tooth dullers,” hints at the experience.
Rumors persist that hardtack baked during the Civil War resurfaced during the Spanish‑American War, over three decades later, illustrating just how resilient this humble biscuit can be.
7 Rations That Lasted 40 Years
While the hardtack anecdotes are fascinating, there are documented cases of military rations surviving for even longer stretches—up to 40 years and beyond. One of the most striking stories involves a piece of pound cake issued during the Vietnam War.
U.S. Army Colonel Henry Moak vowed that, upon retirement, he would sample that very cake. True to his word, at his 2009 retirement ceremony he sliced the 40‑year‑old dessert with a sabre—an obvious nod to ceremonial coolness—and took a bite.
When asked about the flavor, Moak simply gave a thumbs‑up, leaving us to wonder whether the cake was surprisingly tasty or whether his thumbs were merely signaling an impending trip to the infirmary.
6 The Chicken Eaten After 50 Years
Les Lailey and his wife Beryl wed in 1956 and received a can of chicken as part of a wedding‑gift hamper. He boldly declared, “When we celebrate our 50th anniversary, I’ll eat that can of chicken.” The canned bird became a symbolic sentinel of their marriage for half a century.
In 2006, on the exact 50‑year milestone, Les cracked open the ancient can and dug in. He reported no adverse effects—aside from the inevitable realization that he’d just consumed poultry older than most people he’d ever met.
5 The 64‑Year‑Old Can Of Lard
Many readers may not even recall what lard looks like these days; it’s the rendered animal fat once common in kitchens. While it can be used for cooking, some adventurous souls even eat it straight from the can.
German food specialist Hans Feldmeier received a can of lard in 1948 as part of a U.S. care package to post‑war Germany. He stored it for emergencies, never opening it—until a debate about canned‑food longevity sparked his curiosity.
Claiming that a can without an expiration date could last indefinitely, Hans finally opened the tin and, without hesitation, ate the contents. The stunt proved his point, albeit at the cost of earning the most notorious case of “stink‑breath” in German culinary history.
4 The 125‑Year‑Old Cake, Eaten By Jay Leno
While the army’s aged pound cake impressed us, fruitcake can push the envelope even further. Known for its dense, sugary composition, fruitcake can theoretically endure indefinitely under proper storage.
Fidelia Bates baked a traditional fruitcake for Thanksgiving in 1878. She passed away before enjoying it, and her descendants sealed the cake beneath a plastic cover, consigning it to a kind of culinary limbo. In 2003, her 83‑year‑old great‑grandson Morgan Ford sent the ancient cake to comedian Jay Leno on the Tonight Show. Leno took a bite, reporting no immediate ill effects.
3 Wine Drunk After Hundreds Of Years
Wine is famed for its capacity to age gracefully, with bottles sometimes fetching astronomical sums after centuries of storage. Yet few actually drink the liquid from such antiquated containers.
In 2010, Finnish divers recovered 200‑year‑old bottles of beer and champagne from a wreck in the Baltic Sea. After rigorous safety testing, researchers cracked open several and enjoyed the historic libations. The underwater environment, it turns out, can act as an excellent cellar; champagne expert Richard Juhlin remarked that bottles kept at the sea’s bottom are often better preserved than those in premium wine cellars.
The divers noted the beer’s lively fizz, indicating that the yeast remained viable after two centuries. Elsewhere, wine specialists from the Museum of London in 1999 sampled 300‑year‑old wines unearthed during an archaeological dig, describing the taste as “fresh, clean, lively”—a description that would make any modern plonk seem dull.
2 Honey Edible After Thousands Of Years
Honey is practically immortal. The Smithsonian Institution notes that it can endure for millennia because of its acidic pH and hygroscopic nature, meaning it contains almost no free water.
Scientists have even uncovered perfectly edible honey in ancient Egyptian tombs, where pots of the golden syrup were sealed for roughly 5,000 years alongside mummified remains. The honey remained safe to eat, underscoring its unparalleled shelf stability.
1 Animals Eaten After 50,000 Years
Yes, you read that correctly—people have actually consumed food that predates most of recorded human history. While unicorns are sadly not on the menu, extinct megafauna certainly are.
Permafrost‑preserved mammoth carcasses have been discovered with sizable portions of flesh still attached to the bones. Russian explorers have, on occasion, taken bites from these ancient beasts. Moreover, paleontologists have cooked and eaten marrow from a 50,000‑year‑old horse bone, and researchers have sampled meat from a 36,000‑year‑old bison, all in the name of science.
The takeaway? Old food isn’t automatically lethal if approached carefully, and a career in archaeology might just grant you the chance to savor a literal dinosaur steak.
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