Ever munched through a bag of cheese puffs or bowl of corn flakes and wondered, 'how was this even invented'? Though you'd never expect it, some dishes and drinks have rather unusual origin stories, involving everything from happy accidents to failed attempts at revenge. Looking for some food for thought? Read on to discover how 31 seemingly straightforward everyday food staples came to be.

Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the surprising reasons why your favourite foods were invented – counting down to the most bizarre backstory of all.

We've based our ranking on the most surprising nature of each origin story, and on the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.

The surprising reasons why your favourite foods were invented