Centuries-old plaque on eight people’s teeth preserved a surprisingly detailed menu of what they ate in Osaka

Dental plaque analysis revealed diverse diets for Edo-period Osaka commoners. Researchers found proteins from 17 food types, including luxury red sea bream. This suggests developing markets made once-exclusive foods accessible to ordinary people. Salmon proteins indicated food traveled long distances via extensive shipping networks. Even cottonseed oil and terrestrial animal meat were consumed by these individuals.