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 339 recipes in total:

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Erbowle      Origin: England	Herodotus' Pudding      Origin: Britain	Kriibsen (Crayfish, Luxembourg Style)      Origin: Luxembourg
Fakalate (Coconut Dumplings)      Origin: Tonga	Hindle Wakes      Origin: England	Kuindiong (South Sudanese Semolina Pudding)      Origin: South Sudan
Farine Grits      Origin: Guyana	Home-made Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix      Origin: Britain	Laridi Coctura (Ancient Roman Boiled Bacon)      Origin: Roman
Ffani (Toffee)      Origin: Welsh	Horehound Candy      Origin: Britain	Laumproys in Galyntyne (Lampreys in Galingale Sauce)      Origin: England
Fish Balls with Green Bananas      Origin: Pitcairn Islands	Hydrogarata Isicia sic Facies (Boiled Forcemeat with Fish-sauce)      Origin: Roman	Leche Lumbard (Lombardy Cream)      Origin: England
Flancitos      Origin: Chile	Ika Lolo (Fish in Taro Leaves)      Origin: Tonga	Lemon Khoya (Condensed Milk Solids with Lemon)      Origin: India
Fonio and Oat Balls in Peanut Sauce      Origin: Fusion	In Echino Salso (Salted Sea Urchins)      Origin: Roman	Leporis Conditura (Seasoning for Hare)      Origin: Roman
Fonio Balls      Origin: Nigeria	In Isiciato Pullo (For Chicken Forcemeats)      Origin: Roman	Let lardes (Milk and Lard)      Origin: England
For to boyle feasant partrychs capons and corlowe (How to Boil Peasant, Partridges, Capons and Curlews)      Origin: England	In Locusta Elixa (Sauce for Boiled Lobster)      Origin: Roman	Liewerkniddelen (Liver Dumplings)      Origin: Luxembourg
For to make pomme doryes and other thyngs (How to Make Golden Apples and Other Things)      Origin: England	In Struthione Elixo (Of Boiled Ostrich)      Origin: Roman	Liquorice Caramels      Origin: British
Francatelli Boiled Neck of Mutton      Origin: Britain	In Torpedine (Of Ray)      Origin: Roman	Locusta Elixa cum Cuminato (Boiled Lobster with Cumin Sauce)      Origin: Roman
Francatelli Boiled Round of Beef      Origin: Britain	In Torpedine Elixa (Sauce for Boiled Ray)      Origin: Roman	Lu Pulu (Corned Beef and Onion in Taro Leaves)      Origin: Tonga
Frankfurter Sausage      Origin: Germany	Isicia de Pavo (Peacock Forcemeats)      Origin: Roman	Makerel in sauce (Mackerel in Sauce)      Origin: England
Fruit Dumplings      Origin: Ancient	Isicia Plena (Pheasant Forcemeat)      Origin: Roman	Mallow Cheese with Seaweed Paste      Origin: Fusion
Fumbyree (Shelled Barley Porridge)      Origin: Manx	Ius in Venationibus Omnibus (Sauce for all Kinds of Wild Game)      Origin: Roman	Manti (Meat-filled Boat-shaped Pastry)      Origin: Armenia
Fungee      Origin: Antigua	Jam Mwyar Duon (Blackberry Jam)      Origin: Welsh	Mantı (Turkish lamb dumplings)      Origin: Turkey
Gelee of fleche (Meat in Jelly)      Origin: England	Jiaozi (Chinese Dumplings)      Origin: China	Mantı (Turkmen lamb dumplings)      Origin: Turkmenistan
Gelee of fysche (Fish in Jelly)      Origin: England	Juk Juk (Sticky Rice Balls)      Origin: Marshall Islands	Manx Butter Fudge      Origin: Manx
Gem Squash Starter      Origin: South Africa	Jumalikud Pelmeenid (Dominican Divine Dumplings)      Origin: Dominica	Manx Salt Duck      Origin: Manx
Gnocchi di Ortica (Nettle Gnocchi)      Origin: Italy	Käsknöpfle (Mini Dumplings with Cheese)      Origin: Liechtenstein	Marillenknoedel (Austrian Apricot Dumplings)      Origin: Austria
Gnocchi di semolino alla romana (Roman-Style Semolina Gnocchi)      Origin: Italy	Kadu Ka Halwa      Origin: India	Marmalade of Quinces of Damsons      Origin: British
Gnocchi di semolino alla romana (Roman-Style Semolina Gnocchi)      Origin: Vatican City	Kale with Cream      Origin: Ireland	Mashed Neeps      Origin: Scotland
Gnocchi Verdi (Spinach Gnocchi)      Origin: Italy	Kartoffelknoedel (German Potato Dumplings III)      Origin: Germany	Mawa Peda      Origin: India
Grenada Rice and Peas      Origin: Grenada	Khinkali      Origin: Georgia	Medieval Sweeteners Vino Cotto      Origin: Italy
Grenadan Dumplings      Origin: Grenada	Khoya (Condensed Milk Solids)      Origin: India	Meghli (Lebanese Rice Pudding)      Origin: Lebanon
Gromperekniddelen (Luxembourger Potato Dumplings)      Origin: Luxembourg	Kifta Lil Atfaal (Cinnamon Meatballs)      Origin: Libya	Mollag (Manx Christmas Haggis)      Origin: Manx
Gunpowder Plot Toffees      Origin: Britain	Kittitian Style Conkies      Origin: Saint Kitts	Moroccan Rice Pudding      Origin: Morocco
Gwichiaid (Periwinkles)      Origin: Welsh	Knedle sa Sljivama (Potato Dumplings with Plums)      Origin: Serbia	Mortrews of Fysche (Mortar-paste of Fish)      Origin: England
Habas con Refrito (Beans with Refried Beans)      Origin: Ecuador	Knoepfle Oder Spaetzleteig (Basic Spaetzle Dough)      Origin: Germany	Mrs Beeton Boiled Neck of Mutton      Origin: Britain
Haggis      Origin: Scotland	Kofta Nakhod (Meatballs with Chickpeas)      Origin: Afghanistan	Mrs Beeton Herodotus Pudding      Origin: Britain
Hapai Hantue (Filled Buckwheat Dumplings)      Origin: Bhutan	Kofta Nakhod (Meatballs with Chickpeas)      Origin: Tajikistan	Mrs Beeton's Recipe for Brill      Origin: Britain
Hard Tack Figgy-dowdy      Origin: England	Kokada (Aruban Coconut Candy)      Origin: Aruba	Mushaari      Origin: Somaliland
Harisa (Chicken and Wheat Porridge)      Origin: Armenia	Kokada (Bonaire Coconut Candy)      Origin: Bonaire
Heicht mat Kraïderzooss (Pike in Green Sauce)      Origin: Luxembourg	Kokada (Curaçao Coconut Candy)      Origin: Dominica

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