@whybird @MissConstrue @Cetraria it must be down to sheer determination not to starve; that's all I can think of. sometimes I've seen attempts to invoke plausible accidents to explain how various peoples figured out that it was good to (say) soak something before eating it—maybe some poisonous thing accidentally got doused in water! and then they tried to eat it!

And I'm also reminded of the guy (oh I can't remember his name, Colonel someone I wanna say) who's credited for tasting so many different wild mushrooms. He lived to a ripe old age, died in his bed so far as I recall, and yet he survived putting all sorts of horrible things into his stomach. That's...probably a trait that's always been common to humanity, I would guess, being willing to eat anything.