A food taster was someone, usually a woman, who was hired by the royal families of Europe to test their food before they ate it. They usually did this to check and make sure what they consumed wasn’t altered or poisoned in any way. In addition, they wanted to make sure if the food was good enough for them to eat.
The food tasters were selected at random and often times, became like part of the royal family, so to speak. The royal family relied on her to prevent them from death and deceit. But what a poor woman! Who would be desperate enough to test food not knowing if it’s laced with some kind of poison?
Food tasters were popular in ancient Rome, as well. The job was often assigned to a slave who were sometimes coerced into eating something. Adolf Hitler also maintained a food taster by the name of Margot Woelk. Margot is still alive and says she tried the food every day, and if she did not fall ill the food would be sent to Hitler’s military headquarters. It is said president Vladimir Putin has hired a food taster for himself who is part of his security staff. Barack Obama, too, was said to have a food taster as well as several other American presidents.
I know this all sounds funny. When I immediately heard of this job I couldn’t help but chuckle. But I guess it’s better safe than sorry.
References:
Gone Jobs 