Anthropologists tell us that fire was one of the most important discoveries that early humans made. Once we realized that big hunk of meat tasted even better when you made it hot, it was all up from there. In a way, the basics of cooking haven't changed that much throughout history; we still engage in the same basic physical and chemical processes that our ancestors did.
However, the culture surrounding it is a whole different experience from what it used to be. Cavemen didn't shovel down instant ramen after a long hard day on the hunt, or boast to others that you really can cook anything in an air fryer. These days, we're privileged to have a plethora of cuisines and ways to cook them with at our fingertips, and we can even joke about them too. It's crazy to think that the first step towards cooking memes happened millions of years ago.