A student inquired: "Is it true that J.R.R. Tolkien invented pesto?"

It is the truth!

In 1967, J.R.R. Tolkien learned from a time-traveller that Peter Jackson would eventually make horrible Hobbit films 40 years after his death. Tolkien learned it whilst he was hitchhiking through Italy on the back of a truck. The truck was laden with tons of basil and pine nuts, en route to a greengrocer in Parmigiano-Reggiano. Tolkien was so angry when he learned about Jackson, he ground all the basil and pine nuts in the truck to a fine paste with his fingernails! But the driver was not angry, because the paste smelled delicious! "As its inventor, you may name this new food", the driver said. But all Tolkien muttered was swearwords about Jackson: "The pest... the pest... the little pest..."

Thus, Tolkien invented Pesto.