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The Origin Of Dishes

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 28, 2008

THE ORIGIN OF DISHES

The Columbian Exchange, sparked by Christopher Columbus' 1492 voyage to America, widened the experience of people in the Old and New Worlds, both for good and ill. One of the benefits was the introduction of new foods to many societies.

Here's a sample of some popular foods in Florida and their places of origin:

Orange - cultivated for more than 4,000 years, the fruit probably is native to India, Myanmar (formerly Burma) and Southwest China.

Watermelon - probably originated in west or southern Africa; it was cultivated in China for 1,000 years.

Sweet potato - is a native of South America.

Celery - probably originated near the Mediterranean Sea; it was first cultivated in France in the early 1600s.

Tomato - is a native of South America, probably originating in what is now Peru.

Wheat - wild relatives are believed to have grown in the Middle East, where it was first cultivated 11,000 years ago.

Beef - modern breeds of cattle are descended from aurochs, wild oxen that roamed eastern Europe and Africa thousands of years ago.

Pork - wild boars roamed Europe 6 million years ago and were tamed during the Stone Age.

Source: World Book Encyclopedia

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