Itâs weird how there are some American crops that I think of as wholly integrated into the world such that I occasionally (ungratefully) forget theyâre American (potatoes, tomatoes, hot peppers). But then there are other American crops where Iâm lightly surprised the rest of the world grows them or is even into them (sunflowers, maize/corn, peanuts).
The real point of this post being that, while obviously Iâm kinda stupid, those indigenous American agricultural bioengineers were fucking geniuses. Endless series of absolute culinary bangers. We owe them everything.
That moment when I, as a Bulgarian, realized that tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, sunflower (oil) and corn are in fact not native to my country and were imported from the Americas. I remember that day. My heart shattered. Oh, and the irony of our nationalists accusing Turkey of "stealing our cuisine". My brother in Boiko, when did Europeans discover America and what empire were we under during that year and would continue to be under it for 4 more centuries?
I'm just imagining Italians seeing a tomato for the first time, they gently put olives away, tenderly grasp the Tomato and whisper to it with love
"You are my new best friend." Same happening with Poles and potatoes XD
And much of Asia responding similarly to peppers. I think the peppers loved Asia back just as much. A true love story.
#wait potatoes are native to America???? i thought they were Irish????
@disasterpenguin
Nope! Not Irish. The potato just produces a lot of calories per square foot of soil for growing it. So it was a big hit. (Note that itâs not more nutritious than bread, it just takes less land and labour than bread.)
Other things from the Americas:
Cocoa and chocolate
Beans (except soybeans, fava beans, chickpeas, mung beans, lentils, and peas)
Squash (except inedible Eurasian gourds)
Avocados
Sweet potatoes
Vanilla
Tobacco
Pineapple
Cassava/manioc
And some American critters:
Chipmunks
Raccoons đŚ
Hummingbirds
Skunks
Turkeys
Guinea pigs
Llamas, alpacas, vicuĂąas, etc.
Turkeys
On the flip side, things that are not native to the Americas include:
Rice
Horses, donkeys, mules
Cattle (so also dairy), pigs, sheep, and domesticated goats
Chickens
Large dogs
Cats
Rats
Earthworms
Pigeons, house sparrows, starlings
Wheat
Onions and garlic
Citrus
Bananas
Honey
Sugar
People always forget that every horse in the Americas came from Eurasia. Which may come from some idea that indigenous people in the Americas were⌠static, unchanging cultures? As opposed to the reality, which is tribes like the Lakota taking one look at these weird new animals and going âoh hell yeahâ and doing horses so good it would make Genghis Khan shed tears of awe
