The Columbian Food Exchange

Today is Columbus Day , celebrating Columbus' voyages to the New World. Whether he consciously knew it or not he changed the way the wold ate .Foods were exchanged and introduced to the Native Caribs and the Europeans.. Thanks to him, diets were forever improved and mostly in a good way.

Thanks to this intrepid explorer European diets have become as varied as possible. The  Northern Italians acquired corn for polenta, formerly made with barley. Tomatoes were introduced and became a vital ingredient in southern Italian cooking. No one can imagine the two cuisines without these. Ireland got potatoes, which also became a staple in other diets like the Scandinavian,. German Polish and again the Northern Pineapples also entered European society and has become a staple ever since.Without cacao, there would be no Swish chocolate. The New World also gave the Old World turkeys and peanuts too.

The Old World, however, also had its' contributions. Both the continents of Europe and Africa gave the new frontier fruits such as peaches and pears which grace many an American orchard. They also gave us coffee from Africa and olives from the Mediterranean along with turnips from Northern Europe.American farms welcomes bananas and grapes too . Most of America's bread basket originated in the wheat and barley fields over there as well Europeans also brought pork, lamb and beef to the indigenous population as well as horse to work the fields.

Christopher Columbus  did not just settle new lands. He also created a culinary tornado with effects that we still feel today. More than any chef or nutritionist, he changed the way the wolrd ate