A Culinary Marriage Of Old And New

Yesterday was Columbus Day.It was when Christopher Columbus set foot in the New World.Yes, it was the beginning of the end for the indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere however it was also the beginning of the Columbian Exchange.Foods were introduced to the denizens of both Europe and the Americas.If any thing this was the greatest benefit of the Age of Explorations.Diets were broadened which meant better nutrition and longer lives. Europeans should thank the New World for bringing them the tomato.It is used in so many dishes, especially in French and Italian.Without it there would be no tomatoes Provencale, tomatoes covered in crunchy bread crumbs and sauteed in a garlicky olive oil.Most Italian cuisine would not be as tasty without those silky sauces that grace every pasta dish from lasagna to spaghetti.Most Italian dishes wouldn't even be, if not for the Columbian Exchange.There would be no golden polenta or heavenly gnocchi because their main ingredients are corn and potatoes, two staples from Latin and North America( although there was always polenta however it was originally made with wheat,and was more broth like).Zucchini, another stole was also brought to Europe where they created all sorts of different dishes.Another protein came into the European diet and that was the many beans, from Lima to pinto to kidney.Healthy fruits such as blueberry and blackberry also became part of desserts.Thanksgiving staples such as turkey and cranberries are also from the New World and have been a staple of British holiday meals for two years now.Also one byproduct of the coca plant , chocolate enhanced European candy making and baking almost one hundred per cent. Without it, both Belgium and Switzerland would not have the lucrative confectionary businesses that have been supporting them for over a century now. Despite all the bad stuff that the Europeans brought to these shores, there are some plants as well as animals that were welcomed in the indigenous diet.Settlers brought chickens,geese, cows,pigs, and goats with them.Diets changed as children were introduced to dairy as well as domestic meats.This meant that tribes didn't have to hunt and could keep animals penned up and used when needed.Seeds were transported through the various groups and now every kind of fruit and vegetables,from apples to yams were brought over and introduced to the natives.Wheat also was introduced, and this meant that bread was made a staple in many countries ( although there was corn pone already baked for centuries in some tribal regions).Whether ,for good or bad, that depends on historians and nutritionists, sugar came to the New World.Colonists brought sugar beets,sugar cane and honey bees.The end product could be used in enhancing baked goods and used to placate children.What didn't change for the newcomers or the natives was the communal gathering of preparing and sharing food.As the cultures came together so did their dishes as seen in Mexican ,Southwestern and some French Canadian dishes. Christopher Columbus could be seen as both a hero and a villain.The one good and lasting aspect of his arrival is the culinary marriage of both the Old and New World. This changed the way the world ate and it is still chaining it fur hundred and twenty years after that.

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