Looking at a list of foods that come from the New World (North and South America), it's amazing how fast some of them have spread and been incorporated into cuisines around the world. Most people know corn is from the Americas, but less people know that
tomatoes are. Can you imagine Italian food without them? How about a pizza without
bell peppers? Also from the Americas. Chinese food without spicy
peppers? Yes, all of the peppers in the world are from the New World.
Potatoes have been incorporated into cuisines from Ireland to Russia to India. Do you enjoy
chocolate or
vanilla ice cream? Both from the Americas.
Peanuts,
pineapples,
guavas,
papayas,
common beans,
cashews,
peanuts,
sunflowers,
pumpkins and a host of other foods you probably enjoy, as well as some like
quinoa,
amaranth and
jicama are gaining in popularity. Two of those last ones aren't even in the spell check of my computer.
Tobaccco on the other hand is on the decline - that's one New World introduction that many would prefer had never spread.
--Raffi 22:06, 19 August 2010 (UTC)
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