The history of food is pretty simple. A guy found something that looked non-poisonous, put it in his mouth, and not just liked it, but survived. This happened a couple million times, with various being made on accident, like accidently getting barley wet, in the case of beer, or adding beer to unleavened bread, creating leavened bread. But all of that gets really boring real quick. So, here are some historical foods that aren’t that historical.
Tomatoes and Italy- It would be hard to imagine Italian food without tomatoes. The classic margarita pizza, marinara sauce, or even gnocchi al bolognese. Tomatoes ( and potatoes in the case of gnocchi) didn’t reach Italy until the 14th century thanks to the columbian exchange, and weren’t widely incorporated into Italian cuisine until the 19th century.
Peppers and India- Just like tomatoes, Indian food, mainly the variety of curries, depends on peppers to produce that fiery burn that so many people know and love. However, just like with Italy, peppers didn’t arrive in India until after the columbian exchange, via Mexico by the Portuguese in the late 15th century.
Beef and Brazil-With the rise of Brazilian steakhouses and the rising popularity of cuts like picanha makes people think that brazilian gauchos rode the plains since the beginning of time, taking care of their cattle. However, just like tomatoes and chilis, cattle traveled across the Atlantic on Columbus’s ships and were brought to the Americas as a food source. In fact, cattle didn’t reach South America until the 16th century.
So many iconic foods that many think are “authentic”, are really just a result of the columbian exchange. So next time you eat spaghetti bolognese, shepherds pie, or pierogies, just remember, that dish is only about 500 to 600 years old.