Origins of foods

[javasaurus]

We all know that tomatoes are Italian, potatoes come from Ireland, and oranges had to have started in Florida, right? Wrong! Behind the cut are the origins of some common foods. Feel free to add more! (anybody know where grapes started?)


Citris fruits (including the orange and the lemon) are of Asian origin. They didn't get to the Americas until about 500 years ago.

Historically, tomatoes originated in South America. Wild varieties spread to Central America, where natives domesticated them.

Apples are believed to have started in modern Kazakstan, and spread with civilization almost wherever people settled after that.

Corn was developed by natives in Mexico from a variation of grass about 7000 years ago.

Potatoes, which are closely related to tomatoes (really!) were also originally from South America. The were thought poisonous when taken to Europe in the 1500s, and it wasn't until the late 1700s that they caught on as food. Oh, the famine in Ireland was in the 1840s.

Pumpkins are another Mexican-origin food. The original "jack-o-lanterns" in Europe were carved from turnips.



Web pages:
Oranges

Tomatoes

Apples

Corn

Potatoes

Pumpkins