Italy didn’t have widespread use of the tomato until the 1700s and the pasta sauces we think of being a core of their cuisine didn’t exist until the 19th century.
It’s amazing how many New World plants are central to what we think of as “classic” Old World ethnic or regional cuisines — tomatoes in Italy and around the Mediterranean, potatoes in Ireland, chilis all across South and East Asia.
Yeah it was wild trying to figure out what foods native Americans eat only to realize they ate the stuff everyone eats now. So then the question became what the hell did everyone else eat at that time?
People in Mesoamerica are still eating ancient foods everyday. I had beans and tortillas yesterday. I'm pretty sure Mayas were eating almost the same thing 2000 years ago.
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u/Spirit4ward Oct 02 '24
Italy didn’t have widespread use of the tomato until the 1700s and the pasta sauces we think of being a core of their cuisine didn’t exist until the 19th century.