[meteorite-list] Matteo's Hatred SPAM

From: Sterling K. Webb <sterling_k_webb_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2007 00:32:59 -0500
Message-ID: <125a01c7780d$09f9c3e0$0e2f4842_at_ATARIENGINE>

Hi,

    John said:
> About the only 'American" food
> I can think of is pemmican...

    Most of the world's domesticated animals
originate in the "Old World" hemisphere, cows
and chickens, sheep and goats, pigs, camels,
elephants, water buffalo, and all of a long, long
list. But the number of domesticated plants from
that hemisphere is short. They were of importance
because they were essential in their regions which
were largely monocultural: wheat, rice, barley,
millet, oats.
    And Kazakhstan supplied the APPLE.

    The Western Hemisphere provided virtually
no domesticated animals. The Turkey. OK. Is
the Llama really domesticated? (They don't think
they are.) Does the Guinea Pig count?

    But most of the world's domesticated planets
originate in the "New World" hemisphere. The
Americas are the origin of those species of plants
that constitute about 80% to 85% of foods of
plant origin presently consumed by the entire planet!

    The Americas are the source of:

    CORN, all varieties, including the pod corns,
popping corn, sweet corn, flint corn, feed corn,
and red, yellow, black and blue corn.

    The POTATO, both all varieties of "white"
potatoes and the sweet potatoes and yams.

    BEANS, again all varieties, from lima beans to
snap beans to pod beans in their endless variations
of pea beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, red beans
(which used to called the "Arizona Strawberry").

    All the varieties of SQUASH, both spring and fall,
yellow, green, and red, and all PUMPKINS, of
whatever kind.

    The one and only TOMATO.

    PEPPERS, both hot and sweet, originated in the
Americas; the number of varieties run into the 100's.

    The EGGPLANT, MANIOC (or Cassava) which
is what we call TAPIOCA and which supplies 37%
of the food calories of the African continent. Also the
PINEAPPLE, the AVOCADO, and ARROWROOT.

    CACAO, otherwise known as CHOCOLATE,
which some persons think a very important "food."

    The CHAYOTE, the SAPODILLA, CASHEWS,
PECANS, BUTTERNUTS, HICKORY NUTS,
BRAZIL NUTS, PAPAYAS, GRANADILLAS,
GUAVAS, MAGUEY, SURINAM CHERRIES,
PERSIMMONS, and the SUNFLOWER SEED.

    Then, there's the BLACKBERRY, the BLUEBERRY,
and the STRAWBERRY. I repeat, the STRAWBERRY.

    And the CRABAPPLE and the CRANBERRY, the
PIMENTO, the RASPBERRY and VANILLA.

    All of these plants were in full domestication and use
before "1492" except for one last food, the PEANUT,
which had yet to be "buttered."

    I probably left some out because there are so many!

    And, of course, dishes involving combinations of
these native American food stuffs are equally ancient.
John, did you ever partake of an exotic concoction
called "Chili"? (Tomatoes, beans, peppers, chocolate,
and careless rabbit.) The Hopi invented something
called "Bar-B-Que," although I don't think that's
what they called it.

    At any rate, remove all these domesticated plants
from your life, and eating becomes far less interesting.
Remove plants of American origin from the world's
food supply and billions would die.

    "American" foods have spread so thoroughly
around the world that they are often regarded locally
as being of quintessentially "native" origin.

    About 40 years ago, when forced to spend a
Thanksgiving far from home, a co-worker invited
me to go with him to his grandparents for Thanksgiving,
saying "They're from Abruzzo (Italy) and for holidays
they cook all the old-time dishes just like they used to
up in the hills. It's not what you think Italian cooking
is; it's REAL Italian cooking."

    The big dish turned out to be Possum Stew with
Cornbread Dumplings and a red sauce (tomatoes)
laced with enough chili peppers to challenge anybody.

    Abruzzo is a mountainous region; the wily possum
(native to the Americas) escaped into the Apennines
400 years ago and thrived; the "imported" corn grows
well in hills while wheat does not; and the Abruzzi
really like hot peppers of all kinds.

    I didn't have the heart to tell him that my grandparents
who came from similar, but quite American, hill country
also used to stew possum with cornbread dumplings
(minus the hot peppers). Or squirrels, if the possums
proved too wily, under the name of burgoo.

    Some American food can be an acquired taste.

    And I daily give thanks to the "Old World" for The
Cow that makes our hamburgers possible.


Sterling K. Webb
---------------------------------------------------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "JKGwilliam" <h3chondrite at cox.net>
To: <info at mcomemeteorite.it>; "giovannisostero" <GiovanniSostero at libero.it>;
"Fredmeteorhall" <Fredmeteorhall at aol.com>
Cc: "Meteorite-list" <Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>; "ValparInt"
<ValparInt at aol.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2007 8:51 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Matteo's Hatred SPAM


Actually, if you do a little research, hamburgers did not originate
in the USA. In fact, very few of the "traditional" foods eaten in
the United States arrived here with European emigrants. About the
only 'American" food I can think of is pemmican.

Take a look here for more about the hamburger...that the USA adopted
(like the hot dog) but didn't give birth to.

<http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/HamburgerHistory.htm>

BTW, why does all this matter anyway?

John
Received on Fri 06 Apr 2007 01:32:59 AM PDT