[meteorite-list] Matteo's Hatred SPAM

From: JKGwilliam <h3chondrite_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 23:23:23 -0700
Message-ID: <20070406062330.TRMB373.fed1rmmtao106.cox.net_at_fed1rmimpo01.cox.net>

Thank you Sterling...I humbly stand corrected.

John

At 10:32 PM 4/5/2007, Sterling K. Webb wrote:
>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 02:23:23 AM PDT