SC - Moose

[Decker, Terry D.]

>I would (personally) lay my money on Sophie Coe who is a recognized 
>food historian.  Coe (re my earlier post which didn't get to the digest 
>before this was posted) believes that the peanut got to Africa from 
>Brazil via western man and slave trade.  From Africa it went to what is 
>now the US.  I can look up what she says about the sweet potato route 
>and post it later if conversation warrants, but I seriously doubt, 
>based on her recent book _America's First Cuisines_, that the sweet 
>potato or peanut went to Africa via Asia.
>
>Alys K.

Tannahill supports the introduction of sweet potatoes and peanuts into
Africa by the Portuguese in the 1500's to supply ship's stores for the
slave trade.

Also according to Tannahill, the Spaniards encountered peanuts in Haiti
and introduced them into the Malay archipelago from where they were
introduced into China before 1600.

In a quote from my long post on potatoes, W.F. Wight suggests that the
potato of Virginia described in Gerard's Herball more closely fits the
peanut.  If this is the case, then it is doubtful that peanuts were
introduced to North America via the African slave trade.

Bear
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