[Sca-cooks] Re: hearts of palm

[Gaylin Walli]

I have started answering my own question but any other information
people have would be welcome. I found this today:

"Because organic material easily decomposes in the archaeological
sites of the humid tropics, there are few references to findings of
peach-palm material which enable its past to be reconstructed. The
oldest come from seeds found in various localities on the two coasts
of Costa Rica and date from 2300 to 1700 BC, when it is assumed that
it was already cultivated. When contact with Europeans took place,
accounts indicate that it was the main crop and sustenance of the
indigenous population of the humid tropics of Costa Rica." [Neglected
Crops: 1492 from a Different Perspective. 1994. J.E. Hernándo Bermejo
and J. León (eds.). Plant Production and Protection Series No. 26.
FAO, Rome, Italy. p. 211-221.]

Now if I could just get my hands on those Spanish references that
might be available...and learn Spanish... :)

Iasmin