[Sca-cooks] RE: Old World/New World

[Terry Decker]

There are two major errors.  Both strawberries and gourds are found in the
New and Old Worlds.

It is believed that gourds originated in Africa and were brought into
Eurasia by various prehistoric migrations.  New World gourds are believed to
have reached the New World by natural dispersion as did the coconut.

There are three major species of strawberries defined by genetic
differences.  Most European strawberries are difficult to hybridize, so
modern commercial strawberries are a cross between Virginian and Chilean
strawberries.

Most of the information presented is correct, but so abbreviated as to
create false impressions.

Bear

>Hm, interesting, but some of it is just wrong. (Strawberries are found in
>period cooking texts, and in designations of such nobility as Dukes!)
>Christianna
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Karin Bennedsen [mailto:kbennedsen at usa.net]
>Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2003 3:06 PM
>To: Christine Seelye-King; Heidi Wallace
>Cc: Barbara Benson; Karin Bennedsen
>Subject: Old World/New World
>
>
>Look what I found:
>
>http://www.mnh.si.edu/garden/history/welcome.html
>
>Aleruna