[Sca-cooks] Maize

[Terry Decker]

Maize was in cultivation in the Ottoman Empire in the 16th Century.  There 
is a late 16th Century reference (not yet verified by me) where a traveller 
describes maize growing in Turkey.

It was encountered during the first voyage of Columbus (the diary of 
Columbus's first voyage) and was probably brought back to Spain at that time 
(Peter Martyr may provide corroboration).  The speculation is that during 
the first quarter of the 16th Century it passed through Genoa or Venice to 
the Ottomans and into cultivation.

Maize was possibly introduced into Central Europe during the Turkish 
incursion into Hungary and the first siege of Vienna.

The reference to Turkisch Korn occurs in Leonard Fuchs's herbal of 1543 (or 
1545 or 1546, depending on which citation you use).  This suggests that it 
was probably in cultivation in Turkey at that time.  There is a webbed 
version of the illustrations at Yale Medical and the text (facsimile and 
difficult to read) is available through a French website (IIRC).  Maize was 
being cultivated in gardens in some parts of German by the time Fuchs wrote 
about it.

Bear


From: "Radei Drchevich" <radei at hotmail.com>


> My Hortis Guide "Botanical Distionary of all species cultivated in North 
> America" states that "Maize" is of New World Origin, probably peru.
>
> At what time where the Ottoman Turks planting Maize?
>