[Sca-cooks] More on potatoes and chilies

[Terry Decker]

Sweet potatoes.  The Portuguese established a permanent foothold in Asia in
1502 and the first Portuguese shuip arrived in Canton in 1513.  Sweet
potatoes were introduced into Europe in 1493 and became popular fairly
quickly.  The Portuguese introduced them into the spice and slave trades.

White potatoes were not encountered until 1539 and probably could not have
been introduced into Europe before 1543.

IIRC, Fuchs Herbal of 1543 labels one variety of capsicum pepper as
"Calcutische Pfeffer," suggesting a relationship with India.  Fuchs peppers
probably came from Spain via Vinice of Genoa and the Ottoman Empire.
Columbus encountered capsicum peppers in the first voyage and may have
started their importation into Europe.

As a guess, sweet potatoes and capsicum peppers arrived in China around
1530, but I don't have the sources to prove it.  If Paul Buell has a more
accurate answer, i wanna know.

Bear


>At the moment, I'm proofing Paul Buell's latest book, "Dictionary of
Chinese
>Medicine" and found the following intriguing sentences, "Qing China
>continued Ming economic trends. The population grew rapidly and reached
>unheard of levels. This was in part due to New World crops such as the
>potato and the chili." I'm asking him about the references now. FYI, his
>timeline has the Ming dynasty running from 1368 to 1644, and the Qing
>dynasty from 1644 to 1911. Am definitely wondering at introduction dates,
>considering how quickly it appears that the two crops became an economic
>power. And, were they white or sweet potatoes?
>
>
>Saint Phlip,
>CoDoLDS
>