Fw: Fw: [Sca-cooks] More on potatoes and chilies

[Phlip]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gene Anderson"
To: "Phlip" <phlip at 99main.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2004 12:51 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: [Sca-cooks] More on potatoes and chilies


> I'm sure that the Portuguese brought sw potatoes and chiles to China in
the
> 16th century, but we have no evidence, especially for the sweet
> potatoes.  As noted, the first evidence is in the 17th.  Unlike tobacco
and
> chiles, which pretty much sell themselves, potatoes always had an uphill
> battle to get established in China (if potatoes can be said to
> battle).  Nobody likes the sweet potatoes, and the white ones weren't
> popular till the 20th century.  They were adopted only when and where
grain
> just absolutely wouldn't do well.  And then they were usually used for pig
> food unless people were desperate.  Hence the slow spread and lack of
early
> records.  Better trawling of the local "gazetteers" (county records books)
> would probably find more, but Ping-ti Ho did that pretty thoroughly, and
> found what is below.
>
> Chiles were all over the place by 1600.  Yes, Fuchs has a Calcutta one
(and
> 2 American Indian ones) by 1543.  As a chile lover, I am always heartened
> to see how fast they always spread.
> best--Gene
>
> At 10:32 PM 6/9/2004, you wrote:
>
> >Comment by the guy who is researching potato history- just keeping you
two
> >in the loop.
> >
> >Saint Phlip,
> >CoDoLDS
> >
> >"When in doubt, heat it up and hit it with a hammer."
> >  Blacksmith's credo.
> >
> >  If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is probably not a
> >cat.
> >
> >Never a horse that cain't be rode,
> >And never a rider who cain't be throwed....
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net>
> >To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
> >Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2004 9:30 PM
> >Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] More on potatoes and chilies
> >
> >
> > > 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