The history of food is as old as the history of mankind. It is also as populated with violence, death and disease.
Food affects more than people’s bodies. It can change the fate of nations and alter the course of history. There are some fascinating, maybe even troubling, histories behind the most common foods. Read on for three such.
Potato
Potato is the world’s largest food crop. It was introduced by the South Americans to the Spanish in the 16th century. The Spanish loved it and brought it back to Europe where its popularity quickly spread to the furthest ends. In mid 19th century potato crops in Europe caught a disease called potato blight which wiped out millions of acres of the crop. Ireland, heavily dependent on potato, suffered what is remembered as the “Great Famine” in history. It changed the nation forever; a million Irish people died, and millions more migrated to the United States and Canada.
Sugar
Next on the list is sugar, every foodie’s manna. The Caribbean Islands and tropical America developed large sugarcane estates, but the workers kept dying of new European diseases. So landowners looked for a new source of labor and found it in Africa. In other words, sugar fueled the African slave trade. Well that sure leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
Bread
Marie Antoinette immortalised bread with a single unfortunate quote. When starving masses demanded bread of the hated monarch, “let them eat cake”, Marie said. Enraged, the French public rose in revolt, an event that spurred the French Revolution, mankind’s introduction to the modern concept of liberty.
fascinating facts
Thank you 🙂
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