Storiascopio · Era 9 of 12 · lower secondary year 2
Tomatoes, maize and potatoes reach Europe
about 1550 · Seville, Spain (port of arrival from the Americas)
In short
After Columbus's voyages, the ships returning from America brought plants to Europe that nobody there had ever seen: maize, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, beans and cocoa. The doctor Pietro Andrea Mattioli from Siena described the tomato as early as 1544; its Italian name, ‘pomo d'oro’ or ‘golden apple’, reminds us that some of the first fruits were yellow. At first many people grew it only as an ornamental plant. It took centuries for tomatoes and potatoes to become everyday foods.
Why it matters The exchange of plants and animals between continents changed cooking for ever, Italian cooking included.
Source: Treccani, entry “Pomodoro”
Where we are in the era “Early modern age”
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about 1420Event 16 of 251687
Your turn
Name ______________________ Class ______ Date __________
When did it happen? Find the date at the top and write it here:
Tell it in your own words: what happened?
Draw the scene below.
storiascopio.com/en/event/tomatoes-maize-and-potatoes-reach-europe/ · free worksheet, you may photocopy it for your class