1 the food revolution weatherford chapter 4 the culinary revolution weatherford chapter 6 montclair...

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Montclair State University Department of AnthropologyAnth 140: Nonwestern Contributions to the Western World

Dr. Richard W. Franke

The Food The Food RevolutionRevolutionWeatherford chapter 4Weatherford chapter 4

The Culinary The Culinary RevolutionRevolutionWeatherford chapter 6Weatherford chapter 6

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Montclair State University Department of AnthropologyAnth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World


The foods Native Americans Gave Us

The learning objectives for week 03 are:

– to learn the most important foods domesticated and developed by Native Americans

– to appreciate the health benefits of many Native American foods

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The Foods Native Americans Gave UsTerms you should know for week 03 are:

– Quechua – barbecue – Nahuatl – grits– Example: Nahuatl is the language associated

with the Aztec people. The English words chili, coyote, tomato, chocolate and avocado come to us from the Nahuatl language

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The Foods Native Americans Gave Us

Sources:

Crosby, Alfred W. Jr. 1972. The Columbian Exchange: Biological and Cultural Consequences of 1492. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. The book that inspired the video.

Densmore, Frances. 1974 [orig. 1928]. How the Indians Use Wild Plants for Food, Medicine and Crafts. New York: Dover Publications.

Foster, Nelson, and Linda S. Cordell, eds. 1992. Chilies to Chocolate: Food the Americas Gave the World. Tucson: University of Arizona Press.

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“There is only one Machu Picchu, but it guards many mysteries.”

• Ancient Peruvian city 8,000+ ft above sea level

• House styles too fancy to be for peasants• Neat lines and mortarless seams like

best of Inca architecture• (Re-)discovered by U.S. archaeologist

Hiram Bingham in 1911

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Montclair State UniversityDepartment of AnthropologyAnth 140: Nonwestern Contributions to the Western WorldDr. Richard W. Franke

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Many Romantic Interpretations• Inca holdout center after Spanish

conquest• Inca sacred city•Place to hide Inca noble women

from Spaniards•Monastery with virgins dedicated

to the sacred coca plant, etc.

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• But Inca very practical• Why line the steep mountain path with

terraces, difficult to achieve• Some terraces only 6 inches in width• Others one hour above the city. Why?• Weatherford noted plant species vary on

terraces of various altitudes• Was Machu Picchu an agricultural

research center?

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• Whether yes or no, we can argue that ancient Andeans did more plant experiments than any people in the world

• Developed plants to acclimate to various types of soil and other conditions

• Developed many crops that still do not have English names

• Grew many varieties of corn – although corn was originally developed in Mexico or Central America, not Peru

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Two currently important Peruvian grains are – Kiwicha or amaranth– Quinua or quinoa

Quinoa (KEEN-wah) is now available in US health food stores and supermarkets

Quinoa has recently be dubbed “super wheat” because of its unusually high nutritional value

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• Has 181% the lysine content of wheat, one of wheat’s main missing amino acids

• Has 240% the calcium• 256% the iron• 113% the food energy• Has 12- 18% protein

compared to 12% for wheat (7 to 8% for rice)

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But while But while quinoaquinoa excites modern excites modern nutritionists and agricultural nutritionists and agricultural

specialists hoping to solve the world specialists hoping to solve the world food problem, it was a different food problem, it was a different

Peruvian crop that changed the dietary Peruvian crop that changed the dietary history of the world.history of the world.

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The Potato: Update 2013• English word comes from the Spanish “patata.”

• Spanish word may be from Taino “batata” – sweet potato

• Taino: language spoken by native peoples of the Caribbean

• plus Quechua “papa,” the word for potato in • Quechua: the main precolonial language spoken

by the peoples of the Andes including the Inca as well as about 3 million modern Peruvians

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quechua_languages

This slide added 09 February 2013

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The Potato: Update 2013• According to the Wikipedia entry on Taino

language:

• English words of Taíno derivation include canoe, potato, cay/key, barbecue, hurricane, hammock, maize, cassava, Caribbean, cannibal, Cuba, Jamaica, Bahamas, iguana, savannah, papaya/pawpaw, guava, yucca, maguey, manatee, mangrove, and maybe tobacco.

This slide added 09 February 2013

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The Potato• Grown in Peru for at least 8,000 years• Developed from a common tuber known

as far away as Navajo area of Arizona• Peruvians grew 3,000 varieties• Only 250 grown in North America today• Only 20 varieties make up 75% of

current U.S. potato harvest

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The Potato• According to the Centro Internacional

de la Papa [International Potato Center] in Peru – Potato now the 4th most important crop

in the world– Centro is storing 100 wild varieties and

3,800 cultivated varieties– FAO holds rights to this germ plasm –

makes available free

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The Potato• Was basis for several Andean empires

including the Inca• Andean farmers invented freeze drying• Developed meat drying technique that

led to “jerky,” from Quechua “charqui,” a popular meat dish around the world today

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The Potato• Before potato Europeans ate

– Turnips– Wheat– Barley– OatsAll are vulnerable to weather problems

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Montclair State University Department of AnthropologyAnth 140: Nonwestern Contributions to the Western WorldDr. Richard W. Franke

The Potato• Potato grows

underground, better protected in north Europe climate

• Potato plus corn called “miracle crops” by French historian Fernand Braudel

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The Potato

• One hectare (2.47 acres) of potato produces 7.5 million calories versus 4.2 million for wheat

• Potato also easier to grow; requires less labor input

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The Potato• Grows faster than grains• Grows in wider variety of soils• Does not require milling as does

grain

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The Potato• Europeans slow to adopt potato• Thought it caused leprosy• Thought it from satan since it is not

mentioned in The Bible• Thought it caused flatulence• Thought it was an aphrodisiac

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The Potato• Gradual spread of potato improved

health of Europeans• Increased Vitamin C content of diet• Led to less tooth decay• Shifted power balance from southern

Europe to northern Europe

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The PotatoThe Potato• Led to large population explosion in Ireland• Land controlled by absentee British

landlords• Became dependent on a small number of

varieties• 1845 to 1850 potato blight caused “The

Great Hunger,” famine that killed more than 1 million Irish and led to mass emigration to the New World

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The Potato Famine

• Known in Ireland as “An Ghorta Mor,” the Great Hunger

• “Black 47” for 1847 the worst year of the famine

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The Potato• Weatherford argues

the famine could have been avoided had Europeans planted as the Peruvians did – mixing different varieties on the field to reduce vulnerability

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The Great Potato Famine: 2013 Update

•Two blocks west of the World Trade Center ground zero site at the corner of 290 Vesey and North End Ave. you can find the Irish Hunger Memorial

•This outdoor garden museum is one of the most unusual and creative monuments to the suffering, exile and death of a people. For a virtual tour, click on:

http://www.newyorkcitywalk.com/html/images_IrishFamine.html

This slide updated 09 February, 2013

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The Great Irish

Potato Famine

Outdoor Museum

in Manhatt

an

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The Great Irish Potato Famine Outdoor Museum in Manhattan also contains a wall with newspaper articles from the time

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The famine is the subject of one of the most famous Irish historical studies, published in 1962 by Cecil Woodham-Smith.



2013 Update2013 Update

An additional short survey of the history of the potato and of the Irish Great Hunger appears in:

Mann, Charles C. 2011. 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created. New York: Random House.

Chapter 6 on “The Agro-Industrial Complex,” pages 251 − 271 and for the Irish potato famine, pages 282 - 295

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2013 Update2013 Update

A good source explaining the significance of planting the potato as a monocrop can be found at (just click on the link):

http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/agriculture_02

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Native American CropsNative American Crops

• More than 300 known; each with several varieties

• Indians gave more than 3/5 of the crops now in cultivation

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Native American CropsNative American Crops• Beans – which increased the protein

supply worldwide– Kidney beans– Snap beans– String beans– Mexican frijole– Many others

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Native American CropsNative American Crops• Peanuts (or groundnuts) became

especially important in Africa• Sunflower now a major crop in Russia• Squashes of many types – including

zucchini• …and…one of the world’s most

important crops…

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Native American CropsNative American CropsCornCorn

• Excellent feed for cows and chickens [but new evidence suggests cows more likely to get sick on corn feed]

• Grows in wide range of soils and climates

• With beans and rice corn makes nutritious vegetarian diet

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Native American Native American CropsCrops

CornCorn• Dextrose or corn

syrup replacing cane sugar in processed foods

• Corn syrup closest to human glucose of any plant derivative

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Native American Native American CropsCrops

Corn – Corn – 2011 update2011 update• However, recent medical

research now suggests that sugar may be implicated in causing a number of types of cancer as well as obesity.

• And…corn sugar may be worse even than cane sugar in this regard.

• For an overview of this issue, click here.

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Native American CropsNative American Crops

Corn – Corn – 2013 update2013 update

• Other recent research suggests that Native American corn contains more “phytonutrients” that resist cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and dementia than does modern corn.

• The (super)“sweet corn” sold in supermarkets results from radiation-based experiments in the 1920s that helped identify the best ways to make corn sweeter, not healthier.

• For info on this from The New York Times of 26 May, 2013, click here.

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Native American Native American Crops: CornCrops: Corn

• Tortillas: soak corn in water and lime or ashes to produce nixtamal. nixtamal. Grind between stones to make masamasa.

• Torillas facilitate calcium and protein absorption, make the corn healthier to eat.

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Native Native American American

Crops: CornCrops: Corn• Grits: similar to

tortillas at start: soak corn with lye from wood ashes to make hominy

• Hominy an easier means to eat corn

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Native American Crops: Other Native American Crops: Other Major GiftsMajor Gifts

•Tomatoes: high in Vitamin C•Wild rice•Sweet peppers

–Green–Red and others

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Native American CropsNative American Crops• Original pepper comes

from spice islands, or Moluccas

• “Malukku” is word for pepper in much of Asia

• Chili peppers (hot • chillies)

– High in Vitamin C– May help prevent or cure

intestinal infections– May aid in stimulating

digestive juices

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Native American Native American Crops: CassavaCrops: Cassava

• Originated in Amazon region

• Native Americans taught Europeans how to process out the hydrocyanic acid – which is used as a meat tenderizer

• Now used in baby foods and in tapioca

• In poor countries cassava is a “hunger crop;” not very nutritious but high calorie output per unit of land

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Native American Crops: Native American Crops: ChocolateChocolate

• From Aztec language (Nahuatl) chocoatlFrom Aztec language (Nahuatl) chocoatl• Contains a “theobromine” parallel to Contains a “theobromine” parallel to

caffeine in stimulating the bodycaffeine in stimulating the body• Theobromines more gradual, so the Theobromines more gradual, so the

high is less jaggedhigh is less jagged• Chocolate also contains caffeine Chocolate also contains caffeine • Contains fatContains fat



Native American Crops: ChocolateNative American Crops: Chocolate

• Maya may have used chocolate in Maya may have used chocolate in religious ceremonies;religious ceremonies;

• Columbus brought back chocolate to Columbus brought back chocolate to Spain from his second voyage in 1493;Spain from his second voyage in 1493;

• Cacao tree is closely related to the Cacao tree is closely related to the plant in Africa that produces the cola plant in Africa that produces the cola nut, the flavoring in Coca Cola;nut, the flavoring in Coca Cola;

• Chocolate passed into French pastries Chocolate passed into French pastries in 1660 when Marie-Thin 1660 when Marie-Théérèse married rèse married Louis 14. She was a chocolate Louis 14. She was a chocolate enthusiast.enthusiast.

• Source: Foster and Cordell pages 105−121– see slide #4Source: Foster and Cordell pages 105−121– see slide #4

Source: Foster and Cordell 1992 – see slide #4Source: Foster and Cordell 1992 – see slide #4

20 January 2012 Slide added 20 January 2012 48

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Native American Crops: ChocolateNative American Crops: Chocolate

Is chocolate good for your health? Click Is chocolate good for your health? Click here to read an article from the here to read an article from the New York New York TimesTimes (12 February 2004, page F-5) on (12 February 2004, page F-5) on this subject.this subject.

Source:Source:https://msuwebdav.montclair.edu/pubweb_vol1/franker/Anth140/https://msuwebdav.montclair.edu/pubweb_vol1/franker/Anth140/SupplementalMaterials/chocolate.pdfSupplementalMaterials/chocolate.pdf

20 January 2012 Slide added 20 January 2012

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Is Chocolate Endangered?Is Chocolate Endangered?2012 Update

The February 12, 2012 issue 302(6) of The February 12, 2012 issue 302(6) of Scientific American, pages 60−65 claims Scientific American, pages 60−65 claims that high demand plus climate change that high demand plus climate change may be threatening the delicate plants may be threatening the delicate plants that produce the cacao bean − the main that produce the cacao bean − the main element in chocolate.element in chocolate.


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Is Chocolate Endangered?Is Chocolate Endangered?

• 40 to 50 million people worldwide depend on cacao 40 to 50 million people worldwide depend on cacao for earning their livingfor earning their living

• Global warming makes tropics too hot for the plant;Global warming makes tropics too hot for the plant;• Global warming causing more powerful rainstorms Global warming causing more powerful rainstorms

that break off the flowers before the pods can that break off the flowers before the pods can develop;develop;

• Global warming facilitating the spread of infections Global warming facilitating the spread of infections and parasites – cacao tree very susceptibleand parasites – cacao tree very susceptible


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Is Chocolate Endangered?Is Chocolate Endangered?

• Cacao plant has limited genetic variety, makes it more Cacao plant has limited genetic variety, makes it more vulnerable;vulnerable;

• 70% now comes from Africa where many farmers are too 70% now comes from Africa where many farmers are too poor to afford investment in improvements;poor to afford investment in improvements;

• Read the article for yourself: here.Read the article for yourself: here.• Chocolate production may harm tropical rainforest diversity Chocolate production may harm tropical rainforest diversity

(Foster and Cordell – see slide #4);(Foster and Cordell – see slide #4);• See 54 minute Mars Company video on the future of See 54 minute Mars Company video on the future of

chocolate herechocolate here..20 January 2012 This slide added 20 January 2012

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Dr. Richard W. FrankeNational and Regional Dishes Based on Native American Foods

1. Italian Minestrone: green beans, kidney beans, potatoes, tomatoes2. Spanish Gazpacho: tomatoes, sweet peppers3. Hungarian Goulash: sweet red peppers, potatoes4. British Fish and Chips: potatoes5. Tex-Mex: beans, corn, chilies6. Indian curries: chilies7. New England Clambake: clams and how to cook them

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National and Regional Dishes Based on Native American Foods

8. Succotash: corn, lima beans9. Turkey with cranberries: turkey, cranberries10. Cornbread (cornpone): corn and means of processing11. Hush puppies: corn meal globs fried in bear fat12. Pecan pie: pecans13. Baked beans: maple sugar cooked with beans (Europeans added some hog fat to make it “pork and beans”)14. Potato chips, French fries, corn chips, nachos, tortilla chips15. Dried beef “jerky” (from charqui: an Inca Quechua word

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Coca-Cola:Coca-Cola:

An Afro-Indian DrinkAn Afro-Indian Drink

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Coca-Cola: An Afro-Indian DrinkCoca-Cola: An Afro-Indian Drink• Coca part from the coca leaf – Native Coca part from the coca leaf – Native

Americans chew or make into tea that Americans chew or make into tea that alleviates pain and overcomes thirst, alleviates pain and overcomes thirst, hunger, itching and fatiguehunger, itching and fatigue

• Cola part from cola nut Cola part from cola nut – – Africans used the kola Africans used the kola as a stimulantas a stimulant

• Cola one of very few Cola one of very few plants to contain caffeineplants to contain caffeine

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Coca-Cola: An Afro-Indian DrinkCoca-Cola: An Afro-Indian Drink• Coca to Europe in 1565Coca to Europe in 1565• In 1880s German chemists isolated the In 1880s German chemists isolated the

active ingredient that became known active ingredient that became known

as “cocaine”as “cocaine”• Main use as anesthesia for Main use as anesthesia for

painful eye surgery and other painful eye surgery and other

operationsoperations

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Coca-Cola: An Afro-Coca-Cola: An Afro-Indian DrinkIndian Drink

• Widely used as pain Widely used as pain killer by Civil War killer by Civil War veterans in USveterans in US

• Morphine – another pain Morphine – another pain killer so widespread killer so widespread among soldiers and among soldiers and veterans it was called veterans it was called the “army disease”the “army disease”

• ““Cocaine…runin’ round Cocaine…runin’ round my brain” popular my brain” popular phrasephrase

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Coca-Cola: An Afro-Indian DrinkCoca-Cola: An Afro-Indian Drink• Cocaine still known today under commercial Cocaine still known today under commercial

names such as novocain and used by dentists names such as novocain and used by dentists etc.etc.

• 1880s Mariani’s Coca wine popular with Pope, 1880s Mariani’s Coca wine popular with Pope, Queen Victoria, President McKinley, Thomas Queen Victoria, President McKinley, Thomas EdisonEdison

• US Confederate veteran John Pemberton US Confederate veteran John Pemberton replaced the alcohol with African kola nut to replaced the alcohol with African kola nut to make better flavormake better flavor

• 1886 Coca-Cola syrup to flavor water1886 Coca-Cola syrup to flavor water

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Coca-Cola: An Afro-Indian DrinkCoca-Cola: An Afro-Indian Drink• Pemberton a wounded war vet Pemberton a wounded war vet

suffered severe morphine addictionsuffered severe morphine addiction• Discovered that cocaine brought Discovered that cocaine brought

relief from that addictionrelief from that addiction• In 1902 Georgia State Legislature In 1902 Georgia State Legislature

outlawed cocaineoutlawed cocaine

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Coca-Cola: An Afro-Coca-Cola: An Afro-Indian DrinkIndian Drink

• In 1888 Asa Candler In 1888 Asa Candler bought company and bought company and expanded to worldwide expanded to worldwide marketmarket

• In 1914 US Congress In 1914 US Congress passed law requiring passed law requiring doctor’s prescription for doctor’s prescription for heroine or cocaineheroine or cocaine

• Does Coke still contain Does Coke still contain cocaine? Company cocaine? Company refuses to release its refuses to release its formulaformula

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