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Non-native foods that are common in European cuisine

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annebeeche watching down on us from by the long tidal river Since: Nov, 2010
watching down on us
#1: May 8th 2011 at 2:43:23 PM

Or, more specifically, foods (crops and livestock) common in European cuisine today *

that would not exist in Sweden and Denmark in the 6th century.

  • tomato
  • potato
  • cabbage (native to the meditteranean, but the Scandies may not have known of it)
  • cauliflower (same)
  • broccoli (same)
  • cacao
  • maize
  • sugarcane
  • papryka

Are there any other foods that I have missed?

(why explorers age why do you have to make historical fiction so difficult for me)

edited 8th May '11 2:50:55 PM by annebeeche

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.
Madrugada Since: Jan, 2001
#2: May 8th 2011 at 3:10:31 PM

Two papers:

Continental Imports To Scandinavia: Patterns and Changes Between AD 400 AND 800

Scandinavian Fur Trade and the “Eastern Route” during Great Migration

I know, the second focuses on the fur trade, but anywhere fur traders could go, other traders could as well.

edited 8th May '11 3:10:39 PM by Madrugada

MattII Since: Sep, 2009
#3: May 8th 2011 at 3:21:07 PM

Rice, and a fair few fruits, like bananas, pomegranates, etc. Possibly chicken as well.

edited 8th May '11 3:27:19 PM by MattII

annebeeche watching down on us from by the long tidal river Since: Nov, 2010
watching down on us
#4: May 8th 2011 at 3:31:20 PM

The crow of the cock is mentioned in the Poetic Edda.

[up][up] Thanks again, Madrugada!

edited 8th May '11 3:31:48 PM by annebeeche

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.
KnightofLsama Since: Sep, 2010
#5: May 8th 2011 at 3:39:48 PM

  • Tea (introduced to Europe in the 16th Century)
  • Coffee (about the same time period)
  • Carrot (8th to 10th Century)
  • Pumpkin (North American)
  • Orange (not a naturally occurring fruit and not introduced to Europe until the 12th Century)

Madrugada Since: Jan, 2001
#6: May 8th 2011 at 3:59:40 PM

Virtually every culture that wasn't strictly hunter-gatherer had some type of domestic poultry or fowl. And fowl and gamebirds were a staple for hunter-gatherer cultures. If they didn't have chicken as we'd recognize them they still would have had duck or goose.

Also keep in mind that veggies may have changed names on us or that the same name may have been used for two or more different plants in different areas. I found one site, for instance, that stated definitively that there's no record of "spinach" in Europe until the Moors brought it to Spain in 1100 AD, and another one that stated equally definitively that it was found in Jorvik — 200 years earlier. My guess? They're talking about two different varieties or even two unrelated plants. Same goes for "cabbage".

[1]

The Viking Answer Lady (may or may not apply — might be all too late.)

blueharp Since: Dec, 1969
#7: May 8th 2011 at 4:04:59 PM

The Carrot was also not originally orange.

And the Turkey is not Scandinavian.

Madrugada Since: Jan, 2001
#8: May 8th 2011 at 4:08:57 PM

Oooooooh, here's another link that may be amusing, even if it turns out to be not terribly helpful:

The Getica of Jordanes, a treatise written about 551 AD on "The origin of the Goths". Jordanes thesis is that the Goths were descended from the Getae (the Geats). This is a 1908 translation into English.

edited 8th May '11 4:10:36 PM by Madrugada

annebeeche watching down on us from by the long tidal river Since: Nov, 2010
watching down on us
#9: May 8th 2011 at 4:57:02 PM

551 AD? That does not sound long after the historical last king of the Geats *

! I know that the Swedes/Scylfings made repeated invasions on Geatland, so that means the Goths were Geats moving out of Geatland? I always figured they were related.

edited 8th May '11 4:57:33 PM by annebeeche

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.
Madrugada Since: Jan, 2001
#10: May 8th 2011 at 5:00:28 PM

That's the guy's premise. Like I said, interesting and amusing even if it turns out to be not helpful. Which is probably what will happen, since it's more about the various flavors of the Goths than the Scandinavian groups they descended from. And the guy who wrote it was in Constantinople, probably never set foot in Northern Europe, and is basing it on another set of books by another guy.

annebeeche watching down on us from by the long tidal river Since: Nov, 2010
watching down on us
#11: May 8th 2011 at 5:05:28 PM

Regardless of whether or not it's helpful, I've bookmarked it anyway.

(I've decided that since my scandy/viking research takes place everywhere on the internet, I'd try and collect it all into one place.)

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.
MattII Since: Sep, 2009
#12: May 8th 2011 at 7:35:11 PM

Interesting note, up until the 17th century, apple was a generic term for all fruit, not including berries, but including nuts. Your fruit tally is probably going to be limited to apples, and maybe pears.

annebeeche watching down on us from by the long tidal river Since: Nov, 2010
watching down on us
#13: May 8th 2011 at 8:03:21 PM

That's like saying just because every flying thing used to be called a bird all flying animals besides birds somehow didn't exist.

It also looks as though apple was tacked onto the ends of the names of specific fruits, like in OE "fingeræppla" for dates, like how we use "berry" at the end of "blueberry" and "strawberry" now.

edited 8th May '11 8:07:26 PM by annebeeche

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.
Madrugada Since: Jan, 2001
#14: May 8th 2011 at 9:05:25 PM

I think he's saying not to be surprised if all that shows up in lists is "apple", the same way the any grain could be listed as "corn".

MattII Since: Sep, 2009
#15: May 8th 2011 at 10:29:34 PM

That's like saying just because every flying thing used to be called a bird all flying animals besides birds somehow didn't exist.
No, it's like saying 'fish' used to mean 'swimming things', which it may well have done (hence, Starfish, Cuttlefish, Jellyfish, Crayfish). Also, 'berry' has its own separate origin.

Also, few fruits grow readily (ie, without greenhouses) in the Scandanavian countries, apples maybe, and a couple of 'berries' (blackberries and raspberries aren't actually berries, despite their name).

annebeeche watching down on us from by the long tidal river Since: Nov, 2010
watching down on us
#16: May 9th 2011 at 3:45:09 AM

That was what I was thinking of, actually. My mistake.

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.
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