"Donald Martinich" > wrote in message
...
> For more than 500 years the Ottoman Empire and Civilization dominated
> much of the Balkans and Middle East and lasted until the end of World
> War 1. The trade routes from the Far East ran through their territory
> and they developed a very sophisticated cuisine which they introduced
> into Europe when they conquered the Balkan Peninsula. They brought with
> them foods such as capsicum peppers, complex pastries, and many rice
> dishes such as pilaf and rice-stuffed grape leaves, cabbages, peppers,
> and eggplants, just to name a few. Serbia came under Ottoman control
> starting in the late 1300's. I suspect the Italian peninsula received
> their rice from the Orient via the trade routes dominated by the
> Republic of Venice who maintained trade routes through Ottoman
> territory.

Now I do feel stupid, because it didn't occur to me to wonder where Balkans
people got their rice from in the first place, and AFAIK rice is not
indigenous to Europe. Thanks for the information.