On Sun, 09 May 2004 09:20:02 -0500, Dennis Montey
> wrote:

>I certainly did not intend to infer that tomatoes were 'new' to Italy.
>My question referred to the introduction of tomatoes after they had an
>established cuisine. We often associate tomatoes or tomato sauces with
>the popular dishes of Italy. The same is true of India. Indian cuisine
>brings to mind thick, spicy tomato based currie sauces with a great deal
>of heat. In the USA, we are accustomed to regular introductions of
>exotic and not so exotic food items. We experiment with different
>ethnicities and fusions, though none have so dramaticall changed our
>eating habits Keeping in mind , of course, that our national diet is
>the result of a grand melting pot.. However, it would seem that the
>introduction of the tomato and pepper have made them staple ingredients
>in these two cultures. Is this also the case in Thai, Mongolian and
>other Asian cuisines who are soooo fond of the heat contributed by peppers?

It appears as if, as soon as people could cross oceans, they started
trading food and food plants. Where growiing a new food crop was
possible, it was adopted and the cuisine adapted. Remember that one of
the motivations for 15th century European exploration was a shorter(!)
route to spice-producing regions. The most dramatic influx of new food
items must surely have been the "discovery" of the Americas. Not only
tomatoes, corn, and capsicums, but also pineapple, papaya, vanilla
and chocolate originated in the New World.