Chilies to Chocolate: Food the Americas Gave the World
When European explorers and settlers arrived in the New World, they discovered foods that were unknown outside the Western Hemisphere. Chilies to Chocolate traces the biology and history of some of these foods, including tomatoes, potatoes, vanilla, maize, beans, chili peppers, and chocolate. Contributors discuss how the original species that were cultivated by indigenous populations have undergone genetic, agricultural, and culinary changes for adaptation to today's global consumption. In the epilog, the author laments the "Europeanization of the American landscape," the altering of the social organization of native peoples, the loss of most of the original native stock, and the hazards of monocultural agriculture. See also Seeds of Change ( LJ 10/1/91) for additional perspectives on how the agricultural transformation altered the ethnic makeup and power structures of the world. Recommended for all collections.- Irwin Weintraub, Rutgers Univ. Libs., Piscataway, N.J.Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.