Re: Reply [CH] Chile origins
Peter Moss (pmoss@yoda.alt.za)
Wed, 28 Mar 2001 21:00:50 RSA-2
On 28 Mar 01 at 21:33, Luke Speer wrote:
> Hi Carpo:
> Very Tongue in cheek reply there on your part.
;-)
[snip]
>> ..."They cook banana before it is ripe in fresh milk and they
>> put it on a dish, and they put sour milk in a dish with
>> pickled lemon on it and bunches of pickled chillies,
>> vineagared and salted, and green ginger and mangoes."
> ===================================================================
> I doubt that Bananas reached Africa by then, (I wrote an article which
> got published) for Tropical Fruit News Magazine in Florida a couple of
> yrs ago and don't actually have the reference material on me but seem to
> remember that it was much later..
Bananas travels are probably just as interesting as chiles and
if only we knew for sure.
> As for Ginger and Mangoes they probably arrived in Africa long after
> 1330..
Mango - Mangifera indica, probably originated in the Indo-Burma
region and grows wild in the forests of India. Grown for 4000
years or more.
It was probably taken to Malaya and neighbouring East Asian
countries by Indians in the 5th and 4th century BC. and to the
East African coast by Presians about 10th century AD.
The same would be true of Ginger - Zingiber officinale, native
of Southeast Asian forests.
People from Malasia probably went to Madagascar about AD 500
taking with them banana, which then spread to Africa.
We can say with some certainty that crops from India reached
China some 4000 years ago. Crops originating in Africa had
reached India some 3000 years ago. Areas of interest would be
Indian, Chinese and Arab traders. Possibly the Dravidians and
Sabaeans.
Now we have banana, ginger and mango in Africa prior to 1330.
There seems little reason to doubt that what was written of the
travels of Ibn Battuta in Africa in 1330 is in fact a true
account.
I cannot explain how chile got there but when we look at the
distance from home the polynesians managed (New Zealand) why
are we surprised?
Peter
--
Peter Moss
After one hundred and fifty years and many thousands of firearms
control laws to reduce crime the list of successes should be
long and illustrious. Where is the list?