Columbian Exchange
With the expanding European colonization and increasing trade between the ‘Old’ and ‘New’ worlds, both realms experienced significant changes in their diet and lifestyle. The two continents exchanged plants, animals, people, and diseases – the process known as the Columbian Exchange. Although such economic interaction overall was more beneficial for Europeans than for indigenous Americans, the new commodities were successfully adapted by local societies and could shape the future of many (if not all) nations.
The Exchange of Plants
Firstly, both hemispheres were introduced to plants previously unknown. In this regard, Europe and Africa started consuming and cultivating maize, potatoes, various kinds of beans, peanuts, tomatoes, pineapples, and papayas, to name a few. On the other hand, indigenous Americans imported rice, wheat, coffee, olives, wine grapes, and some other edibles. Sooner or later, all the novel plants became common and even started playing a central role in national cuisines. For instance, tomatoes in Italy, chili peppers in India and Korea, and paprika in Hungary are those countries’ culinary centerpieces nowadays. However, the introduction of the new plants sometimes also had adverse effects on local ecosystems. In particular, Cusack (2020) states that the widespread of wheat in the North American prairies for agricultural purposes led to a significant reduction in the number of bison herds. Therefore, it can be argued that food and plant globalization had both positive and negative consequences.
The Exchange of Animals
Both domains across the Atlantic also enlarged the number of animal species present. The varieties new to the ‘Old’ world included alpaca, iguana, flying squirrel, catfish, rattlesnake, and armadillo, whereas the ‘New’ world was introduced with horses, cattle, and sheep, goats, and pigs. However, seemingly Native Americans could benefit more from this type of biological diversity as European animals were actively used for breeding and food, while horses facilitated hunting and provided warfare advantages.
The Exchange of Diseases
Conversely, in terms of diseases, it can be argued that indigenous people in America suffered much more than their European and African counterparts. While the latter only “imported” syphilis, the latter encountered such deadly bacteria and viruses as smallpox, bubonic plague, malaria, and yellow fever for the first time. For this reason, according to researchers’ estimates, European diseases caused the death of 80%-90% of Indians as the locals did not have immunity against them.
Reference
Cusack, I. (2020). Ripples from the Columbian Exchange? In Dublin Symposium Gastronomy (Ed.), 2020: Food and disruption: What shall we eat tomorrow?(pp. 61-72). Dublin Gastronomy Symposium. Web.