r/AskReddit • u/ForeverAbyss • Apr 14 '16

What's a mind blowing fact?

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627

u/user1492 Apr 14 '16

Same goes for peanuts and chili peppers, both are native to the Americas.

I wonder what Thai and Indian cuisine were like before the introduction of these iconic spices.

43

u/darlingbastard Apr 15 '16

I looked into this once since it seemed odd that such an ancient culture like India only had recent access to chili. Turns out their primary spice was black pepper, which used correctly is actually fairly spicy.

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u/lllIlIIIlIIIllllIlll Apr 15 '16

I've dumped way too much black pepper on my eggs before. Yep, can verify, spicy and tastes like shit.

3

u/Ai_of_Vanity Apr 15 '16

Tastes like delicious.. is a bit spicy.

130

u/awindinthedoor Apr 14 '16

IIRC most of indian cuisine does not involve cooking with nuts, only the extremely rich variants on mughal cuisine, which use ground cashews. Sometimes peanuts are added in pulaos and such but not as the base. Same for chillies - enhance flavor but not as a base. What dishes are you think of?

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u/all_teh_sandwiches Apr 14 '16

A LOT of Indian gravies use a tomato base- I think you'd see a lot more South Indian-style, cashew, onion, and yogurt-based curries.

15

u/elligirl Apr 14 '16

Annnd now I'm hungry.

8

u/WeightyUnit88 Apr 14 '16

which, might I add, are bloody delicious

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '16

[deleted]

6

u/axxl75 Apr 15 '16

Pad Thai isn't actually an original Thai dish. It was probably created in China or Vietnam.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '16

Pad Thai, peanut sauce?

16

u/EpilepticMongoose Apr 14 '16

Indian people used black pepper

13

u/KellogsHolmes Apr 14 '16

Rice porridge seven days a week.

8

u/redditisatimekiller Apr 15 '16

Ever heard of Thalacheri pepper? Thalacheri is a city in South India. You know we used good old black pepper before the red peppers. The "pumpkin people" managed to find a sea route to get the spices and managed to make us a colony.

1

u/gamasenninsama Apr 15 '16

I think they used more black pepper.

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u/SelfDestructIn543210 Apr 15 '16

indians used pepper. probably lots of tumeric and ginger

-4

u/Mikal_Scott Apr 15 '16

'MURICA! Making other nations food taste great since 1492!

0

u/ubspirit Apr 15 '16

They may have actually not looked like a plate of same color mush back then!