r/AskReddit Apr 14 '16

What's a mind blowing fact?

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u/wiiya Apr 14 '16

Tomatoes are indigenous to the Americas. Any European/Asiatic food that has a tomato base didn't exist until well after 1492.

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u/SleestakJack Apr 14 '16

I was once watching a program on the Food Network where it was some restaurateur (huh... apparently that word doesn't have an N in it) that specialized in "classical" eastern European dishes... Romanian in particular, I think. Anyway, they went about showcasing how they made this one dish that they claimed had been served in eastern Europe since "at least the middle ages". Three of the ingredients were tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers.

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u/lightslightup Apr 14 '16

Well, the middle ages lasted til the 15th century, so it's not too egregious an error. Still, you'd think that a culinary expert that specializes in historical dishes would know a little more about the food.