What did Europeans eat before potatoes and corn?

Cereals remained the most important staple during the early Middle Ages as rice was introduced late, and the potato was only introduced in 1536, with a much later date for widespread consumption. Barley, oats and rye were eaten by the poor. Wheat was for the governing classes.

What did Europeans eat before corn?

We already had plenty of grains like wheat, rice, millet, rye and barley, so corn did not have that much impact, except to the poor. We also had domesticated animals, which we introduced to the Americas, plus plenty of fruits and vegetables.”

What did the UK eat before potatoes?

Fertile food Before the introduction of the potato, those in Ireland, England and continental Europe lived mostly off grain, which grew inconsistently in regions with a wet, cold climate or rocky soil. Potatoes grew in some conditions where grain could not, and the effect on the population was overwhelming.

What foods were introduced to Europe?

For thousands of years, bread had been a central part of the European diet. Wheat was not indigenous to the Americas, where maize was the native grain. In the first few decades of colonization, European settlers imported goods like bread, wine, olive oil and certain meats.

What did they eat in Europe before potatoes?

Populations did not really grow before the potato was introduced to Northern Europe. But North europeans had access to herrings and fish and wild meat along with some mixed husbandry which gave milk and cheese. And we did not rely on wheat, but rather rye, oats and barley plus turnips.

What foods were brought from America to Europe?

What food did Christopher Columbus bring back to Europe?

Although he didn’t get to Asia for cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and other spices, his discoveries changed the face of foodstuffs in Europe. Among the items brought back to Spain were yams, potatoes, pineapple, peppers, cocoa, vanilla, papaya, squash corn, tomatoes, peanuts, cotton, avocados, cotton and the turkey.

What did the average European eat before potatoes?

Such as cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, sugar. But were way beyond the means of the average peasant in Europe. Bread, butter and stew (or porridge) were what most Europeans ate before the potato became so popular. Occasionally a biscuit or cake sweetened with honey.

Why did Europeans not eat potatoes in South America?

Europeans in South America were aware of the potato by the mid-16th century, but refused to eat the plant. For the Spaniards the potato was regarded as a food for the natives: the Spanish conquerors speak most favourably of the potato but they recommend it especially for the natives who have to do the heaviest jobs.

What was the pre-potato Irish diet?

Grains, either as bread or porridge, were the other mainstay of the pre-potato Irish diet, and the most common was the humble oat, usually made into oatcakes and griddled (ovens hadn’t really taken off yet).

What did the Irish eat in the past?

Besides the focus on oats and dairy (and more dairy), the Irish diet wasn’t too different from how we think of it today. They did eat meat, of course, though the reliance on milk meant that beef was a rarity, and most people probably just fried up some bacon during good times, or ate fish they caught themselves.