Global
Perspectives on Fast-Food History
Very few of the products that we eat originated or
were domesticated in the United States. So how did these foods arrive here?
Many food products originated in the Middle East and Asia. For instance, pepper
and many spices are grown only in India and Southeast Asia. Many spices
continue to be imported into the United States.
In turn, many Asian foods could be grown in the
Mediterranean or Western European climates. Many Asian foods were introduced
into Europe in prehistoric times. Food products consumed in antiquity by
Egyptians, Greeks and Romans including bread (wheat), cheese, lettuce, pickle
(cucumber), beef, vinegar, chicken eggs, olive oil, and mustard. As Europeans
colonized the New World during the 16th century, these products were
imported into what is today the United States. None of these products were
found in the New World prior to European colonization. All of these products
are grown in the United States today, although speciality items are imported.
Another way in which Asian foods arrived in the
United States was through the Caribbean. For instance, sugarcane originated in
Southeast Asia, and was introduced into India 2,500 years ago. From India sugar
was introduced to Persia (today Iran) by 600 CE. Moslem Arabs introduced sugar
into the Mediterranean region and to southern Italy and Spain. Europeans
introduced sugarcane to the Atlantic Islands, and European explorers, beginning
with Columbus, introduced sugar into the Caribbean. The major reason for the
expansion of slavery in the New World was to provide labor for the sugar
plantations of the Caribbean and Latin America. Today, the United States
imports about 50 percent of its sugar needs. Except in Hawaii and Louisiana,
domestic production is based on sugar beets, not sugarcane.
Other products came from Africa. The kola nut, for
instance, was introduced from Africa to the Caribbean during the 19th century.
There is no production of kola nuts in the United States; all kola nuts or
related products are imported from Africa or the Caribbean. Other African foods
introduced into the United States include the watermelon and okra, a major
component in gumbo.
Still other products originated in South America
and Mesoamerica. The tomatoes on the hamburger or in the ketchup originated in
South America, but were domesticated in Mesoamerica. It is likely that the
Spanish first introduced tomatoes into what is today the United States in their
colonies in St. Augustine (Florida), Santa Fe (New Mexico), and California.
Tomatoes were later also introduced by immigrants from France, the United
Kingdom, Ireland, and by slaves from the Caribbean. Potatoes originated and
were domesticated in South America, and were introduced by the Spanish in
Europe. From Europe, potatoes were brought to British colonies in North
America. Other important New World foods had already been disseminated into
North America before the arrival of Europeans. These include corn (maize),
squash, beans, and turkey, all staple food sources for many Native Americans.
Salt is technically not a food, but it is necessary
for human survival. Salt was mined and traded in prehistoric times. It was
important for the preservation of food and later for manufacturing gun powder.
Salt was mined in several locations in the United States; many salting
operations were launched using salt water from the ocean. As salt is contained
in many processed foods, most of us consume too much salt which leads to health
complications. High levels of salt are found in cheeseburgers.