The origins of food

◆ Andy Keedwell

Where does our food come from?

Once upon a time carrots were purple, there were no pineapples in Asia or lemons in America, and many people thought potatoes were poisonous.Many types of fruit and vegetable grew only in one place.So how did they spread all over the world?

Changing colours

Five thousand years ago, carrots only grew in Afghanistan and most were purple.Only a few were orange as they are today! Farmers in Holland were looking for a fruit or vegetable to represent their king, William of Orange, and orange carrots were just what they were looking for—they became the ancestors of all modern carrots.

At home in the mountains

Many plants only grow in certain places on Earth, often deep in the jungle.The home of potatoes is in the mountains of the Andes in South America.Bananas come from Papua New Guinea and lemons grow wild in China.

World travel

But once people realised that many of these plants were good to eat, they took them far from the places where they grew.Fruit, in particular, attracted thirsty travellers.Arab merchants transported different fruits and vegetables around the world, such as oranges which they took from Asia to distant countries such as Spain and Sicily.The Spanish returned from South America with many new types of food including chocolate, chilli and corn.

Some unusual uses

People often had problems deciding what to do with these new fruits and vegetables, or used them for different purposes from today.Carrots were used not as food but as medicine to protect people from poison or even (it was believed) to make people fall in love.The first tomatoes and pineapples were grown not as food but to make the garden look pretty.And many people were worried about potatoes—although they are good for us, their leaves are poisonous and poorer people believed they could be used for black magic.In Germany, people only began eating potatoes when the king ordered that people who did not eat them would have their ears and noses cut off!

And today...

Today, we are so used to our different types of food that we don’t think about where they came from.But for each pineapple, potato or carrot we eat, there is a long history!

Activity 2

Now complete the sentences using words from the text.Make any changes to the words that are necessary.

1.He travelled around the world, often to many (________.) places.

2.In my town, you can buy food, carpets and toys from the (________) in the market.

3.Millions of years ago, the (________) of modern humans lived in caves.

4.Some plants give us food, but others are (________) and will harm us.

5.The number of (________) animals gets less every year, but many live in zoos.

6.We use trains, lorries, ships and planes to (________) food from one country to another.

Activity 3

Look at the types of fruits and vegetables in the box.Using the information in the text to help you, choose a type of fruit or vegetable from the box to complete each sentence below.There are some words you will not need to use.

tomatoes carrots chilli corn pineapples bananas lemons oranges potatoes chocolate

1.(______) reminded people of the name of their king.

2.(______) were only eaten after a royal command.

3.(________) grow well in high places.

4.(______), (______) and (______)travelled to Europe from Asia.

5.(______) and (______) were grown because people thought they were beautiful.

6.(______) were believed to cure diseases.

Activity 4

Some nouns in English have only an uncountable form (for example：information, homework) which never have a plural.

Some words in English have both an uncountable form and a countable form (oftenmeaning types of).For example, the article says：

Fruit in general:Fruit, in particular, attracted thirsty travellers.(uncountable)

Types of fruit:Arab merchants carried differentfruitsand vegetables around the world.(countable)

Here are some more examples.First, decide which forms of the noun are countable or uncountable.Then choose one form to complete each sentence.

Activity 4

glass /glasses perfume /perfumes tea /teas chocolate /chocolates time /times hair /hairs

Example：

He had hishaircut yesterday.

1.The customer found three long, black (______) in his soup.

2.I’m so delighted—he gave me a bottle of (______) for my birthday!

3.We use the fruit of the cocoa tree to make (______).

4.We haven’t got much (______).Hurry up, because we’ll be late!

5.The new waiter broke three (______) on his first day.

6.Chinese, Indian, Kenyan—this article will describe how the (______) of the world are grown.

Activity 5

Which of the fruits and vegetables mentioned in the article grow in your country? Where do the fruits and vegetables you like come from?

Answers

Activity 1

1.a 2.b 3.d 4.c 5.f 6.e

Activity 2

1.distant 2.merchants 3.ancestors 4.poisonous 5.wild 6.transport

Activity 3

1.Carrots 2.Potatoes 3.Potatoes 4.Carrots, lemons, oranges 5.Tomatoes, pineapples 6.Carrots

Activity 4

1.hairs 2.perfume 3.chocolate 4.time 5.glasses 6.teas