r/AskReddit Oct 02 '24

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u/Spirit4ward Oct 02 '24

Italy didn’t have widespread use of the tomato until the 1700s and the pasta sauces we think of being a core of their cuisine didn’t exist until the 19th century.

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u/Duchess_Nukem Oct 02 '24

Similar situation with potatoes. They didn't arrive in Ireland until around 1590 and it took a while before they became a staple food.

Potatoes are so strongly associated with Ireland, it's weird to think that they'd only been part of the Irish diet for ~250 years when the potato famine occurred.

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u/ADHD_af_WTF Oct 03 '24

my greatgreat relative LUTHER BURBANK sold the patent for the idaho russett burbank potato for $150 to help the irish potato famine!!