Hot debate over food

THE history of food tells us far more than simply what civilisations chose to eat. It can reveal our shared global story through the manner by which humans traversed the planet. Chillies are an illuminating example. The plant originated in Mexico and Guatemala, a naturally self-pollinating vegetable harvested by the Aztec and Mayan peoples.

Ancient varieties were mild by modern standards, but contained sufficient bite to be interesting. Like most crops, chillies were a seasonal ingredient available for only several months of each year, so the majority were dried, smoked or fermented into a sauce.

Traditional history suggests that chillies were brought to European kitchens and then the world after an event known as the Columbian Exchange — the Spanish discovery of the New World. Yet the tale of our planet is vastly more complex and will require further contemplation.

Archaeologists found a partially fossilised chilli in a dig site in southern Sweden dating to the 13th century. Stone inscriptions on Burmese pagodas from the 11th century depict baskets of chillies. Even the Roman poet Martial seems to be describing chillies when he speaks of a hot vegetable, long and containing seeds.

Yet if true, then our commonly understood story of Christopher Columbus being the first to discover America is flawed, or at least incomplete. Someone, most likely a Chinese explorer, crossed the Pacific hundreds of years earlier.

Perhaps that tale will one day be told in full.

It’s just one more example of why history is living, breathing and vital.