2 veg

[Thunderbird+]

When was Maize first introduced into China and also what is the history of the carrot in this country ?

[heathfield]

Hi, Thunderbird - there's a good carrot history here There's mention of the introduction of the sweet potato to China from the Americas around the 1550s. It would seem highly probable that maize would have been brought over at the same time.

[nickmo]

Hi TB - the theory that the Chinese were sailing round the world long before westerners is put across in the book '1421' by Gavin Menzies. In it he offers that Chinese were sailing to South America and leaving with some of the plants so likely that could be an earlier date for the introduction of maize.

Carrots were from the Afganistan region originaly - the carrot was a purple or a white root, the orange strain only really being devloped fairly recently. Have a look at : http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/foyer.html if you are bored...loads of facts there on the links.

[jno]

a carrot museum, well I never. At least they'll save money by not having to switch the lights on at night.

[carrotmuseum]

...... and live healthy and longer!!