Ten Fascinating Food Origins

Perhaps someone could explain how "chips", what we Americans call French Fries, could have appeared in Portugal at least 700 years before a potato ever appeared on the EurAsian/African continents? While frying fish may have originated in Iberia, it also would be wrong to imply that Jews fled Portugal for England, bringing fried fish with them. Jews were a presence in Portugal until the Spanish Inquisition. It was not until 1496 that Jews and Muslims had to convert or be expelled in Portugal. England, on the other hand, expelled Jews under King Edward I (wikipedia says 1290) and they were not allowed legally back until the 19th Century although there were small, unofficial communities. The Jews who supposedly brought fried fish to England would most likely have come from Holland. It is possible that some of them came to England while Holland was still a part of Spain. Some of these were Marranos, the term used for those Jews from Portugal and Spain who technically converted to Christianity but secretly practiced Judaism. Food and its spread would be a fabulous way to study world history. One of my favorites is to how the sweet potato (native to the Americas, probably Mexico or Central America) moved into and made a major mark on the history of China, still a staple food today; via Manilla.

That’s fascinating. I am not so sure if scotch eggs originated in India, haven’t come across it in all my years there. Very possible that it is no longer in circulation

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We Europeans seem to be very good at stealing culinary ideas!