Do you know the origins of the top ten classic foods?

Do you think popcorn and chewing gum are American specialties? You are totally wrong. In fact, these are all imported goods. Let’s take a look at where these foods come from.

1. Popcorn

In a cave in Mexico state, people found popcorn eaten by ancient Indians more than 4,000 years ago. Ancient Indians strung popcorn into necklaces for use as decoration.

2. Chewing gum

Chewing gum as we know it today can be traced back to the Mayans. The Mayans loved chewing a type of chicle. In 1869, General Antonio brought the gum to Staten Island, New York, in an attempt to use it as a substitute for rubber. However, businessman Thomas Adams discovered the joy of chewing and invented chewing gum.

3. Potatoes

About 7,000 years ago, potatoes were cultivated in Peru. In 1536, Spanish explorers brought potato tubers to the European continent. They thought it was a truffle. British spies believed potatoes were a superfood and shipped them to Ireland. During this time, potatoes ended up in France. The Queen of France loved potatoes so much that she even wore their flowers in her hair as decoration.

4. Tomato

Tomatoes first grew in the Andes Mountains in America. In the 15th century, the Spaniards began to grow tomatoes in large quantities. Tomatoes were believed to be poisonous, and nobles called them "poison apples." Therefore, for decades, tomatoes were used only as ornamental plants. This situation did not change until the 17th century.

5. Pretzels

Around 600 AD, monks cooked the first pretzels. The monks kneaded the dough, twisted it into the shape of people's arms folded in prayer, and then baked it. The monks used them to reward children who memorized the Bible. After the Catholic Church banned eggs and bread, pretzels became the snack of choice and spread to Austria and Belgium. In the early 17th century, German immigrants brought pretzels to Pennsylvania, USA, sparking the pretzel craze among Americans.

6. Okra

According to legend, okra originated in Ethiopia and was introduced to Africa due to the migration of the Bantu people. Okra continued to spread eastward from Africa to India. In the 15th century, European explorers discovered the plant and brought it to Brazil and the West Indies. French colonists and African slaves introduced okra to America in the early 17th century.

7. Coffee

People on the Arabian Peninsula were the first to grow and trade coffee beans. In 1615, Europeans discovered coffee during their expedition to Mecca and brought the drink back to the European continent. At first, priests called coffee "the devil's drink." However, after Pope Clement VII tried it, he was amazed by its delicious taste. Subsequently, coffee fever swept across Europe, and by the mid-16th century, there were more than 300 coffee houses in London. Dutch immigrants brought the craze to New York. However, it wasn't until 1773, in protest against British tariffs on black tea, that coffee replaced black tea as America's favorite brewed beverage.

8. Apple

In the 4th century BC, Alexander the Great invaded Kazakhstan and introduced apples to Macedonia. People began to graft and transplant, and cultivated many varieties.

9. Ice cream

2,200 years ago, the Chinese first mixed rice and milk in snow. Marco Polo introduced early Chinese sherbet to Italy. Later, this idea of ​​taking advantage of severe cold spread to France. In 1744, the idea spread to the American colonies, and ice cream was first produced in ice factories.

10. Ketchup

Originally, ketchup had no tomatoes in it at all! In the 1740s, ketchup was a specialty of British cuisine. Ketchup at the time was made from pureed mushrooms and oysters with sauces such as mustard, nutmeg and cinnamon. James Meese, a Philadelphia doctor, discovered that the tomato, which was then called "love fruit" in the United States, made delicious ketchup, and in 1812 he published the first ketchup recipe. Ketchup became popular after the American Civil War.