TPO10 Lecture 2 European History
Narrator
Listen to part of a lecture in a European History Class
Professor
So would it surprise you to learn that many of the food that we today consider
traditional European dishes that their key ingredients were not even known in
Europe until quite recently, until the European started trading with the native
people in North and South America? I mean, you probably aware that the
Americas provide Europe and Asia with food like squash, beans, turkey,
peanuts. But what about all those Italian tomato sauces, humgarengurush or
my favorite, French fries? Those yummy fried potatoes.
Student
Wait. I mean I knew potatoes were from where, South America?
Professor
South America. Right, the Andes Mountains.
Student
But you are saying tomatoes too? I just assume since there used to so many
Italian dishes.
Professor
No, like potatoes, Tomato grew widely in the Andes. Although unlike potatoes,
they weren’t originally cultivated there. That seems to occur first in Central
America. And even then the tomato doesn’t appear to have been very
important as a food plant until the European came on the scene. They took it
back to Europe with them around 1550. And Italy was indeed the first place
where it’s widely grown as food crop. So in a sense, it really is more Italian
than American. And another thing and this is true of both potato and tomato.
Both of the plants are members of Nightshade family. The Nightshade family is
a category of plants which also includes many that you wouldn’t want to eat,
like mandrake, belladonna, and even tobacco. So it’s no wonder that people
once considered potatoes and tomatoes to be inedible too, even poisonous.
And in fact, the leaves of the potato plant are quite toxic. So, too it took both
plants quite a while to catch on in Europe. And even longer before it made a
return trip to North America and became popular food items here.
Student
Yeah, you know, I remember, I remember my grandmother telling me that
when her mother was a little girl, a lot of people still thought tomatoes are
poisonous.
Professor
Oh, sure. People didn’t really start eating them here until the mid-eighteen
hundreds.
Student
But seems like I heard didn’t Tom Jefferson grow them or something?
Professor
Well, that’s true. But then Jefferson is known not only as the third president of
the United States but also as a scholar who was way ahead of his time in many
ways. He didn’t let the conventional thinking of his day restrain his ideas.
Now, potatoes went through a similar sort of rejection process, especially
when they were first introduced in Europe. You know how potatoes can turn
green if they are left in the light too long? And that green of skin can make the
potatoes tastes bitter; even make you ill. So that was enough to put people off
for over 200 years. Yes, Bill?
Student
I’m sorry professor Jones. But I mean yeah ok. American crops have probably
contributed a lot to European cooking over the years. But…
Professor
But have they really played any kind of important role in European history?
Well, as a matter of fact, yes. I was just coming to that. Let’s start with North
American corn or maize, as it’s often called. Now before the Europeans made
any contact with the Americas, they subsist mainly on grains, grains that often
suffered from crop failures. And largely for this reason, the political power in
Europe was centered for centuries in the South, around the Mediterranean
Sea which was where they could grow these grains with more reliability. But
when corn came to Europe from Mexico, wow, now they had a much hardier
crop that could be grown easily in more northerly climates and centers of
power began to shift accordingly. And then, well as I said potatoes weren’t
really popular at first. But when they finally catch on which they did in Ireland
around 1780. Well, why do you suppose it happen? Because potatoes have
the ability to provide abundant and extremely nutritious food crop, no other
crop grew in North Europe at the time had anything like the number of vitamins
contained in potatoes. Plus, potatoes grow on the single acre of land could
feed many more people than say, wheat grow on the same land. Potatoes
soon spread to France and other Northern European countries. And as a result,
the nutrition of the general population improved tremendously and population
soared in the early 1800 and so the shift of power from southern to northern
Europe continued.
TPO10 Conversation 2
Narrator
Listen to a conversation between a student and an employee in the University
bookstore.
Student
Hi, I brought this book at the beginning of this semester, but, some things
come up and… I’d like to return it.
Employee
Well, for full refund: store policy is that you have to return merchandises 2
weeks from the time it was purchased. Er~~but for science text books or
anything having to do with specific courses. Wait...What is it for specific
course?
Student
Yeah, but actually…
Employee
Well... for course books, the deadline is 4 weeks after the beginning of the
semester. So this forth semester, the deadline was October. 1st.
Student
Ouch, then I missed it. But, why October.1st?
Employee
Well, I guess the reasoning is the by October. 1st, the semester is for gear.
And everyone kind knows what courses all we are taking that semester
Student
I get it, so it mainly for people who decided to its drop from… to changes new
courses early on.
Employee
Exactly!!! The books have to been in perfect condition of course. They can be
marked up or looked use in any way for the full refund, I mean.
Student
Well, but, my situation is a little different. I hoped you might be able to make an
exception.
Employee
Well, the policy is generally pretty rigid and this semester is almost over.
Student
Okay~ here what’s happen? Um~ I think my professor really miscalculated.
Anyway the syllabus was away too ambitious in my opinion. There’re only 2
weeks of classes last semester and there are I‘d like 6 books on the syllabus
that we haven’t even touched.
Employee
I see. So you’re hoping to return in this one.
Student
Yeah, professor already announce that we want be reading this one by Jane
Boons and all the others I bought used
Employee
Jane Boons? Which book of hers?
Student
It called “Two serious ladies”
Employee
Oh, but you should keep it that one. Are you interested in literature?
Student
Well. I am in English major.
Employee
You are lucky to have professor who includes the last note writer like her on
the syllabus, you know, not the usual authors we’ve all read.
Student
So you really think..
Employee
I do. And especially if you into literature
Student
Hem~~ well, this I wasn’t it expecting. I mean… er~em.. Wow~
Employee
I am hoping you were done to get been too pushy. If you prefer, you can return
the book and arrange for store credit, you don't qualified for refund. Policy is
policy after all, but you can make it exchange and you can use the credit for
your books for the next semester. The credit carries over for one semester to
the next.
Student
Emm…that’s good to know, but now I am really entry, I guess that just
because we run out of time to read this book in class, doesn't mean that I
cannot read it on my own time. You know, I think I’ll give it a try.
