New World foods
New World foods are not native to Europe, or Asia. Most are from North or South America, some from Pacific and other islands and Australasia.
Some of these foodstuffs began to be brought back to Europe with Columbus and subsequent expeditions. Some of these were brought back as novelties available to the very rich in late period, however a few items (e.g. sweet potato) became instant hits that could be grown easily, and were relatively widespread in Europe by the middle of the 16th Century. For other items there is no proof that they ever were brought to Europe prior to 1600.
Unless you have checked the history of the particular item, and are making food suitable for a late renaissance rich person, it is best to consider all of the items on the following list as out of period.
- Roots: potato, sweet potato, jicama.
- Beans: pinto beans, red beans, kidney beans, lima beans, string beans, runner bean, field peas, black-eyed peas.
- Stalks and Vegetable Fruits: tomato, winter squash types, avocado, capsicum, hot/chilli peppers.
- Grains: corn (maize), quinoa, wild rice.
- Herbs: Chocolate Mint, Eau de Cologne Mint, French Tarragon, Mexican Tarragon, Chilli, Bergamot, Garlic Chives
- Fruit: banana, kiwi, mango, guava, papaya, starfruit, grapefruit, passion fruit, pineapple, prickly pear, hybrid strawberry, black raspberry, loganberry, cranberry, blueberry, breadfruit, cacao (from which chocolate is made), vanilla.
- Nuts: pecans, peanuts, coconuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts.
- Poultry: turkey
