MODERN PERIOD / AGE OF DISCOVERY / RENAISSANCE (1300 AD – 1600 AD)

MODERN PERIOD / AGE OF DISCOVERY / RENAISSANCE (1300 AD – 1600 AD)

Tang and Song Dynasties

Periods of time in China characterized by population growth, urbanization, and advancements in silk production, porcelain, gunpowder, printing press, and tea.

Regional Cuisines in China

Distinctive cuisines that emerged during the Song Dynasty in three regions:north, south, and Szechwan, each with its own food preferences and ingredients.

Mongols

Nomadic group that conquered a vast empire stretching from China to Poland, known for their use of horses, horsemeat, mare's milk, and ruthless tactics.

Bubonic Plague - the Black Death

Epidemic that spread through Europe in the 14th century, killing one-third of the population, caused by fleas on rats and facilitated by poor nutrition and hygiene.

Renaissance

Period of "rebirth" in Italy characterized by increased trade, learning, and emphasis on humanism, leading to a rediscovery of ancient Roman cuisine and a revival of Roman excesses.

Portugal and the Search for Spices

Portugal's exploration and trade efforts led by Prince Henry the Navigator, utilizing technological developments like the magnetic compass, astrolabe, and triangular sails to find a direct route to the East Indies and bypass middlemen.

Christopher Columbus

Italian explorer who sought a westward route to the Indies, eventually gaining the support of Spain's King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella and discovering the Americas.

Native American Empires

Dominant cultures in North and South America before Columbus, including Cahokia in North America, the Inca in South America, and the Aztec in Central America, each with unique trade routes and monumental structures.

Inca Empire

Largest empire in the Americas, known for its complex road system, mummification practices, worship of the sun god Inti, and government-controlled land and economy, with crops like quinoa being grown under their direction.

Vizcacha

An animal with a body like a rabbit and a tail like a fox, included in the meats consumed by the Inca.

Freeze-drying

A method used by the Inca to preserve potatoes by squeezing the moisture out of them during the day and allowing them to freeze at night.

Corn

A staple of the Inca diet that traveled south from Mexico.

Xoxolatl

Also known as cacahuatl or chocolate, a beverage made from the seeds of the cacao plant and considered the "food of the gods" in Aztec culture.

Columbian Exchange

The collision of the Old and New Worlds and the exchange of foods, plants, animals, and diseases between them.

Syphilis

A major disease that traveled from the Americas to Europe during the Columbian Exchange.

Zoonoses

Animal diseases that cross over to afflict humans.

Conquistadors

The Spanish conquerors who followed Columbus to the New World and brought their cuisines and cultures with them.

Mole

A traditional Mexican sauce that has been influenced by European cuisine.

Carnitas

A stuffing used in tortillas that includes meat, reflecting the shift towards a meat-based diet in South American native cuisines.

Chili con carne

Beans in a tomato sauce with meat

Mexican chocolate

Combination of freshly ground cacao beans, cinnamon, and granulated sugar

Mole poblano

Signature dish of the Mexican city Puebla

Pozole

Pork and hominy stew

Queso fresco

Mexican cheese made from cow's milk

Flan

Spanish custard made from eggs and sugar

Pueblo

Native American villages in Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico

Kiva

Underground chamber used for religious and tribal matters in Pueblo villages

Encomienda system

Spanish settlers in New Spain were given land and Indians to work it

Gauchos

South American cowboys in Argentina

Brazilian food

Heavily influenced by Portugal and Africa

Sugar

Dominated the international market and caused the enslavement of millions of Africans

Rum

Alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane juice or molasses

Triangle trade

Trade route between the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa involving sugar, rum, goods, and slaves

Maize

Corn, not fully accepted as human food in Europe

Tomato

Referred to as "golden apple" in Italy and "earth apple" in French and German

Turkey

Big, festive bird that replaced other inedible birds in Europe

Chocolate

Initially considered a luxury by the Spanish nobility

Powerful aphrodisiac

A substance that enhances sexual desire or pleasure.

Mercantilism

An economic system based on a country having a favorable balance of trade, where more money comes into the treasury than goes out.

Spanish Armada

A fleet of Spanish ships built to attack England in the late 16th century.

Protestant wind

A term used by the British to describe the wind that scattered the Spanish Armada, symbolizing their victory over Catholic Spain.

Old World ingredients

Animals, fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, spices, and other food items that were originally found in Europe and other parts of the Eastern Hemisphere.

New World ingredients

Animals, fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, spices, and other food items that were originally found in the Americas.

Colonize

To establish settlements or colonies in a new territory.

Cacao

The plant from which chocolate is made.

Guava

A tropical fruit native to the Americas.

Potato

A starchy vegetable native to the Americas.