chapter 3 - food tech

unit 1

What is a spice

Seeds, flowers, bark, roots, berries, and fruit used as flavoring ingredients in food, medicines, perfume, and incense.

From which plants is sugar produced?

Sugar is produced from both sugar cane and sugar beet.

Name three important cereal crops grown worldwide.

Wheat, corn (maize), and rice.

What are wild einkorn and emmer?

Ancient varieties of wheat.

When did humans transition from hunter-gatherers to farming?

Around 10,000 BCE.

Where were wheat and barley originally grown?

The Fertile Crescent of the Middle East.

Which grains were grown in Asia?

Millet and rice.

What were the main crops in the Americas?

Corn (maize) and potatoes.

By when was agriculture practiced across most continents?

By 5,000 BCE.

When were animals domesticated?

By 6,000 BCE.

How did food help early civilizations connect?

Trade routes linked different cultures and facilitated exchange of products and ideas.

What role did spice trade play in global exploration?

It led to established shipping routes and the discovery of the Americas.

Why did explorers seek new lands?

To gain access to raw materials and agricultural products and to find new markets.

Who discovered America in 1492?

Christopher Columbus.

Who found the sea route between Europe and India in 1498?

Vasco da Gama.

What was the Dutch East India Company?

A trading company established in 1602 following successful spice trade voyages.

What was the Columbian Exchange?

The global exchange of plants, animals, and goods after Columbus’s voyages.

Where was corn first domesticated?

Mesoamerica (modern-day Mexico).

Where was rice first domesticated?

Pearl River valley, China.

When and where was wheat first domesticated?

Around 10,000 BCE in the Fertile Crescent.

How did grains spread globally?

Through human migration, trade, and colonization.

Name the three most important cereal crops still today.

Wheat, corn, and rice.

Where and when was tea cultivation first started?

China, around 2737 BCE (legendary discovery).

When did tea drinking spread internationally?

From the 6th century CE, and globally by the 16th century.

Where was coffee first discovered?

Ethiopia, around 800 CE.

Who introduced coffee to Europe?

Traders and pilgrims via Yemen and Turkey in the 14th-16th centuries.

Which countries are today main exporters of tea?

China, India, Kenya, and Sri Lanka.

Which country relies heavily on coffee exports?

Ethiopia.

What is the origin of the word "spice"?

From Latin, meaning "special" or luxury item.

Name some ancient uses of spices.

Flavorings, medicines, perfumes, incense, and embalming.

What motivated early European explorers like Columbus regarding spices?

To gain access to spice-rich lands like India and the Spice Islands.

Where was sugar first cultivated?

New Guinea around 6000 BCE and later India.

How did sugar spread globally?

Through Arab invasions, Crusades, and European colonization of the Americas.

Where is chocolate originally from?

Mesoamerica, around 1900 BCE.

How did chocolate become popular in Europe?

Spanish conquistadors brought cacao to Spain in the 16th century, sweetened with sugar.

Why was salt important in history?

Used for seasoning, preserving food, currency, and religious rituals.

How did early humans obtain salt?

From animal meat and natural salt deposits.

When did salt mining begin in China?

By 6,000 BCE.

What is the origin of the word "salary"?

From the Latin word for salt, as Roman soldiers were paid with salt.

How valuable was salt in ancient trade?

Sometimes valued equal to gold and used as currency.

How did trade influence the development of global cuisines?

Trade connected different cultures and introduced new foods, spices, and agricultural products, influencing local cooking styles and ingredients.

What was the Silk Road?

An ancient trade route linking eastern nations like China and India to the Mediterranean, enabling the movement of goods like spices, silk, and food products.

How did the Silk Road contribute to global cuisine?

It allowed for the exchange of food, spices, and cooking techniques across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

What was the Columbian Exchange?

A massive transfer of crops, animals, and food between the Americas and Europe after Columbus's voyages in the 1490s.

What were historical uses of spices besides food?

Spices were used in medicine, perfumes, incense, embalming, and religious rituals.

How were spices viewed in ancient times?

As luxury items or valuable commodities—often used as currency (e.g., peppercorns for rent/taxes).

How did spices influence exploration and trade?

The search for spices like pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg motivated European exploration and led to the discovery of sea trade routes and new continents.

What role did the Arabs and Europeans play in the spice trade?

Arabs dominated early spice trade; later, Europeans like the Portuguese and Dutch established colonies and monopolies over the spice trade.

Where did tea originate and when?

Tea originated in China, with legend dating it back to 2737 BCE.

How did tea spread from China to other countries?

It spread to Japan, the Middle East, and Europe through trade, especially via the Dutch and English East India Companies.

How did the British influence global tea consumption?

British colonists introduced tea to North America, India, and Australia, making it a global staple.

Which countries are the main exporters of tea today?

China, India, Kenya, and Sri Lanka.

What made tea become a staple in many households worldwide?

Cultural integration, colonial influence, increased trade, and its popularity as a social and daily beverage.