Squash Origins and Effects on the New and Old World free essay sample

They were referred as sister crops because maize created a supporting structure for bean vines to climb, while the bean rooted the corn to the ground, and provided nitrates for all three sister crops. Squash kept out weeds, moisturized the soil, and kept insects and animals away with prickly stems. Squash are generally split into two varieties, one being winter squashes and summer squashes. The summer variety was grown and used generally throughout the Americas by the Native Americans as a staple part of their diet, and they had edible soft rinds. The winter variety originates from northern Argentina in the Andes, and had a tough and strong rind. The winter variety was used as a food source during the winter, as they could be stored throughout the winter, and were especially important to the Wampanoag Indians. Impact on the New World In the beginning settlers did not appreciate squash. It was until that settlers realized that squash could be stored during the winter without much care, that they started to appreciate it more. We will write a custom essay sample on Squash Origins and Effects on the New and Old World or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Because squash made it possible for the harsh winters to be survivable it slowly became part of their staple diets. For example, one of the reasons why the pilgrims were able to survive through their first few years was because they were taught by neighboring Native Americans how to raise and cultivate squash and maize, which allowed them to have food for the winter and make it through without starving. Winter varieties were also used as storage containers as their hard rinds provided a good container. Winter squash was generally baked and softened with syrup or animal fat, and they were also stuffed with various food products and baked. Impact on the Old World Spain mainly brought back crops from the New World and introduced a variety of new crops most of which were slightly looked down upon such as tomatoes, potatoes, being part of the nightshade family. Squash was generally accepted because of their resemblance to cucurbits that were used by the Romans. Though they were accepted, they weren’t very popular in northern Europe as they did not thrive well in short wet European summers. In southern parts of Europe such as Italy they thrived very well and became a staple part of diet. Overall squash did not leave much of an impact in Europe neither was it dramatically important like other crops such as potatoes. Work Cited Page Essortment. N. p. , n. d. Web. 23 May 2013. Squash Named from an Indian Word | Archives | Aggie Horticulture. Â  Squash Named from an Indian Word | Archives | Aggie Horticulture. N. p. , n. d. Web. 23 May 2013. How Did the Squash Get Its Name? Â  How Did the Squash Get Its Name? Everyday Mysteries: Fun Science Facts from the Library of Congress. N. p. , n. d. Web. 23 May 2013 Columbian Exchange. Â  Enotes. com. Enotes. com, n. d. Web. 23 May 2013. O Say Can You See? Â  O Say Can You See? Â  N. p. , n. d. Web. 23 May 2013.