When Captain James Cook arrived in Polynesia in the eighteenth century on his journey of discovery, the vegetable was already ubiquitous in the region. The prevailing explanation is that Polynesian voyagers had sailed to South America and brought the sweet potato back to the islands on their return.
How did sweet potato get to Easter Island?
Over the next few centuries, sweet potato was spread to the extremes of the Polynesian Triangle: Easter Island, Hawaii and New Zealand.The plant was likely spread between Polynesian islands by vine cuttings rather than by seeds.
When did the sweet potato arrive in Polynesia?
1100 A.D.
The sweet potato made three independent trips to Southeast Asia. The Polynesians probably introduced it in 1100 A.D. (red). While the Spanish (blue) and Portuguese (yellow) brought other varieties from the Americas around 1500.
How did sweet potato cultivation occur in the Pacific Islands?
Archeological remains appear to place sweet potato cultivation in the core of Polynesia by the year 1200, and it spread with further migrations to places like New Zealand and Hawaii. It’s possible that the plant had naturally spread as seeds across the ocean and the Polynesians learned to cultivate it independently.
Where did sweet potatoes originate from?
The origin and domestication of sweet potato occurred in either Central or South America. In Central America, domesticated sweet potatoes were present at least 5,000 years ago, with the origin of I. batatas possibly between the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico and the mouth of the Orinoco River in Venezuela.
Where did the Kumara come from?
The kumara, or sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), was domesticated in Peru about 8000 years ago and slowly spread through South America.
How did the Kumara get to New Zealand?
The kumara we eat today has evolved from larger South American varieties that were brought out to New Zealand from the 1850’s on whaling ships from the Americas. The local Maori and early settlers saw the good characteristics of these varieties and quickly adopted them.
Who brought sweet potatoes to America?
Famed Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus discovered sweet potatoes during his excursions in the New World in 1492. He brought the plant back to his homeland on his fourth voyage, along with other American commodities. The Spaniards loved them so much that they brought sweet potatoes with them on future journeys.
How did sweet potatoes get to Papua New Guinea?
Many centuries ago, however, a new root crop of ultimately South American origin, the sweet potato, reached New Guinea, probably by way of the Philippines, where it had been introduced by Spaniards” (Page 149).
How did the spread cultivation of sweet potatoes impact the environment of its new location?
How did the spread/cultivation of the sweet potato impact the environment of its new location? The sweet potato trade established new trade routes. People had better health and nutrition, but disease also transferred to different places and these places had no immunities to the diseases.
How did sweet potato get to New Zealand?
The Polynesian ancestors of Māori brought kūmara (sweet potato) with them as a food plant when they arrived in New Zealand in the 13th century. It is believed that early Polynesians had voyaged to South America, and took kūmara from there to Polynesia.
Did Polynesians make it to South America?
Some Polynesians Carry DNA of Ancient Native Americans, New Study Finds. A new genetic study suggests that Polynesians made an epic voyage to South America 800 years ago.
Did Native Americans grow sweet potatoes?
The sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is another of the native American plants found by Columbus and his shipmates. Although it was probably found on various islands of the West Indies on some of the earlier voyages, it is not definitely mentioned in their records until the fourth voyage.
Is sweet potato a root or stem?
Potatoes and yams technically have modified belowground stems (“stem tubers”) while sweet potatoes have “root tubers.”
When was the sweet potato first domesticated?
The oldest remains of domesticated sweet potato in the Americas were found in Peru, about 2500 BCE. In Polynesia, decidedly Precolumbian sweet potato remains have been found in the Cook Islands by CE 1000-1100, Hawai’i by CE 1290-1430, and Easter Island by CE 1525.
Where did the sweet potato spread after the Columbian Exchange?
Some scholars proposed that all sweet potatoes originated in the Americas, and that after Columbus’s voyage, they were spread by Europeans to colonies such as the Philippines. Pacific Islanders acquired the crops from there.
How did kumara get to Polynesia?
The prevailing explanation is that Polynesian voyagers had sailed to South America and brought the sweet potato back to the islands on their return.The latest study suggests that it’s possible that sweet-potato seeds crossed the Pacific Ocean without help from humans.
Why is kumara important to Māori?
Maori traditions have placed the origin of the New Zealand kumara at the legendary Hawaiiki, and the time of introduction in the fourteenth century A.D. The advent of the kumara, representing the beginnings of agriculture, has been used as one of the points of separation between the two important developmental phases
Is kumara an English word?
nounplural noun kumara
A sweet potato.’You could also use kumara for that sweet potato taste. ‘
How did Māori cook food?
The hāngī or earth oven is a traditional Māori method of cooking, especially suited to preparing food for large numbers of people. Hot rocks and water are used to create steam in a shallow pit dug into the earth.Smaller quantities of food such as fish and birds were grilled on sticks over glowing embers.
Why is it called kumara?
The name may come from the Māori language Kohe mara, which is the blossom of the tātarāmoa, or bush lawyer. The Coast to Coast annual multisport race starts at Kumara Beach.
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