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Potatoes and corn importation to Europe

Definition

This refers to the process of bringing potatoes and corn from the Americas to Europe for cultivation and consumption.

Analogy

It's like getting a new software update on your phone. Just as this update brings new features (potatoes and corn) that improve your phone's functionality (European diet), so did the importation of these crops enhance European agriculture and cuisine.

Related terms

Staple Crops: These are foods that form the basis of a traditional diet and are consumed regularly. In many parts of Europe, potatoes became a staple crop after their introduction.

Famine: A severe shortage of food resulting in widespread hunger. The reliance on single staple crops like potato led to famines when those crops failed - most notably, the Irish Potato Famine.

Transatlantic Trade: The exchange of goods, people, diseases etc., between Europe, Africa & Americas across Atlantic Ocean which included trade routes for importing new world crops like potatoes & corn into Europe.