There are also several important root vegetables, including jicama,
yuca, malanga, and—probably one of the most important foods
affecting world eating habits later—sweet potatoes (Ipomoea
batatas, which is where we get the name “potato,” but sweet
potatoes and potatoes are not related). Sweet potatoes also shouldn’t
be confused with true yams, which come from Africa. There are two forms of manioc root: a sweet version and a more
prevalent bitter version that contains hydrocyanic acid and is
thoroughly poisonous. Somehow, people fi gured out how to
grate, soak, and strain it to remove the poison. It’s one of the most
important food crops in the world, at least in the humid tropics. In
the West, it’s only used as tapioca. There’s a great deal of confusion over which beans came from the
Old World and which came from the New World. In any case, all
the beans you’re most familiar with—including navy beans, pinto
beans, red beans, and string beans—are all New World plants.Genetically modifi ed corn is a form of corn that has been engineered to have
traits that are agronomically desirable.
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