Peanuts and Taino People

Did You Know: The peanut plant originated in South America, but it was seen for the first time by Europeans in the Caribbean. Bartolome de las Casas was the first European to document the peanut plant. He noted that the Taino people often ate peanuts with casabe (cassava bread). Early Spanish galleons introduced peanuts to the Pacific Islands, the Philippines, and Indonesia. By the early 1600's, peanuts were introduced to Malaysia, Vietnam, China, and Japan. India acquired the peanut from several routes in the 18th century: from Africa to Western India, from Manila to South India, from China to Bengal. The earliest documented account of peanuts in the North American British colonies is 1769. The Taino word for peanut is maní. - UCTP Taino News © 2014