Overview

Antwerp, in what is now Belgium, was Europe's major trading center from the 1400's to the mid-1500's. Although the particular market in this feature never really existed, the foods advertised were known in Europe in the late 1500's. The recipe for a chocolate drink is based on a recipe from Spain from the early 1600's.

Once introduced, some American foods immediately became popular in Europe. Others, like tomatoes and potatoes, did not catch on until the 1700's or later. In fact, corn has yet to win the popularity in Europe that it enjoys in the Americas. Today, as in the 1500's, corn is used in Europe mainly as animal feed.