The transatlantic journey of freshly squeezed fruit

Although the history of fruit cultivation dates back to before ancient civilizations, the history of its consumption does not go back that far. Archaeological findings show that fruits were primarily used for decorative purposes and that they began to be eaten after the advent of writing.

The use of fruit seedlings to decorate gardens and to use them in the same way as flowers with their colors and shapes became widespread, especially in the 18th century. Nevertheless, it is necessary to exclude two fruits from this generalization. Because the use of grapes and olives to produce wine and olive oil dates back to 8000 BCE. The first example of freshly squeezed fruit juice produced was the lemon, which was used for this purpose in Italy in the 16th century. Italians, who imported this fruit from the Middle East, also became the inventors of lemonade. The orange followed it in the 17th century. The origins of the fruits found almost everywhere in the world today show that they started traveling around the world with humanity.

Mediterranean fruits

Persimmon
In addition to being of Middle Eastern, Arabian, North African and Western Moroccan origin, it has the distinction of being frequently mentioned in the holy books of Abrahamic religions.

Grape
It is understood from Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs that domestication began in the Middle East eight thousand years ago. In the Greek, Phoenician and Roman civilizations, both its leaves and fruit were eaten and used in the production of must and wine.

Fig
It has been consumed since ancient times and is one of the first fruits cultivated by human beings.

 

Asian fruits

Peach
Its homeland is Northwestern China.

Lemon
Its homeland is Asia. The first regions where it was grown were the Assam region of India, Northern Myanmar and China.

Banana
It originated as a tropical wild fruit in India, Malaysia and Australia, and was first domesticated in Papua New Guinea.

Mango
Its homeland is South and Southeast Asia. It is considered the national fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines and the national tree of Bangladesh. Kiwi
It’s originally from China, but it was named by the New Zealanders.

Pomegranate
Its homeland is Iran, the foothills of the Himalayas, and Northern India, but since ancient times it has been cultivated almost throughout the Mediterranean, becoming an integral part of the nature of this region.

 

American fruits

Pineapple
As a tropical fruit of South America, it originated in the region between southern Brazil and Paraguay and spread to all temperate climates.

Avocado
It was first consumed by Central American natives in 5000 BCE. It was brought to Europe by Spanish explorers in the 15th century.

Passion fruit
Its homeland is Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina. The region where it is mostly grown is Southeast Asia, which is the region geographically farthest from its homeland.

Papaya
Although it is a tropical fruit that originated in Southern Mexico and Central America, it is also common in Southeast Asia.

 

African fruits

Watermelon
Its origin is South Africa. It began to be cultivated in Egypt in 2000 BCE. In the 10th century AC, it spread as far as India and China.

European fruits

Strawberry
The first regular strawberry garden was established in the Bretagne region of France in the late 18th century. According to ancient Roman inscriptions, its previous existence was that it was used only in the production of medicine for medical purposes.