Spaghetti & Meatballs

 

              Spaghetti and meatballs is a popular Italian dish that is found in many restaurants. There are numerous variations of the recipe, most containing similar ingredients, but the specific one I'm reviewing includes ground beef, bread crumbs, dried parsley, parmesan cheese, black pepper, garlic powder, eggs, chopped onion, garlic cloves, olive oil, tomatoes, salt, sugar, and dried basil. 5 of these ingredients were goods that were traded during the Columbian Exchange: beef, onion, olive oil (from olives), tomato, and sugar.

              We can thank the Europeans for bringing cattle to the Americas, allowing us to have the sultry beef meatballs today. Moving onto that delicious sauce, those tangy onions were also transferred to the Americas from Central Asia. The smoothness of the sauce comes from the olive oil, made from olives that were originally grown in Greece. The sugar mixed in adds a sweetness, contrasting with the typical saltiness created by the other ingredients. Sugar cane was also a new ingredient to the Americas, originating in South Asia. On the other hand, tomatoes added a richness and have always been grown in the Americas, but when traded became an important ingredient in European cultures (Italian being one of them). Overall, the dish is a classic and never disappoints. We must note though that without the Columbian Exchange, this dish would've never had the possibility of being created.