I find it fascinating that tomatoes are associated with Italian cuisine, despite tomatoes being a new world food. Same with potatoes and the Irish. I understand that these foods became popular in those respective countries after trade with the new world. However, chili peppers seem to have an even stronger foothold in many asian dishes, with many asians having a high heat tolerance. I learned only recently that all chilis are native to Mexico and have spread around the world since the discovery of the new world. How did this happen in Asian? Was it the same as it occurred in Europe? and what did these peoples eat before the introduction of these new foods?