What looked like usual vegetables and fruits in antiquity, before the appearance of breeders

The debate about whether genetically modified plants can be eaten has not subsided for many years. However, most of what we eat now has long been in the hands of breeders. So, some do not even suspect that modern vegetables and fruits at the genetic level have long undergone noticeable changes. For centuries, scientists have been trying to give different types of fruits the desired qualities. Take a look at how radically the vegetables and fruits that we eat now differ from their distant ancestors.

Watermelon

If you look at the picture of Giovanni Stanca of the 17th century, you can find that the watermelon depicted on it looks completely different than it is now. It turns out that breeders had to work hard to get rid of numerous inedible veins.

Bananas

Bananas were cultivated about 7 thousand years ago, but their appearance and taste was different.

Eggplant

Who would have thought that the original eggplant was yellow and prickly.

Peaches

Loved by all, sweet, juicy peaches, looking at their ancestor, also do not recognize.

Corn

Perhaps corn can be called one of the most striking examples of breeding, because it was bred from a barely edible plant.

Cucumbers

Before scientists “conjured” the cucumbers, the fruits of this plant were poisonous and were grown only for medicinal purposes.

Avocado

The Aztecs called the avocado "forest oil" and appreciated it for its nutritional and medicinal qualities, but before selection, the seed of the tropical fruit was much larger and occupied almost its entire space.

Tomatoes

At first, Europeans considered tomatoes to be an ornamental plant, and its fruits were small, like berries.

Watch the video: What fruits and vegetables looked like before we domesticated them (May 2024).