The foods we eat have a deep and often surprising past. From almonds and apples to tea and rice
many foods that we consume today have histories that can be traced out of prehistoric Central
Asia along the tracks of the Silk Road to kitchens in Europe America China and elsewhere in
East Asia. The exchange of goods ideas cultural practices and genes along these ancient
routes extends back five thousand years and organized trade along the Silk Road dates to at
least Han Dynasty China in the second century BC. Balancing a broad array of archaeological
botanical and historical evidence Fruit from the Sands presents the fascinating story of the
origins and spread of agriculture across Inner Asia and into Europe and East Asia. Through the
preserved remains of plants found in archaeological sites Robert N. Spengler III identifies
the regions where our most familiar crops were domesticated and follows their routes as people
carried them around the world. With vivid examples Fruit from the Sands explores how the foods
we eat have shaped the course of human history and transformed cuisines all over the globe.
