Cultural Collections

Asia

The mass immigration of peoples and cultures from Asia into the United States in the mid 19^th and 20^th centuries carried a wide spectrum of new crops and cooking practices from Asia into the Sunshine State. Many new arrivals established farming communities, such as the Yamato Colony established by Japanese immigrants in 1905, and these farms integrated crops grown in Asia for thousands of years into the local Floridian agricultural system. Today, Asian crops are among the fastest growing sectors of the local food economy, and Asian-Floridian cuisine represents a fusion of ancient flavors and contemporary diversity. The heritage foods listed below represent a few crops that are significant to Asian history in Florida as well as more recent foods that are gaining popularity today.

Mizuna

Turmeric

Malabar

Daikon Radish

Shiitake Mushrooms

Bitter Melon

Bok Choi

Ginger

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