Everything in the iseands was new and strange to Columbus. His men were the first Europeans to enjoy many foods, such as maize, which we now take for granted. But they avoided other Taino foods, such as lizards, spiders, and worms.
Pineapple
This was one of the few Taino foods that the Spaniards liked as soon as they tried it.
The Tainos made poisonous cassava roots edible by grating and soaking them. Dried cassava was baked into bread.
Chilli peppers
Hot chillies reminded Columbus of the spices he hoped to find in the Indies, which is why we call them "peppers" today.
IN THE VILLAGES
Columbus travelled from island to island, visiting Taino villages. Some of the villages were more like towns, with up to 1,000 huts and 5,000 inhabitants.
Maize
Maize was roasted and eaten whole, or ground up to make a kind of
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