Which crop played a key role in diversifying diets in Europe due to the Columbian Exchange?

• A. Rice
• B. Potatoes
• C. Wheat
• D. Sugarcane

Answer: (B)

Potatoes became a key food source in Europe after the Columbian Exchange because they’re incredibly productive and can grow in cooler climates and on poorer soils. A small plot can yield a lot of calories, which helped support growing populations and allowed meals to diversify beyond traditional bread-based staples. Their versatility in stews, boiling, mashing, and frying made them a practical, dependable staple across many European cuisines.

Rice, wheat, and sugarcane don’t fit as the primary driver of this diversification in Europe. Wheat was already a long-established staple, rice had already circulated in some regions, and sugarcane’s impact was more about luxury sweeteners from colonial plantations rather than broad, everyday diversification of European diets.