I wasn’t around in 1421. Nor was this guy, Gavin Menzies. However, he presents a pretty strong argument (that is causing a lot of controversy, of course) that claims that the Chinese were the first to discover the majority of the world, a feat that has been attributed to many others, most commonly the dutch, portugese and our very own cute and cuddly Capt Cook.

Gavin Menzies is a Naval Officer who travelled the world in a submarine, documenting his journey and findings in 1421… You can check out the website here. It would seem that he is a relatively dilligent, experienced and well-travelled man, but that is just my opinion, and I am unlikely to argue with a man who has a submarine.

I read this book about six months ago. I found it fascinating, if not a little weighed down with the technicalities and factualities that Menzies used to try and prove his points. A lot of information in the book was also still being researched, awaiting carbon dating and the like, and would be included in the next edition… so I was pretty excited to discover he was giving a public lecture at Melbourne University this evening, which we will be attending.

The lecture has also recieved a lot of bad press, as people claim that this man writes ‘fantasy, marketed as history’, check that out here. Of course, the controversy will just add to the popularity of the book I am sure, but that is a whole other matter. Meanwhile, we are off to see if the man can substantiate his claims. Will let you know.

Why don’t you read the book and make up your own mind. It kinda, um, undermines the entire history of the western world. Yes, chewy stuff.

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I’ve done some research and found that these little beauties were developed by growers at the Tohoku Research Station in Morioka, Japan in the late 1930′s. It is a cross between the two American apple varieties, the Red Delicious and old Virginia Ralls Genet.

Fujis are stupidly sweet and crunchy.

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