The mass immigration of peoples and cultures from Asia into the United States in the
mid 19th and 20th 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.