1. European countries were seeking new trade routes to distant trading partners in the Far East.
2. When the Europeans met with the Americans, both groups of people saw animals and plants that they had never seen before. The Europeans’ horses were large and majestic compared to the small animals that the Americans were used to. Cows and pigs were also introduced from the Old World, which brought beef and pork to America. Rice from Asia soon began to grow in America. Likewise, plants and animals from America were brought back to the Old World. Before the Age of Exploration, crops such as potatoes, cacao, and tobacco had never been seen in the New World, nor had livestock such as turkey. The Age of Exploration brought delicious flavors to both sides of the Atlantic, and almost every food that we eat today results from this connection.
Note - Hope this could help :)
