Potatoes are one of the most common foods found today. But have you ever wondered how this came to be? Where do potatoes come from? What is their history?
The life of the potato began around 7,000 years ago on the high plateau of the Andean Mountains in South America, now known as the Titicaca Plateau. This region stretches across the modern countries of Peru and Bolivia. At elevations of up to 15,000 feet, the Aymara Indians developed and cultivated more than two hundred varieties of the potato. These potatoes formed the foundation of both the Aymara and Incan diets. The natives were impressed by the durability, ruggedness, storage qualities, and nutritional value that this vegetable offered them. Potatoes also influenced Incan culture; for instance, potato-shaped pottery (with even eyes) is commonly found at excavation sites. Additionally, Incan units of time were correlated to how long it took for a potato to cook to various consistencies. In the Incan world, potatoes were even used to predict the weather.
The Spread of the Potato to Europe
Europeans weren’t exposed to the potato until the late 1400s and 1500s when the Spanish Conquistadors sacked Peru. Although they didn’t find the silver and gold they were hoping for, they quickly took control of the potato market. Potatoes soon became a standard supply item on Spanish ships, and it was noted that sailors who ate papas (potatoes) did not suffer from scurvy, a disease associated with a deficiency in vitamin C, because potatoes are packed with it. Despite the potato’s hardiness and productivity, the Spanish did not fully embrace it, and it was considered a food for the lower class.
After Spain introduced the potato to Europe, it took another three decades before its knowledge spread to other European nations. Initially, it was only cultivated by amateur botanists as a curiosity. Resistance to growing and eating potatoes stemmed from established eating habits, the potato’s reputation as food for the underprivileged, and the fact that it is related to poisonous plants—sometimes even toxic itself.
Slowly, potato cultivation spread throughout Europe, reaching the Low Countries and Switzerland. In the 1620s, the potato was introduced to Germany, where its nutritional properties were finally acknowledged. Frederick the Great, the Prussian ruler, ordered the German people to eat potatoes as a way to combat famine. People’s fears of poisoning led Frederick to enforce the decree by threatening to cut off the ears and noses of those who refused to eat potatoes. By the time of the Seven Years War, potatoes had become a basic part of the Prussian diet.
During the Seven Years War (1756-1763), a French intellectual, Antoine Augustin Parmentier, was a prisoner of war in Prussia. There, he saw firsthand the nutritional benefits of the potato and realized its potential to boost French agriculture. Obsessed with the crop, Parmentier returned to France, where he worked as a pharmacist, chemist, and employee of Louis XV. He set out to make the potato a staple of the French diet. When conventional methods failed, he devised a clever scheme. Parmentier acquired 50 acres of unproductive land on the outskirts of Paris, planting it with potatoes and placing a guard over the plot. The presence of the guard attracted significant attention, and locals began to wonder why the area was so heavily guarded. Curiosity led many peasants to steal potatoes from the plot and plant them in their own gardens. Parmentier achieved his goal through this unique method, as people believed the guarded potatoes must be valuable.
The potato would not gain true prominence until the 1780s when the Irish adopted it as a primary crop. Its ability to be abundantly produced and its nutritional value made it a perfect choice. Soon after, potatoes gained acceptance across Europe. Eventually, they made their way back across the Atlantic to North America with many migrating Europeans.
Today, potatoes have become one of the world’s major foodstuffs. These oval or sometimes misshapen vegetables are so common in the Western diet that they are often taken for granted. We should appreciate this great food and recognize that, though they’ve only truly been with us for a few hundred years, their journey and history are remarkable—one that none of us would ever repeat.
