Potato an Important, Hearty Starch with a History of Fighting Starvation

The potato is arguably the fourth most important food after wheat, corn and rice. A nutritious source of starch, the potato was first cultivated in Chile and Peru as far back as 5,000 B.C. Its name is derived from “batatas”, the Caribe Indian name for the sweet potato or “papa” and “patatas” as it’s called by the South American Indians.

Potatoes were first introduced to Europe by the Spaniards in the 16^th century. Sir John Hawke brought them to England in 1563 and extensive cultivation began after Sir Francis Drake brought them back in 1586. It was Sir Walter Raleigh who introduced them to Ireland and later, Queen Elizabeth I herself.

Initially, potatoes were considered a curiosity in England and Germany. The Frenchmen actually believed that potatoes caused leprosy and fever until 1773 when French scientist, Antoine Parmentier, wrote a thesis extoling the potato’s virtue in fighting famine. Parmentier acquired this knowledge while being held as a prisoner in the Prussian War where he was forced to survive on potatoes. Parmentier, inventor of the French fry, established soup kitchens throughout Paris to help feed the malnourished. By the early 19^th century, the potato had become a staple in the French diet.

The potato is most closely associated with the country of Ireland because its climate and plentiful amount of rainfall produces large crops. The famous Irish potato famine was caused by the fact that the potatoes were propagated from small tubers that were passed from household to household. And because the whole crop came from a few original plants, it made the entire crop susceptible to potato blight. The devastating crop failure in the 1840’s resulted in deaths of more than 1.5 million people and another million who immigrated to the North America.

Potatoes are an inexpensive, filling, nutritious starchy food whose skin is a good source of fiber. Potatoes contain little fat and are a good source of Vitamins C, B (6) and provide more Potassium than bananas. The boiled juice of a raw potato is said to relieve gout, rheumatism, lumbago, sprains and bruises. One traditional cure for sciatica and lumbago was to carry a potato in your pocket. 

The common name "spud", used to refer to a potato, comes from a tool that was used to weed the potato patch.