Potatoes: Origin and Benefits

Photo: Potatoes. Origin and Health Benefits

Potatoes are a vegetable known everywhere. Dishes made from them have become national symbols of many countries, For example, Ireland Or Belgium. In Russia, potatoes are considered almost a second bread. It's hard to imagine that just five hundred years ago, no one on this side of the Atlantic had heard of this root vegetable. After its introduction, its penetration into kitchens was completely resisted.

History of origin

There's still debate about who first brought potatoes to Europe. But interestingly, no matter where they were introduced into the diet, most people resisted. Even the famines that were common in those days didn't instill a love for potatoes in the people. Various tricks had to be resorted to to get people to eat them. Initially, they tried eating the stems and even the poisonous berries. Perhaps that's why the root vegetable was viewed with such distrust. However, potato flowers were used to decorate the attire of Europe's most noble people.

This was the case in Europe, and it was the same in Russia. Neither Peter the Great nor Catherine the Great were able to force peasants to plant the imported root vegetable. It even got to the point where peasants staged riots against the potato. Opponents called the root vegetable the devil's fruit and predicted various misfortunes, including hell, for those who ate it.

True, some recipes seemed rather dubious, but after much effort and special instructions provided to farms that agreed to grow potatoes, this root vegetable took root, and within a few decades of its widespread introduction, it had become a staple in the Russian diet. A hundred years later, it was being grown in vast fields, and thousands of new varieties had been developed. Since then, potatoes have become a staple in the diet of people of all social classes. Sometimes, potatoes were the only thing that saved people from starvation.

Beneficial properties

Today, potatoes are used in thousands of ways. Hundreds of different dishes are prepared with them. Potatoes are not only delicious but also healthy. They contain a huge amount of carbohydrates and amino acids, improve metabolism, and promote the elimination of excess fluid from the body. Potatoes are beneficial for gastritis and ulcers of the stomach and duodenum. They contain vitamins and many organic acids. Baked potatoes contain the most nutrients, and most of them are contained under the skin, so it is recommended to eat unpeeled potatoes. However, despite their beneficial properties, you should not overindulge in potatoes, as they are very high in calories due to their high carbohydrate content. Nutritionists advise against eating potatoes frequently.

All recipes with potatoes