The Gastronomic History of Potatoes

America is considered the historical homeland of the potato. Ancient Native Americans searched the earth for food and discovered the potato.

Native Americans long used wild potatoes, eating them dried. This dried potato kept well and was a popular dish among the Indians.

People living near Lake Titicaca began growing potatoes in the 3rd century BC.

The first European to pay attention to the potato was the Spaniard Pedro de Leon, who traveled to America, tried this vegetable and brought it back to his native country.

Potatoes had a very difficult time establishing themselves in Europe. Uninformed, residents initially ate the plant's tops, not the tubers. Naturally, this led to numerous cases of poisoning. But the rulers of the states were adamant and forced their people to cultivate this vegetable.

The potato was brought to England by F. Drake, who grew it in his garden. It appeared in France in 1600 and was called "earth apple." Potatoes became known in Russia during the reign of Peter the Great. He brought them from Holland. Potatoes grew well in Russian lands, but peasants, wary of anything new, refused to plant them. Then Peter came up with a solution: he planted potatoes in the fields, posted armed guards, and ordered them to be watched all day. Naturally, at night, the peasants, tempted, stole the plants, sampled them, and, having appreciated their taste, began planting them in their gardens. But, just as in Europe, eating the tops rather than the roots resulted in poisoning. For a long time, potatoes failed to take root in Russia, where turnips were the staple food of the common people.

Potatoes became more widespread in Russia in the 1870s, when landowners began planting potatoes in their fields.

We suggest you read articles on the topic:

Potatoes: Origin and Benefits
Benefits of potatoes

We recommend you to look at our potato recipes