All In Good Taste / March 2006
The World's Favorite Vegetables
The Irish potatoes that Americans love would more accurately be described as Andean potatoes, since they originated on a high plateau stretching across Peru and Bolivia in the Andean Mountains. The Titicaca Plateau of South America is where the Aymara Indians developed more than two hundred varieties of potato at elevations higher than 10,000 feet. Potatoes formed the basis of the Aymara Indian diet and Incan diet.
Potatoes also were an important influence on Incan culture. Potato-shaped pottery, complete with eyes, is commonly found at excavated sites. Incan units of time correlated to the length of time it took for a potato to cook to various consistencies. Potatoes were even used to divine the truth and predict weather.
In the late 1400s and early 1500s, Spanish Conquistadors didn’t find gold and silver, but they did quickly corner the local potato market. Potatoes became a standard supply item on their ships. The Spaniards noticed that sailors who ate potatoes didn’t develop scurvy, a disease associated with too little vitamin C, a vitamin potatoes have in abundance
Although it caught on slowly in Europe-Europeans were accustomed to planting seeds not chunks of a cut up vegetables-by the late 1500s, the potato began to be used as a common provision in some parts of Spain.
Potato cultivation gradually spread to the low countries and Switzerland, but when it was introduced into Germany in the 1620s, potatoes finally came into their own. The Prussian ruler, Frederick the Great, ordered his subjects to plant and eat them as a deterrent to famine. People considered potatoes part of the deadly family of nightshade plants, but their fear of poisoning was offset by Frederick’s orders to cut off the nose and ears of those who refused. By the 1750s, potatoes were a basic part of the Prussian diet.
In France, a young agriculturist and chemist, Antoine Augustin Parmentier, popularized the potato after his experience as a prisoner of war in Prussia. With clever marketing to King Louis XVI and Marie
Antoinette, Parmentier established the potato as a delicacy for nobility. The French populace soon wanted them as well.
The potato quickly took its place as a food staple more reliable than wheat.
European immigrants introduced potatoes to North America several times throughout the 1600s, but potatoes weren’t grown on a large scale until Irish immigrants brought them to New Hampshire in 1719. Even when they became the second largest food crop in America, they were still used primarily as animal fodder. Thomas Jefferson introduced ‘French fries’ to America when he served them at a White House dinner. Beyond side dishes and entree’s, potatoes are used to make bread and even donuts.
Red, yellow, white, brown, and blue or purple, a potato contributes to the recommended daily allowance for a number of vitamins and minerals. They have 600-800 mg of potassium, as much or more than bananas, spinach or broccoli and 45% of the daily value for vitamin C. They provide iron and are good sources of B vitamins. About 80 percent water, an 8-ounce baked or boiled potato has only about 150 calories and no fat. And potatoes with the skin on are an excellent source of fiber. With 3 grams of fiber per serving, a potato equals or exceeds that of many “whole” grain products. It is a misconception that the majority of nutrients are found in the skin, but leaving the skin on helps potatoes retain their nutrients and makes them easier to prepare. The average American eats about 134 pounds of potatoes per year. Surprisingly, sweet potatoes belong in the same family as morning glories and are not a relative of the potato.
Served baked, boiled, mashed, fried, roasted, dehydrated, steamed, sauteed, scalloped and seasoned, potatoes are enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or all three. Add a dipping sauce, and potatoes make the perfect snack, too. PL
Chikadee Potato
1 large Russet Potato
3 oz. Grilled Chicken breast, cut into 1/4” strips
1/4 cup Salsa
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp. Sour cream
Salt, pepper, Cilantro, chopped or dried, for garnish
Bake the potato until cooked, about 1 hour at 400°F. Split top with a fork and layer on chicken breast, salsa, Cheddar cheese and the dollop of sour cream. Salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately.
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