Where do Potatoes come from?
Potatoes were domesticated by the
Andean people of South America as
early as 500 B.C. The Inca people
grew thousands of varieties of potatoes
and held the potato in high esteem.
Potatoes provided their principal energy
and they prepared their potatoes much
as we do today. However, the cash crop
of the Andean people was chuño, a
preserved potato, created by repeatedly
freezing and thawing potatoes, then
drying them. This practice yielded a
light, smaller piece that allowed them
to be stored and used indefinitely. The
favorable climate and soil of Peru, plus
years of selective breeding, now puts
the number of potatoes in Peru at over
4000 types.
In 1536 Spanish Conquistadors
conquered Peru, then carried the potato
to Europe. At first it was not warmly
welcomed! Potatoes were regarded
with suspicion and fear and thought
to be unfit for human consumption.
Thanks to the marketing efforts of
Antoine-Augustin Parmentier -the
Johnny Appleseed of potatoes- potatoes
went from being pig food, to some-
thing worth feeding to royalty. In 1772
potatoes were officially declared “edible”
by the Paris Faculty of Medicine. With
this official seal of approval, the French,
then the English, rapidly acquired a
taste for potatoes. Hot potato vendors
and merchants selling fish and chips
wrapped in paper horns became ubiq-
uitous features of city life, and potato
recipes started appearing in cookbooks.
Soon the potato was being cultivated
on a large scale, becoming a staple food
and helping end famine in Europe.
Irish Potato Famine
Unlike the Europeans, the Irish quickly
embraced potatoes as passionately as
the Incas. The potato grew well in the
Irish soil and climate, and its high
yield suited the critical concern of Irish
farmers: to feed their families. While
the potato was becoming an important
food across Europe, in Ireland it was
frequently the only food. Many Irish
survived on milk and potatoes alone —
the two together provide all essential
nutrients. By the early 1840s, almost
one-half of the Irish population had
become entirely dependent upon the
potato. The Irish Potato Famine started
in 1845 when a fungus infestation
ruined 75% of the Irish crop. By the
time it ended 7 years later over one
million Irish died from starvation and
another million were forced to leave
their homeland as refugees.
Across the Atlantic, the tuber was
introduced to the colonies in the
1620s when the British governor of the
Bahamas sent a gift box of potatoes to
the governor of the colony of Virginia.
Their popularity spread slowly and
did not become widely accepted
until receiving an aristocratic seal of
approval from Thomas Jefferson, who
served them to guests at the White
House. Thereafter, the potato steadily
gained in popularity, especially with
the arrival of Irish immigrants to the
new nation.
Potato Nutrition
As well as providing starch, an
essential component of the diet,
potatoes are rich in vitamin C, with
one potato supplying 45% of the rec-
ommended daily allowance. It provides
more potassium than bananas and is
an excellent source of fiber. In fact,
potatoes alone supply every vital nutri-
ent except calcium, vitamin A and vita-
min D. At 110 calories, one medium
sized potato has 26 grams of complex
carbohydrates, no fat, no cholesterol,
and is naturally gluten free. Potatoes
have one of the highest overall antioxi-
dant activities among vegetables. The
easily grown plant can provide more
nutritious food faster on less land than
any other food crop.
Culinary
Potatoes are one of the world’s most
versatile vegetables. Today we take
them for granted, but we shouldn’t!
They can be used in soups, stews,
salads, gratins, omelets, and baked
goods. They can be pureed, fried, sau-
téed, baked, roasted, grilled, boiled
and mashed. Their mild flavor makes
them the perfect blank canvas for a
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
WINTER 2020
variety of flavors. The possibilities for
side dishes are endless, and we adore
frying them into French fries, hash
browns and potato chips, plus they are
foundational ingredients in such dishes
a as Shepherd’s Pie and Potato Tacos.
Types of Potatoes
There are 3 main categories of potatoes
based on the amount of starch.
Baking Potatoes have high starch (20-
22%) and less moisture, giving a drier
texture. These are best for baking and
frying (think French fries) and great
for mashing because they soak up the
butter and cream. They work well for
thickening stews and soups but are not
good when you want distinct pieces of
potatoes. If you boil a baking potato
it will fall apart. Best examples are
Russets, Idaho, Castle Rock.
Boiling potatoes have the least amount
of starch (16-18%), and highest mois-
ture with a smooth, waxy texture and
thin skin. These are perfect when you
want potato pieces to hold their shape,
as with potato salad. These include Red
Bliss, Fingerlings, Red Creamers, White
Bliss, Peruvian Blue or Purple potatoes.
All-purpose potatoes have 18-20%
starch with texture closer to baking
potatoes than boiling potatoes. A great
choice for frying, mashing and baking,
they are also useful in salads and soups,
but with less firm texture than boiling
potatoes. Yukon Golds are the best
commonly available.
What to Look For
Potatoes come in an array of shapes,
sizes and colors. Potatoes should be
firm and have a sweet earthy smell. Eyes
are okay, just cut them out with the tip
of a potato peeler. Sprouts are not okay!
They indicate the potato has started to
grow, so it’s texture will be soft.
Storage
Keep potatoes stored either refrigerated
or in a cool, dark place. In warm areas,
or when stored with onions, potatoes
soften, sprout and mold more quickly.
Potatoes exposed to light develop a
greenish tint which is a naturally
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