Maize vs Potatoes

[minoanmiss]

It is generally held that maize is the most important edible plant from the Americas to go around the world. (Will look up a reference sometime when I should not be asleep, why am I awake, wtf) I guess, especially if factoring in animal feed, but... I've recently been watching a travel show about food (as comfort food TV, as it were) and the omnipresence and universal appreciation of potatoes has really struck me. They're so easy and adaptable and filling and warm, and people love them seemingly everywhere. I wonder if any world population rises can be attributed to the adoption of potatoes. Research topic for sometime.

Thank you, Andean peoples, for the lovely potato.

Comments

[cmcmck]

Surprisingly, potatoes took a very long time to be accepted in Europe as anything else but animal food.

There were also problems once they were with monoculture as they are easy to grow once acclimatised (that took a while too). The cause of famine in both Ireland and Holland (that one gets overlooked) was potato monoculture.

[minoanmiss]

nod In Ireland, potato monoculture and politics. Did politics fare as heavily in the potato famine in Holland?

[cmcmck]

Politics and warfare.

[minoanmiss]

puts on my list of interesting things to look up

[tibicina]

I love the story from France where they basically tricked people into stealing them. (They'd tried to get people to try them because they were better nutritionally than wheat, but people resisted for a variety of reasons, so they set up a special garden and walled it off and told people only nobles were allowed to eat them, which made everyone want them.)

https://satwcomic.com/can-t-touch-that

[minoanmiss]

That is a giggle some tale indeed :)

[conuly]

Well. The potato famine was 50% monoculture, 50% English stealing all the non-potato foods they produced.

[minoanmiss]

Fear not, Cmcmck is a professional historian with no love for British malfeasance. She knows. :)

[conuly]

Phew!

[minoanmiss]

I used the vague phrasing "politics" before because of that and because I didn't want to let myself rant, but you're totally right that the Irish Potato Famine is a perfect (and perfectly horrible) example of how famines, even due to monocultures, are truly created by human cruelty.

[mekare]

*is getting hungry* YES potatoes are THE best thing ever. Just, straight from the oven, baked and then slathered with butter and salt. *is getting even hungrier*

[minoanmiss]

Potatoes! \o/

awakitude

[gingicat]

Perhaps your body is resetting itself to diurnalism!

Re: awakitude

[minoanmiss]

Hah, not today. Or maybe it tried and MISSED.

Re: awakitude

[julian]

Speaking as a fellow attempting-to-change-schedule person, I tend to think ingrained sleep schedules take awhile to right themselves. (I have not actually done reading on thus, mind you.)

Re: awakitude

[minoanmiss]

I was making such progress! And then today. :(

Re: awakitude

[julian]

I shall restrain myself from quoting cognitive psych stuff at you, and like. Sympathise. Because me friggin' too.

Re: awakitude

[minoanmiss]

hugs you most gratefully

Re: awakitude

[julian]

*hug*

[darkmarcy]

Here's my local potato:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almond_potato

[minoanmiss]

That looks like a special potatoey delight!

[amaebi]

Tnat looks like a darling!

[amaebi]

You might enjoy a look at Salman's _History and Social Influence of the Potato_, though its prose is baroque and incorporates an obligato of anti-Irish bigotry.

[jenny_evergreen]

Literally the first thing I thought of: https://youtu.be/Mv3exCOkJNo

I love potatoes. LOVE POTATOES. (I am also of Irish descent.)

[vettecat]

I love potatoes! Normally I just add a little salt, and sometimes I don't even bother with that.