Antoine-Augustin Parmentier
| Antoine-Augustin Parmentier | |
|---|---|
| Died | 17 December 1813 (aged 76) Paris, First French Empire |
| Resting place | Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris |
| Citizenship | France |
| Known for | Popularising potatoes in France |
When did they start eating potatoes in Europe?
sixteenth century
Originating from the highlands of the Andes, South America, potatoes were introduced to Europe in the sixteenth century. They were initially popular in Spain because they provided cheap sustenance for the poor.
How did potatoes become popular in France?
In France and Germany, government officials and noble landowners promoted the rapid conversion of fallow land into potato fields after 1750. The potato thus became an important staple crop in northern Europe.
Why did Europeans start eating potatoes?
It was hunger, which convinced governments and peasants throughout the world potatoes were not evil. They were lifesavers. Prussian King Frederic the Great (1712-1786) and French pharmacist Antoine Parmentier (1737-1813) recognized the true potential of potatoes and worked hard to popularize potato growing.
How were potatoes introduced to Europe?
The Inca Indians in Peru were the first to cultivate potatoes around 8,000 BC to 5,000 B.C. In 1536, Spanish Conquistadors in Peru discovered the flavors of the potato and transported them to Europe.
Who made potato famous?
| Antoine-Augustin Parmentier | |
|---|---|
| Citizenship | France |
| Known for | Popularising potatoes in France |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Agronomy |
Who popularized potato?
Antoine-Augustin Parmentier was the man who made potatoes popular in France in the 1700s. His interest in potatoes began after he was captured during the Seven Years’ War and found himself imprisoned in Russia eating mounds of potatoes.
Why are potatoes illegal in France?
Potatoes are believed to have been banned in France from 1748 to 1772. The French Parliament reportedly forbade potato cultivation as it was considered to be poisonous, and it was also claimed that potatoes caused leprosy.
Did the French hate potatoes?
While the potato was becoming a part of European cooking ever since the Spaniards brought them to the continent in the mid-1500s, the French were not so hot on the potato. They refused to accept the vegetable, referring to it as “hog feed” and believing that these tubers caused leprosy.
Who brought the potato to England?
English explorer Sir Francis Drake discovered potatoes during his first, and the world’s second-ever, circumnavigation of the world in the late 16th century in Latin America. He brought them back to England and they have been a mainstay in British diets ever since.
What did Europe eat before potatoes?
Grains, either as bread or porridge, were the other mainstay of the pre-potato Irish diet, and the most common was the humble oat, usually made into oatcakes and griddled (ovens hadn’t really taken off yet).
What impact did the potato have on Europe?
More than that, as the historian William H. McNeill has argued, the potato led to empire: “By feeding rapidly growing populations, [it] permitted a handful of European nations to assert dominion over most of the world between 1750 and 1950.” The potato, in other words, fueled the rise of the West.
When did potatoes become popular in England?
It was near the middle of the 1700s that they were known over most of the country, and since that time they have been extensively cultivated. In 1796, in the county of Essex, about 1700 acres of potatoes were planted for the supply of the London market.
Did Europe get potatoes from America?
Although many crops were brought to Europe by Columbus and others soon after the discovery of the New World in 1492, the potato arrived much later. This is because it is a cool-temperate crop of the high Andes of South America, and these were not discovered by the Spaniards until 1532.
What is the most famous potato in the world?
The most famous varieties include Russet Burbank, Russet Norkotah, Cal Red, Red La Soda, Red Norland, Russian Banana Fingerling, French Fingerling, Purple Peruvian Fingerling, Yukon Gold, and Yukon Gem Gold.
Who introduced potatoes to Ireland?
Sir Walter Raleigh
The potato first made its appearance in Europe about 1570, having been brought from South America by the Spaniards. Traditional wisdom has it that Sir Walter Raleigh introduced the crop to Ireland about 1585.
Why did the Irish grow potatoes?
Why were potatoes so important to Ireland? The potato plant was hardy, nutritious, calorie-dense, and easy to grow in Irish soil. By the time of the famine, nearly half of Ireland’s population relied almost exclusively on potatoes for their diet, and the other half ate potatoes frequently.
How did potato get its name?
The English word potato comes from Spanish patata (the name used in Spain). The Royal Spanish Academy says the Spanish word is a hybrid of the Taíno batata (‘sweet potato’) and the Quechua papa (‘potato’). The name originally referred to the sweet potato although the two plants are not closely related.
Do the French eat potatoes?
It’s hard to imagine French cuisine without potatoes- they are such an inherent part of French food today that I never imagined this staple was an introduced product and has only been part of the French diet since Louis XVI in the 17th Century.
How the potato saved the world?
The introduction of the potato to Europe in the 16th century changed agriculture, allowing farmers to grow more crops on less land. In turn, this allowed communities to feed themselves on smaller amounts of land. As a result the price of land dropped.
Where is the potato originally from?
The potato is native to the Peruvian-Bolivian Andes. It was cultivated in South America by the Incas as early as 1,800 years ago. The Spaniards who colonized South America introduced potatoes into Europe during the second half of the 16th century.
Elvira Bowen is a food expert who has dedicated her life to understanding the science of cooking. She has worked in some of the world’s most prestigious kitchens, and has published several cookbooks that have become bestsellers. Elvira is known for her creative approach to cuisine, and her passion for teaching others about the culinary arts.