When Did The French Start Eating Potatoes?

In France, at the end of the 16th century, the potato had been introduced to the Franche-Comté, the Vosges of Lorraine and Alsace. By the end of the 18th century it was written in the 1785 edition of Bon Jardinier: “There is no vegetable about which so much has been written and so much enthusiasm has been shown

Who introduced the potato to France?

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

How did potatoes get to France?

It is hard today to think of potatoes as anything other than a staple food but they were illegal in France between 1748 and 1772. Potatoes were originally introduced into Europe by Spaniards, who brought them back from the Inca Empire in South America.

Why did the French not eat potatoes?

In France, between 1748 and 1772, the potato was illegal since the French believed potatoes spread disease, especially leprosy. People preferred to grow potatoes for flowers and for animal food.

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.

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).

When did humans start eating potatoes?

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.

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.

Do the French eat a lot of 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.

When were potatoes considered poisonous?

1952: According to the British Medical Journal, solanine poisoning is most common during times of food shortage. In the face of starvation, there have been accounts of large groups eating older potatoes with a higher concentration of the toxin.

Why do people think potatoes poisonous?

The tubers of wild varieties are small and bitter and can be poisonous, so nobody knows how and why they were first cultivated. This bitter, poisonous quality in potatoes comes from glycoalkaloids. It is believed this quality was reduced (something like 15-fold) by purposeful breeding of the plants.

Who first 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 16^th century in Latin America. He brought them back to England and they have been a mainstay in British diets ever since.

Are potatoes native to America?

The humble potato was domesticated in the South American Andes some 8,000 years ago and was only brought to Europe in the mid-1500s, from where it spread west and northwards, back to the Americas, and beyond.

What did Irish eat before potatoes?

Until the arrival of the potato in the 16th century, grains such as oats, wheat and barley, cooked either as porridge or bread, formed the staple of the Irish diet.

What did Germans eat before the potato?

Cereals remained the most important staple during the Early Middle Ages as rice was introduced late, and the potato was only introduced in 1536, with a much later date for widespread consumption. Barley, oats, and rye were eaten by the poor. Wheat was for the governing classes.

What foods did Jesus eat?

We know that ancient Israelites ate lamb and goat meat, but meat was probably more of a special treat for Jesus than a daily staple. Instead, he might have relied on legumes, like beans or lentils, and fish for protein.

Did cavemen eat potatoes?

Cereals, potatoes, bread and milk did not feature at all. It was only with the dawn of agriculture (around 10,000 years ago) that our diets evolved to include what we think of as staple foods now.

What country is famous for potatoes?

China is now the world’s top potato producer, followed by India, Russia, and Ukraine. The United States is the fifth largest producer of potatoes in the world (NPC).

How did ancient people eat potatoes?

They even buried potatoes with their dead, they stashed potatoes in concealed bins for use in case of war or famine, they dried them, and carried them on long journeys to eat on the way (dried or soaked in stew). Ancient Inca potatoes had dark purplish skins and yellow flesh.

Who brought potatoes to America?

The ever-exploring Europeans brought the potato into North America in the 1620s when the British governor in the Bahamas made a special gift of them to the governor of Virginia. They spread slowly through the northern colonies, but had much of the same initial reception in North America as they did in Europe.

Do the French eat gravy?

The French use a lot of gravies in their dishes but generally, these tend to come as part of the meal and are cooked together, like coq au vin or boeuf bourguignon. It can come of something of a surprise to the French to add gravy to meat after it’s been cooked, much in the same way as you might add ketchup or mustard.