The Vegetable that Changed the World
Today, potatoes are one of the most common foods in the world. We eat them as french fries, chips, and mashed potatoes. However, potatoes were unknown outside of South America until about 500 years ago. They were first grown by the Inca people in the Andes Mountains.
When Spanish explorers brought potatoes to Europe in the 16th century, people were afraid to eat them. At that time, Europeans thought that growing food underground was strange and dangerous. Some people even believed that potatoes caused diseases. For many years, potatoes were only used to feed animals or poor people.
This changed in the 18th century, thanks to a French man named Antoine-Augustin Parmentier. He knew that potatoes were healthy and delicious. To make them popular, he planted a field of potatoes and asked guards to protect it. People thought the plants must be very valuable because they were guarded. After the guards left at night, people stole the potatoes to plant in their own gardens. Soon, the potato became a favorite food across Europe.
Where did potatoes originally come from?
Why were Europeans afraid to eat potatoes at first?
How did Parmentier make potatoes popular?
The Vegetable that Changed the World
Today, potatoes are one of the most common foods in the world. We eat them as french fries, chips, and mashed potatoes. However, potatoes were unknown outside of South America until about 500 years ago. They were first grown by the Inca people in the Andes Mountains.
When Spanish explorers brought potatoes to Europe in the 16th century, people were afraid to eat them. At that time, Europeans thought that growing food underground was strange and dangerous. Some people even believed that potatoes caused diseases. For many years, potatoes were only used to feed animals or poor people.
This changed in the 18th century, thanks to a French man named Antoine-Augustin Parmentier. He knew that potatoes were healthy and delicious. To make them popular, he planted a field of potatoes and asked guards to protect it. People thought the plants must be very valuable because they were guarded. After the guards left at night, people stole the potatoes to plant in their own gardens. Soon, the potato became a favorite food across Europe.
Where did potatoes originally come from?
Why were Europeans afraid to eat potatoes at first?
How did Parmentier make potatoes popular?