The Spanish discoverers and conquerer found unknown plants and fruits, which are today a natural part of our nutrition to them in the new world numerous. But none of these new plants should attain a similar meaning for Europe as the potato.

The Spaniards learned 16 in the first half. Century of the Inkas the dad (Quechua: know ). The similarity to the Batate leads to the mixture of the two terms, so that starting from that 17. Century both plants (and their respective fruits) patata to be called. Only starting from that 18. Century becomes again between the potato (Spanish: patata in Spain and dad in Hispanoamerika) and the Batate (Spanish: batata) differentiated. The English designation potato is derived of it. The German name potato reminds rather of Italian tartufolo, with which they were compared at the beginning. One translated the French expression pommes de terre as earth apples. The potato however has still numerous other names, which sound often nearly like Liebkosungen, in each dialect and in each region for example earth pears.

History

From South America to Europe

In the Anden South America the native peoples already cultivated potatoes in numerous sorts for centuries. The dates of most religious celebrations of the Inka corresponded to the planting and harvest times of this earth fruit in the calendar. The cultivated sorts were already highly developed, the most diverse cultivation situations and different intended purposes adapted and far from the prototypes, as they were brought out by nature. In the meager mountains the Patata was the main food of the native ones. In Peru can be cultivated the potato up to four thousand meters height, where corn can prosper only in the most favorable, frost-protected situations.

The Europeans found taste at this fruit and procured themselves larger quantities than provisions for the home journey. At home arrived, this novelty was to be left first once a botanische rare piece, which decorated the gardens of clergyman, prince and scholar as Topfpflanze, too preciously in order it to the cook. To costs of the aboveground fruits often ended with belly pain or symptoms of intoxication, and so soon numerous prejudices developed opposite this beautifully flowering plant from overseas.

There are many also contradictory stories and anecdotes, how the potato in Europe became the agrarian fruit. Safe it is only that there were two main propagation paths, one over Ireland, England and the Netherlands and one over Portugal, Spain, France and Italy. The contemporary reports are unfortunately very inaccurate, the potato by correspondents at that time all too often with Yamswurzel, sweet potato, Topinambur and Maniok were nevertheless confounded. These soil fruits have little form similarity, are however related biologically not with one another.

Introduction of the potatoes to Europe

It lasted some generations, until from the botanischen preciousness a main source of food of the broad population in Europe became. Many prejudices and tradition-conditioned obstacles stood to it at the beginning in the way. In Ireland potatoes became however already at the beginning 17. Century cultivated, since they seemed to be the ideal fruit for this meager island. Game and feasting cattle were not possible for yield and harvest tended to the Kartoffelkraut damage to cause and one could also on bad and stony soils and in steep Hanglagen potatoes cultivate also without special tools. The most important advantage was the one and a half times one surface yield in the comparison to the cultivation of grain. In the end also the domestic preparation was many simpler than with the grain: One must thresh nor grind, still to bread bake potatoes neither. At the modest peat fire, which warmed the huts, also potatoes were cooked. Ireland was at that time an English colony, the cattle and grain in the motherland to export had. The potatoes often remained for the farmers as only source of food. The Irish island was far distant and isolated from remaining Europe, then it took still another further century, to princes and kings on the European continent the botanische rare piece from their gardens their subjects for the cultivation passing on.

In Prussia Friedrich the large one with all means for the wide cultivation of the potato ensured. Its propaganda campaigns for the potatoes are hardly less well-known than its war courses. In both cases the army played an important role. It is told, it has approximately around Berlin the first potato fields to put on and by soldiers guard let. They should not look however so exactly or do in such a way as if them slept, so that the farmers were convinced by the preciousness this fruit, because applied already at that time also in Prussia: Which the farmer does not know, it does not eat. The farmers would then, completely have geklaut and would have cost in the sense of the king, these earth apples behind the back of the soldiers and would have finally cultivated. It is safe that Friedrich help the potato with regulations to the break-through. Thus it issued to 24. March 1756 a Circular Ordre, which arranged the cultivation of potato: In this it, on land and tax is called and officials "“arranged, among other things:

Potatoes come into Switzerland

Also into Switzerland the potato came because of their bloom splendour first as rare Topfpflanze. Only one hundred years later, at the beginning of the eight tenth century, it than food potato was cultivated. The cultivation conditions were similar as in the country of origin Peru. The potato was cultivated however not into four thousand meters height as in the South American Anden, but at the most up to two thousand meters scarcely over the forest border. Potatoes became then also rapid in Switzerland the popular people food: as they attained world fame.

Hunger emergencies

The introduction of the potato to Europe did not remain without shade sides. As main source of food of the people it improved the nourishing possibilities in Europe for the first strongly and let indirectly after the disaster of the war and after numerous epidemics the total population again grow. For broad social classes the potato became however the practically only nourishing basis, clearest in Ireland. If the crop of potatoes were small, the grain and bread prices rose and humans had hungern. This happened locally more frequently, usually than consequence of bad weather periods, because of drynesses or too much rain.

As then at the beginning 19. Century made of America also potato diseases were brought in, were unprotected the potato mono cultures. A harvest failure followed other and caused hunger with the majority of the people. Many millions humans verhungerten in Europe, particularly during the large hunger emergency in Ireland, where the dependence on the potato was particularly large, particularly since this country was financially dependent on its receipts from exports for grain. Here humans at hunger died within 2 years over one million. They could not themselves have bought also bread, because most saw their life long no cash. Who could afford somehow it, emigrated thus - usually into the USA -.

Art, literature

Vincent van Goghs painting the Kartoffelesser is world well-known. If a painter wanted to illustrate the life arms, if a writer described a rural family, 19 was starting from that. Century potatoes a popular topic, in order to describe the simple life. Numerous sayings around the potato are tradiert until today: "“The stupidest farmers harvest the thickest potatoes."” (or also: Maxima of diametric Extension with the superben subterranen product of germaner Agro culture correlate reciprocally with intellectual capacity of possessiv associated agrarian producers.), "“potato meals make stupid."” and "“now you must eat a time long potatoes."” (Now you must live completely economically.).

Articles in category "Culture history of the potato"

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