Potatoes Have Had A Surprising Role In History.
I’ve always been a fan of potatoes. The most normal thing in the world for me is to have a meal with potatoes. The only real question is, how will I prepare them today. I’m not a fan of processed food so that question always starts with a whole potato in hand, a scrub brush and a peeler. Well, unless the dish can also use the peels.
You’d think I’d get tired of eating potatoes. My parents always had a large garden when I was growing up. Over half of the garden was devoted to raising potatoes to feed the family of seven, up to nine, through the winter. There was usually some left in the spring to plant for the next crop.
Health Benefits of Potatoes
I’m a bit more aware of the carb levels in them, even though they are not refined carbs. They are not the complex carbs I’d get in legumes. Potatoes contain a powerhouse of vitamins and nutrients. When you peel the potato, it reduces the total nutritional value.
They are also an antioxidant which can help to reduce chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. The starch in them is a resistant starch that can help control blood sugar and digestive health. They are gluten free and very filling.
Although I don’t recommend it, a diet of potatoes and dairy can safely nourish you with the nutrients you’d need for a healthy life. Variety in our diet is important along with green vegetables. You’ll notice why I’ve mentioned this in a minute.
The Potato In European History
Spanish explorers brought the potato to Europe during the 16th century. It was adopted and raised during a particular blooding and brutal period in history, between 1400 and 1900.
Once farmers adopted and started raising potatoes they soon found they could grow enough potatoes to survive using a third of the amount of land needed previously. This enabled feeding a growing population. The collapse of the potato crop in Ireland in the 19th century drove a way of immigration to the US and Canada.
Land, and particularly agricultural land had always held a high value in Europe. A value high enough that people would go to war over it to either defend theirs or to take others. The reduction in the demand for land due to being able to grow more potatoes on a smaller footprint also led to a lower demand for land to survive.
Potatoes Surprising Role - Peacemaker
Researchers from the Kellogg School of Management in Illinois examined if the lowly potato had also contributed to keeping the peace. They examined armed conflict in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East between 1400 and 1900. Their conclusions were that potatoes had contributed to reduced global conflict during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Once established as a crop in Europe, food supply rose with less land being devoted to raising food. The value of land dropped as it was in less demand. The lower value and successful crops influenced the farmer’s willingness to leave the land to engage in conflicts when they had crops to harvest.
The changes in food supply also influenced population growth and increased urbanization.
Mapping the Influence of the Potato on Conflict
To study if potatoes had an impact on conflict, researches painstakingly digitized the record of every European battle taking place with 32 or more fatalities from 1400 onward. They then created a map grid of 400km x 400km squares. Each square was then marked for its suitability to grow potatoes.
They then examined the level of conflict after the potato arrived in 1700. There was a significant decline in conflict in the grids where potatoes could be cultivated.
In order to factor out the possibility of conflict shifting into non growing areas to protect the crops, researchers confined the results to local and civil conflicts. The results held true, lower levels of conflict in areas where potatoes could grow.
They futher factored out other variables like weather shocks, rainfall variations, geographic factors like elevation and even suitability to grow other crops also imported from Columbia like maize and sweet potatoes. Potatoes remained a factor in the reduction of conflict.
Potatoes can be a lot of things, but an instrument of peace wasn’t something I expected. Baked or boiled?
SOURCE: https://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/how-the-potato-ushered-in-an-era-of-peace
Shadowspub is a writer from Ontario, Canada. She writes on a variety of subjects as she pursues her passion for learning. She also writes on other platforms and enjoys creating books you use like journals, notebooks, coloring books etc.
NOTE: unless otherwise stated, all images are the author’s
Would you like to receive writing prompts regularly?
You can subscribe to Prompt A Day to get started.
Share your posts
- join us on the DreemPort Discord for PYPT
- Join DreemPort and take part by following @dreemport . Get eyes on your content and meet new friends.
Who knew that a single crop could save lives in such varied ways! Now let's make all this happen again - on a global scale 🙌
I found your post via Dreemport 🙌
This post has been manually curated by the VYB Curation Project
This is an eye opening to me already as I never had time to search for the benefits. I do think the starch in Potatoes aren't ideal for anyone to keep eating every time just like other food.
I have always loved potatoes too and I prefer the fried than boiled ones.
I came through Dreemport 🤗
Thanks for sharing.
I had no idea that there was anything even close to the story and history behind spuds @shadowspub, and there was no way I ever thought that one food could solve some of the larger problems of warfare. I think if the current administration is going to insist on fighting, I think it should be him against that other guy and face off with potatos hahahahahahaha!!!
This post was obtained through Dreemport.
My mother in law has diabetis. She doesn't take potatoes as it increases her sugar level. It is seriously an amazing news for me that potato helps to control sugar level.
I used to think that potato was that common in my culture only. This post made me realize that potato is comon and respected across the globe.
It is another amazing fact that potato have had its role in peace making
As far as I know, there came a situation in Europe where the only available food was potatoes and unfortunately the crops were destroyed and the drought situation became worst. By the way, I have just finished eating potato chips but they were not hot so I engulfed them in a single bite. I remembered there was a queen who might be Spanish and had a book 1000 ways to cook potatoes, isn't it interesting 😁 dreemport dropped me here .
Do you mean all kinds of potatoes??...
The variety you talk about is it the ordinary potatoes or the Irish potatoes???... I meant the one for fries🍟
It truly amazes me to see that potatoes have such amazing and nutritional values.. I'm fascinated and I am glad I read this article.
I love potatoes alot especially I make them in any form....like I fry and boil... I used it for porridge and I add it to beans when cooking...
I came in through dreemport.
My sister taught me her method for baking potatoes. She washes, dries, and then coats the outside of the potato in olive oil and sea salt. Makes for tasty eating once the inside of the potato has been eaten.