Culinary Staple Culinary Staple Source of Source of Survival Survival Gift from Latin Gift from Latin America America Global Good Global Good The Irish Potato
Jul 15, 2015
Culinary StapleCulinary Staple
Source of Source of SurvivalSurvival
Gift from Latin Gift from Latin AmericaAmerica
Global GoodGlobal Good
The Irish Potato
Forget Atkins.Forget Atkins.A Carb to LoveA Carb to Love Low in fat Rich in vitamin C Source of iron, vitamins
B1, B3 and B6; potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and contains folate, pantothenic acid and riboflavin
Contains dietary antioxidants
National Crop National Crop of the Irish:of the Irish:A Brief HistoryA Brief History
Early adopters of the Potato in Early adopters of the Potato in the 17th Centurythe 17th Century
All-in-One Nutrition Fuels a All-in-One Nutrition Fuels a Population Boom in the 18th Population Boom in the 18th CenturyCentury
An Gorta Mor (The Great An Gorta Mor (The Great Hunger): Crop Failure Hunger): Crop Failure causes starvation and causes starvation and migration in the 19th Centurymigration in the 19th Century
World’s leading Potato eaters World’s leading Potato eaters throughout the 19th and 20th throughout the 19th and 20th centuriescenturies
The Irish may claim it as their own but The Irish may claim it as their own but the potato came the potato came NOTNOT from… from…
KillarneyKillarney
A Global OdysseyA Global OdysseyHow the “Pratie” Went Round the World in Five How the “Pratie” Went Round the World in Five
CenturiesCenturies
From Latin America in the 16th century…From Latin America in the 16th century…
To the Vatican To the Vatican Gardens in RomeGardens in Rome
Clusius, the Pope’s Dutch botanist began cultivating the South American tuber by the late 1500’s
To Northern Europe in the 17th century…To Northern Europe in the 17th century…
The Potato Eaters by Vincent Van GoghThe Potato Eaters by Vincent Van Gogh
Potato: the Other Peruvian GoldPotato: the Other Peruvian Gold
Cultivated 7,000 to 12,000 years Cultivated 7,000 to 12,000 years ago by the Incas near Lake ago by the Incas near Lake TiticacaTiticaca
Spanish called the tuber “patata,” Spanish called the tuber “patata,” derived from the Quechua word derived from the Quechua word “papa” and the Indian word “papa” and the Indian word “batata”“batata”
Spanish conquistadors in search Spanish conquistadors in search of gold discovered Peruvian of gold discovered Peruvian potato in 1532potato in 1532
Potato GodPotato God
The Spaniards bring Potatoes from the The Spaniards bring Potatoes from the mountains of Peru to the mountains of Spainmountains of Peru to the mountains of Spain
Basque farmers began to grow them in the 16th/17th centuriesBasque farmers began to grow them in the 16th/17th centuries
Political and Economic Conditions Force Political and Economic Conditions Force the Cultivation of the Potato in Irelandthe Cultivation of the Potato in Ireland
17th Century Colonization and 17th Century Colonization and English Land Grab reduce acreage English Land Grab reduce acreage for native Irish for native Irish
Disenfranchised farmers become Disenfranchised farmers become tenantstenants
Farmers need to wring more from lessFarmers need to wring more from less Nutritious potato a high-yield, low-Nutritious potato a high-yield, low-
labor croplabor crop An acre of land can produce enough An acre of land can produce enough
to feed a family of six plus livestock for to feed a family of six plus livestock for a yeara year
English military campaigns against English military campaigns against France create export market for Irish France create export market for Irish potatopotato
Population explosion results in IrelandPopulation explosion results in Ireland
The Blight The Blight 1845 to 18501845 to 1850An Gorta MorAn Gorta MorThe Great HungerThe Great Hunger
Unresolved land and rent Unresolved land and rent disputesdisputes
Overdependence on single Overdependence on single cropcrop
Two consecutive years of Two consecutive years of crop failure crop failure
Devastating English Devastating English economic policies economic policies
CausesCauses
Impact of the Impact of the Great FamineGreat Famine
Massive Starvation and Massive Starvation and EmigrationEmigration
Depopulation and Diaspora: Depopulation and Diaspora: Half the population leaves or Half the population leaves or diesdies
More than One Million DeadMore than One Million Dead The rise of Irish as urban The rise of Irish as urban
minority group in Americaminority group in America Labor for American Labor for American
factories/soldiers for Civil factories/soldiers for Civil WarWar
Rebellion in IrelandRebellion in Ireland
The Potato in AmericaThe Potato in America
Scotch Irish farmers first planted Scotch Irish farmers first planted them in New Hampshire in the them in New Hampshire in the early 1700’searly 1700’s
Wave of Irish immigrants Wave of Irish immigrants increased market and demand increased market and demand for potatoes in U.S. in 19th for potatoes in U.S. in 19th CenturyCentury
Westward expansion and potato Westward expansion and potato cultivation in Idaho followscultivation in Idaho follows
The rise of American French The rise of American French Fries in 20th CenturyFries in 20th Century
USDA: potato most important USDA: potato most important crop in the U.S.crop in the U.S.
Globalization TrendsGlobalization Trends
For centuries potato production and For centuries potato production and consumption dominated by Europe, North consumption dominated by Europe, North America and former Soviet Union America and former Soviet Union
Asia, Africa and Latin America have Asia, Africa and Latin America have quintupled output and consumption in the quintupled output and consumption in the last 50 yearslast 50 years
In 2005, for the first time, the developing In 2005, for the first time, the developing world's potato production exceeded that of world's potato production exceeded that of the developed world the developed world
China is now the biggest potato producerChina is now the biggest potato producer Almost a third of all potatoes harvested in Almost a third of all potatoes harvested in
China and IndiaChina and India
A Food to Feed the World in the 21st CenturyA Food to Feed the World in the 21st Century
The United The United Nations promotes Nations promotes the potato as a the potato as a sustainable sustainable solution to global solution to global hungerhunger
The crop that The crop that once fed the Incas once fed the Incas and the Irish now and the Irish now nourishes the nourishes the worldworld