Potato: Where did this kitchen favourite originate from?
Can you imagine an Indian kitchen without a basket full of potatoes? From finger-licking fries, to cheesy baked dishes and curries, the humble potato is truly versatile and holds a special place in everyone’s hearts. Solanum tuberosum, as it is scientifically called, potato is one of the main ingredients in many a dish in an Indian kitchen. In fact, not just India, potato is the most widely grown non-cereal crop in the world, thanks to its versatility! It is the 4th most popular crop in the world. So, clearly, all cuisines use it extensively through the world, Pocket-friendly, high on energy, and with countless easy ways to serve them, potatoes have truly conquered hearts world over. Can you believe that more than 100 countries around the world cultivate potatoes? But where did this delectable vegetable originally come from? Let’s find out.
Potatoes originated in South America
Many people believe that potatoes are Irish or come from Idaho, an American state. Although they are grown in both locations, potatoes were initially domesticated by the Inca Indians in South America’s Peru between 8,000 and 5,000 BC high in the Andes mountains, near Lake Titicaca. Soon, they spread and became a staple for local communities, including the Incans.
Spreading across Europe
The Spanish conquistadors introduced potatoes to Europe around 1536. Along with potatoes, the invaders brought other crops such as tomatoes, avocados, and corn, which historians called the Great ‘Columbian Exchange.’ It took approximately 40 years for potatoes to reach the rest of Europe after Sir Walter Raleigh, English statesman, writer, and explorer, brought them to Ireland in 1589.
Soon, in 1662, the Royal Society in England advised growing potatoes. Even then, demand for the potatoes didn't really take off for more than a century. The urge to consume this vegetable finally took hold in 1795, and soon it began to be served on tables throughout the continent. Thereafter, the history and spread of the potato have remained intertwined with those of trade, colonialism, and expansionism. Potatoes travelled by sea from Europe to Africa and Asia, where they quickly established themselves and began to acquire the characteristics of the local soil.
Potatoes come to India
The story of potatoes in India starts with Portuguese and Dutch traders who called them ‘batata.’ They brought potatoes to India with them in the early 17th century, but they remained confined to small areas along the Malabar coast, and their impact or reach did not extend across the subcontinent. In the 18th century, when the British East India Company arrived, they discovered that relatively few Indians were growing or eating potatoes. The Britishers were eager to promote potato in India and intended to carry on their culinary research of this newly discovered food even in other countries. Therefore, plants were distributed to the farmers to grow, and by the 19th century, potatoes were being produced all over Bengal and the northern Indian hills.