The Amazing Potato (Milton Meltzer)

(A Story in which the Incas, Conquistadors, Marie Antoinette, Thomas Jefferson, Wars, Famines, Immigrants, and French Fries All Play a Part)

This short book renewed my appreciation for the humble papa (the Spanish word came from Incan). It's a New World food, first found in 1530s Peru, in many varieties. It crossed the Atlantic to Europe on Spanish ships, put on board to feed the sailors. Although the Spanish were fond of it, it took a while for the potato to catch on in Europe. The Irish embraced it in the wake of war with the English, as it kept them from starvation. They brought the potato to North America when Irish immigrants planted potatoes in New Hampshire in 1719. So dependent were the Irish on the potato that the blight in 1845 caused a famine which one historian called the end of Old Ireland, because so many Irish either died or left the country.

Today the potato is the fourth most important food in the world, after wheat, rice, and corn. Russia is the top grower, followed by China. By weight it is the fourth most important food in the American diet. Idaho grows the most, followed by Washington State, Oregon, Maine, and North Dakota. However, potatoes are grown all across the country.

Wonderful nutrition is to be found in a potato: the average spud has 100 calories and is virtually free of fat and sodium. It also provides 50% RDA of vitamin C; 20% of vitamin B6; 15% of iodine; 10% of niacin, iron, and copper; 8% of folic acid, phosphorus, magnesium, and thiamin; as well as zinc, pantothenic acid, and riboflavin. Additionally it contains potassium and fiber (which lowers cholesterol). It has better-quality protein than the soybean.

The International Potato Center (CIP) is located in Peru. Its mission is to preserve "the full genetic diversity of the potato." In North America, for example, 80% of potatoes grown are one of six varieties. It is important to ensure that the other varieties continue to exist, so CIP has identified over 5000 native potato varieties in Latin America which it maintains either in the field or in storage. (The Shining Path attacked a busload of CIP workers in 1988, even killing one. The next year, three storage buildings were dynamited. Now there are storage locations in two other countries.)

So, go out and eat a potato - a FRESH potato. It's good for you! Also, I learned from this book: store them in a dark, dry place, NOT the fridge, because cold turns the starch to sugars. But too much warmth can cause them to sprout and wither. Happy potato eating!