I must admit that this was news to me as well, but am extremely excited to let you know that this wonderful year of 2008 has officially been declared Year of Potato by the United Nations.
If you don't believe me, see for yourself: International Year of Potato
And I honestly had no idea about the fascinating history of this rather ordinary food. Apparently, potatoes were first cultivated in South America about 7000 years ago. However the potatoes didn't even make their way to Europe until 1570. Even after that it took another 200 years for the people to actually consider consuming it. Before that potatoes were thought to cause sickness and be only fit for kettle. They were even called "devil's apples"However starvation in the mid 1700's pretty much forced people to realize just how awesome potatoes really are. They are cheap, easy to grow, extremely nutritious, and overall cool. People were fed, happy and started multiplying like crazy. Especially the Irish :) In fact the Irish got a bit too much into potato fueled lifestyle and seriously suffered when the crops failed and 1 million people died due to famine.
With time of course, we figured out how to maintain a healthy balanced diet, and are pretty much "set". As for myself...I know about potatoes. Russians produce the most in the world and eat A LOT of potatoes and drink even more potato water. However Belorussians have us beat- at leas as far as consumption goes.
Anyway, now, the potato is so common, plentiful and pervasive in the Western diet that it is taken for granted though has only been with us for a few hundred years. Alas! human nature, we get used to good things fast!
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