 |
Potato
Scientific Name: Solanum tuberosum
Family: Solanaceae
|
Among the food plants of great economic interest that the American continent has offered to the Old World (including corn, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants), the Potato, is probably the most important. Its centers of origin can be found in some areas of Peru, Bolivia and Mexico, where it is believed to have been cultivated during the Aztec and Inca civilizations. It was introduced into France and Spain during the second half of the sixteenth century, and in the early years was sometimes grown as an ornamental for its flowers. Sir John Hawkins is thought to have first brought the potato to England in 1563, but it was not until twenty years later, after Sir Francis Drake had reintroduced it to Britain, that its highly nutritious value was recognized and its cultivation taken seriously. Sir Walter Raleigh grew potatoes in Ireland. It was realized that the potato could be very important in human nutrition. Consequently an intensive campaign was begun to spread and increase its cultivation. Sometimes, in periods of scarcity or war, the potato was used as a substitute for wheat and other cereals, which was another reason for further extension. Today it is cultivated in every continent, and the yearly world production is now around 300 million tons, half of which comes from Europe. Russia, Poland, and Germany are in the lead for the quantity and quality of the production. In some countries, like the United States and Britain, the potato is a complementary food, suitable for the preparation of a large variety of excellent dishes (fried, baked, boiled, mashed, dumplings, etc.). But in countries such as those of central and eastern Europe, the potato substitutes, partly or totally, for the starchy food generally included in the daily diet. The dry tuber contains an average of 66% starch, the principal component of its calories; 4% sugars, 9% protein, and about 0.5% potassium, phosphorus and lipids. The potato can provide the human body with such useful elements as copper and iron that are, for example, in minimal percentage in milk, which is considered a complete food. For those who are overweight, the potato could take the place of bread, because as far as calories are concerned, the equivalent of 3 - 4 ounces of bread corresponds to approximately 1 pound of potatoes. It would be impossible during a meal to eat a quantity of potatoes corresponding in calories to the amount of bread and pasta that the people of some nations normally eat. Because of its low percentage of salts, the potato is often eaten by those suffering from high blood pressure. It also has some vitamins, especially vitamin C and thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), and pantothenic acid. Besides human nutrition, the tubers of Solanum tuberosum have many other uses: some varieties, rich in water, are grown for forage, others are used for the extraction of starches and the production of alcohol. In Poland a vodka, almost 100% proof, is produced from potatoes. For these secondary uses, the flavor of the tubers is obviously not important. [Bianchini, Francesco, Corbetta, Francesco, Pistoia, Marilena, The Complete Book of Fruits and Vegetables, United States Translation: Crown Publishers, New York, 1976; Originally published in Italy as I Frutti della Terra, Arnoldo Mondadori Publisher, Italy, 1973]