The potato is a starchy tuber of the plant Solanum tuberosum and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found throughout the Americas, from Canada to southern Chile .
The potato is a root vegetable native to the Americas, a starchy tuber of the plant Solanum tuberosum, and the plant itself is a perennial in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Wild potato species, originating in modern-day Peru, can be found throughout the Americas, from the United States to southern Chile .
Did the Irish Potato originate in Ireland?
Surprisingly, the tuber we often refer to as the Irish potato did not originate in Ireland. The history of potato plants dates back thousands of years to the Andean part of South America .
So, where did the first potatoes grow?
The earliest archaeologically verified potato tuber remains have been found at the coastal site of Ancón (central Peru), dating to 2500 BC.
Also, when did potatoes come to Europe?
Some articles claimed it wasn’t until the mid-sixteenth century that potatoes would venture across the seas to Europe. In 1532 conquistadors from Spain came sailing onto the scene searching for vast riches to bring back to Europe.
What is the etymology of the word potato?
The name originally referred to the sweet potato although the two plants are not closely related. The 16th-century English herbalist John Gerard referred to sweet potatoes as “common potatoes”, and used the terms “bastard potatoes” and “Virginia potatoes” for the species we now call “potato”.
When were potatoes first domesticated in South America?
The potato was first domesticated in the region of modern-day southern Peru and extreme northwestern Bolivia between 8000 and 5000 BC . Cultivation of potatoes in South America may go back 10,000 years, but tubers do not preserve well in the archaeological record, making identification difficult.
One answer is that Cultivation of potatoes in South America may go back 10,000 years , but tubers do not preserve well in the archaeological record, making identification difficult. The earliest archaeologically verified potato tuber remains have been found at the coastal site of Ancón (central Peru), dating to 2500 BC.
One frequent answer is, for the Spaniards the potato was regarded as a food for the natives: the Spanish conquerors speak most favourably of the potato but they recommend it especially for the natives who have to do the heaviest jobs. A similar pattern occurred in England where the potato became the food of the working class.