Nowadays, potatoes are almost the main basis of the Russian table. But not so long ago, only some 300 years ago, they did not eat it in Russia. How did the Slavs live without potatoes?
Potatoes appeared in Russian cuisine only at the beginning of the 18th century thanks to Peter the Great. But the potatoes began to spread among all strata of the population only in the reign of Catherine. And now it is already difficult to imagine what our ancestors ate, if not fried potatoes or mashed potatoes. How could they even live without this root vegetable?
One of the main features of Russian cuisine is the division into lean and mild. In the Russian Orthodox calendar, about 200 days a year fall on Lenten days. This means: no meat, no milk or eggs. Only vegetable food, and on some days - fish. Seems poor and poor? Not at all. The Lenten table was distinguished by its richness and abundance, a huge variety of dishes. Lenten tables of peasants and rather wealthy people in those days did not differ much: the same cabbage soup, porridge, vegetables, mushrooms. The only difference was that it was difficult for residents who did not live near the reservoir to get fresh fish on the table. So the fish table in the villages was rare, but those who had money could call him themselves.
Approximately such an assortment was available in the villages, but it must be borne in mind that meat was eaten extremely rarely, usually it happened in the fall or in the winter meat-eater, before Shrovetide.
Vegetables: turnips, cabbage, cucumbers, radish, beets, carrots, rutabagas, pumpkin,
Porridge: oatmeal, buckwheat, pearl barley, wheat, millet, wheat, egg.
Bread: mostly rye, but there was also wheat, more expensive and rare.
Mushrooms
Dairy products: raw milk, sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese
Baking: pies, pies, pies, rolls, bagels, sweet pastries.
Fish, game, livestock meat.
Condiments: onion, garlic, horseradish, dill, parsley, cloves, bay leaves, black pepper.
Fruits: apples, pears, plums
Berries: cherry, lingonberry, viburnum, cranberry, cloudberry, stoneberry, blackthorn
Nuts and seeds
The boyar table, and the table of the well-to-do townspeople, was distinguished by a rare abundance. In the 17th century, the number of dishes increased, tables, both lean and modest, became more and more varied. Any large meal already included more than 5-6 changes of dishes:
Hot (cabbage soup, stew, ear);
cold (okroshka, botvinya, jelly, jellied fish, corned beef);
roast (meat, poultry);
body (boiled or fried hot fish);
unsweetened pies,
kulebyaka; porridge (sometimes it was served with cabbage soup);
cake (sweet pies, pies);
snacks (sweets for tea, candied fruits, etc.).
Alexander Nechvolodov, in his book Legends of the Russian Land, describes the boyar's feast and admires its wealth: “After the vodka, they began to eat snacks, of which there were a great many; on fast days sauerkraut, all kinds of mushrooms and all kinds of fish, from caviar and balyk to steamed sterlets, whitefish and various fried fish were served. With a snack, borsch botvinia was also supposed.
Then they moved on to the hot soup, which was also served of the most varied preparation - red and black, pike, sterlet, crucian carp, combined fish, with saffron, and so on. Other dishes made from salmon with lemon, white fish with plums, sterlet with cucumbers and so on were also served.
Then, pies cooked in nut or hemp oil with all kinds of fillings were also sent to each ear, with seasoning, often baked in the form of various kinds of animals.
After the fish soup followed: "salted" or "salted", any fresh fish that came from different parts of the state, and always under the "zvar" (sauce), with horseradish, garlic and mustard.
Lunch ended with serving "bread": various kinds of cookies, donuts, pies with cinnamon, poppy seeds, raisins, etc. "
The first thing that was rushed to the overseas guests if they got to a Russian feast: an abundance of dishes, no matter if it was a fast or a fast day. The fact is that all vegetables, and indeed all products in general, were served separately. The fish could be baked, fried, or boiled, but there was only one kind of fish on one dish. Mushrooms were salted separately, milk mushrooms, porcini, boletus were served separately ... Salads were one (!) Vegetable, and not a mixture of vegetables. Any vegetable could be served fried or boiled.
Hot dishes are also prepared according to the same principle: poultry are baked separately, individual pieces of meat are stewed.
The old Russian cuisine did not know what finely chopped and mixed salads, as well as various finely chopped roasts and meat basics, were. There were also no cutlets, sausages and sausages. Everything finely chopped, chopped into minced meat appeared much later.
In the 17th century, the direction of cooking finally took shape, which is responsible for soups and other liquid dishes. Pickles, hodgepodge, hangover appeared. They were added to the friendly family of soups that stood on Russian tables: stew, cabbage soup, fish soup (usually from one kind of fish, so the principle of "everything separately" was observed).
In general, this century is the time of novelties and interesting products in Russian cuisine. Tea is delivered to Russia. In the second half of the 17th century, sugar appeared and the range of sweet dishes expanded: candied fruits, preserves, sweets, lollipops. Finally, lemons appear, which begin to be added to tea, as well as to rich hangover soups.
Finally, during these years the influence of the Tatar cuisine was very strong. Therefore, dishes made from unleavened dough have gained great popularity: noodles, dumplings, dumplings.
Everyone knows that potatoes appeared in Russia in the 18th century thanks to Peter I - he brought seed potatoes from Holland. But the overseas curiosity was available only to rich people and for a long time potatoes remained a delicacy for the aristocracy.
The widespread distribution of potatoes began in 1765, when, after the decree of Catherine II, consignments of seed potatoes were brought to Russia. It was spread almost forcibly: the peasant population did not accept the new culture, since it considered it poisonous (a wave of poisoning by poisonous fruits of potatoes swept across Russia, since at first the peasants did not understand that it was necessary to eat root crops and ate the tops). The potato took a long and difficult time to take root, even in the 19th century it was called "the devil's apple" and refused to plant. As a result, a wave of "potato riots" swept across Russia, and in the middle of the 19th century, Nicholas I was still able to massively introduce potatoes into peasant gardens. And by the beginning of the 20th century, it was already considered the second bread.
The UN has declared 2009 the International Year of the Potato. Therefore, this year I decided to devote my work to this particular plant and experiment with growing potatoes in indoor conditions.
For the first time, I saw potatoes when I was 2 years old, in my grandmother's garden. And even then I had questions: why is it different in color, why on the same bush there are large and small tubers at the same time, where did the potatoes come from, why it is impossible to eat the green "balls" that appeared after flowering, because they are so beautiful! Now I have learned a lot about potatoes and can answer all my childhood questions.
The history of the emergence of potatoes in Europe in Russia.
For the first time, potatoes were discovered by the Indians of South America in the form of wild thickets. The Indians began to grow potatoes as a cultivated plant about 14 thousand years ago. Potatoes replaced them with bread and called him dad. Francis Drake first brought potatoes to Europe (Spain) in 1565, after a trip to South America. Having got from America to Europe, the potato became a great traveler. She ended up in Italy, Belgium, Holland, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Great Britain, etc.
But at first in Europe, potatoes were perceived as a curiosity. Sometimes people did not know the simplest thing: what is edible in a plant. They used it as an ornamental plant, for the sake of beautiful flowers, then they tried the fruits - green berries. A funny story happened in Ireland. The gardener took care of the new plant for a long time. After the potatoes had bloomed, he harvested from the bush - green berries the size of a hazelnut. These fruits were found to be completely inedible. The gardener began to destroy the plant. He pulled the top of the bush and large tubers fell at his feet. After boiling them, he realized that the potatoes were delicious, but they ate them from the wrong end.
The agronomist who discovered that potatoes are delicious and nutritious, not poisonous at all, is Antoine-Auguste Parmentier.
Peter I first brought potatoes to Russia at the end of the 17th century. He sent a bag of tubers from Holland to the capital to be sent to the provinces for cultivation. At first, the people did not want to recognize this foreign product. Many people died from food poisoning and refused to plant this overseas plant.
In Russia, potatoes took root with difficulty. Then the ruler was Nicholas 1, nicknamed Palkin. Under him, the guilty soldiers were beaten to death with sticks. He decided to plant potatoes with a stick. People believed rumors that potatoes were a "damn apple" and brought evil. "Potato riots" arose. The rebels were beaten with rods and even exiled to Siberia for disobedience.
But time passed, and the potato from an unwelcome "guest" turned into a full-fledged owner on the table, became the second bread both for Russia and for the whole of Europe. You can cook great dishes from potatoes: boiled potatoes, fried, baked, mashed potatoes, potato casseroles, pancakes, pies with potatoes, dumplings, etc.
In each country, potatoes are called differently. The British are potato. The Dutch are hardapel (translated as "earthen apple"). The French are pom de ter ("earthy apple"). Italians are tartuff. The Germans are a potato. The Russians are potatoes. That's how many names potatoes have!
Potato dishes
Potato biology.
POTATO is a perennial (in cultivation - annual) plant of the nightshade family, which is grown for its edible tubers. Basically, there are two closely related species - the Andean potato, which has long been grown in South America, and the Chilean potato, or tuberous potato, widespread in countries with a temperate climate.
There is an edible sweet potato, or yam. It belongs to a different plant family.
Sweet potato (sweet potato)
Tuberous potatoes are grown in 130 countries, where 75% of the world's population lives. It is the fifth most important source of calories in the diet of a modern person after wheat, corn, rice and barley. The leading potato producers are Russia, China, Poland, the USA and India.
Tuberous potatoes are a herbaceous plant that is erect at a young age, but lodges after flowering. Stems 0.5–1.5 m long. Usually with 6–8 large pubescent leaves. Under the ground, modified shoots (stolons) extend from the tuber. Tubers are formed at their ends. The root system penetrates to a depth of 1.5 m. Flowers (yellow, purple or blue) are formed by 6-12 in inflorescences. Pollination by wind or insects, self-pollination is widespread. The fruit is a spherical berry, purple when ripe, contains up to 300 seeds. Seeds are flat, yellow or brown, very small. Tubers are spherical or oblong; in food usually go those that have reached a length of 8-13 cm. Their outer color is white, yellow, pink, red or blue; the inside is more or less white. On the surface of the tuber lie the so-called. eyes bearing 3-4 buds. Tuber formation begins just before flowering and ends at the end of the growing season. There are large reserves of starch inside the tuber.
Potatoes are propagated vegetatively - by tubers. Tuber buds germination in the soil begins at 5-8 ° C (the optimum temperature for potato germination is 15-20 ° C). The best soils for potatoes are chernozems, sod-podzolic, gray forest, drained peatlands.
Non-standard methods of growing potatoes.
There are many ways to plant potatoes. From industrial to almost decorative - barrel cultivation. Potatoes are planted on ridges and in trenches, staggered and under film. The choice of technology depends, firstly, on the soil. Where groundwater is close and in low areas, it is better to land on ridges. In arid places - in trenches or separate holes.
To harvest early potatoes, the tubers are planted under a black non-woven fabric. The site is dug up, fertilized, leveled with a rake and covered with a black film, securing the edges. Then you need to make cross-shaped cuts in it, dig holes 10-12 cm deep with a scoop and put tubers in them. This method will save the potatoes from frost, retain moisture in the ground, avoid weed control and, finally, get the harvest almost a month earlier. This is how the early varieties of potatoes are grown. During harvesting, the tops are cut off, the film is removed and tubers are practically collected from the soil surface.
There is another interesting way to grow potatoes intensively - in a barrel. You need to take a high, preferably without a bottom, barrel (iron, plastic, wooden, wicker). Make holes around the circumference so that water does not stagnate and the soil breathes. Place a few potatoes on the bottom of the container in a circle or staggered and cover with a layer of earth. When the seedlings reach 2–3 cm, cover them with earth again. And so several times until the barrel is filled about a meter in height. The main thing is not to let the sprouts hatch completely, that is, to form the green part. In this case, the root system will stop developing and a thick stem will stretch to the very surface of the earth. The soil in the container should be regularly fed and watered well, especially in hot, dry weather. As a result, in a container with a volume of about one cubic meter, you can grow a bag or more of potatoes.
Interesting Facts.
There is a potato museum in Belgium. Among its exhibits are thousands of objects that tell the history of the potato - from postage stamps with his image to famous paintings on the same theme ("The Potato Eaters" by Van Gogh).
In some tropical islands, potatoes were used as the equivalent of money.
Poems and ballads were dedicated to potatoes.
The great Johann Sebastian Bach once glorified potatoes in his music.
There are two rare varieties in which the color of the skin and flesh remains blue after boiling.
Different varieties of potatoes.
One of the most common varieties with a bluish skin, grown in Russian gardens - "blue eyes". However, few people know what is scientifically called "Hannibal", in honor of Alexander Pushkin's great-grandfather Abram Hannibal, who was the first to experiment with breeding and storing potatoes in Russia.
In the city of Minsk in the 2000s, a potato monument was unveiled. They will open soon in Mariinsk (Kemerovo Region).
In Ireland, the gardener took care of the plant for a long time, which his owner brought from America. After the potatoes had bloomed, he harvested from the bush - green berries the size of a hazelnut. These fruits were found to be completely inedible. The gardener began to destroy the plant. He pulled the bush by the top and large tubers fell at his feet. After boiling them, he realized that the potatoes were delicious, but they ate them from the wrong end.
II. Research objectives:
Is it possible to grow a potato plant indoors during the polar night.
Compare the growth and development of plants placed in different conditions.
Find out if it is possible to get the same plants by planting potatoes with whole tubers or halves.
Research objectives:
Find information in literature, the Internet, TV shows, videos.
Prepare the container and soil for planting.
Sprout the potatoes warm and then plant them in the soil.
Place planted potatoes with whole tubers and halves of tubers in different conditions:
1.additional lighting + heat (control plant);
2. no lighting + heat;
3. without additional illumination + lowered temperature;
When the potatoes begin to sprout, record the results in the observation diary.
Take measurements, take pictures, write down your thoughts, assumptions in the observation diary.
Based on the results obtained, draw up a table, then build a graph and draw conclusions, and, if the opportunity presents itself, give recommendations.
Experiment scheme.
06.01.09 - planted potatoes with whole tubers.
06.02.09 - completed the experiment.
06.01.09 - planted potatoes in halves.
06.02.09 - completed the experiment.
Conditions for the experiment.
III. Experimental technique.
When I did not go to school yet and spent a lot of time with my grandmother, in the village, I noticed that she plants potatoes and whole tubers in the garden, and cuts them in half if the potatoes are large.
Conducting an experiment with growing potatoes in an apartment, I decided to compare:
1. Growth and development of a potato plant placed in different conditions (three options).
2. Growth and development of a potato plant planted with whole tubers and halves under the same conditions.
If we assume that potatoes from halves will grow and develop no worse than from whole tubers, then less potatoes will be needed to plant the same area. It is more profitable. I will draw conclusions according to my assumption after observations.
At the end of December, I selected healthy potato tubers and placed them in a warm, dark place for germination.
06. 01. 09 - planted them in the prepared soil and placed them in the selected places. These are the three options I mentioned earlier.
Watered the plant every 2 days.
I planted the sprouted tubers.
10.01 - the first sprout appeared in B. 2.
13.01 - sprouts appeared in B. 1 and B. 3.
The first shoots.
Every 5 days, he measured the height of all plants and recorded it in the table. The difference in plant height became more and more noticeable. Plant B. 2. “broke out” forward and “took the lead” until the end of the experiment, gaining a height of 62 cm.
It didn't surprise me. The plant stood in a dark place. I assumed that it would grow faster, “seek the light”, reach for it. Plant B. 3. grows more slowly. He lacks light, and the cold slows down growth. V. 1 is in favorable conditions and grows almost like in a vegetable garden.
The first shoots. After 10 days.
As a result of observations, it became noticeable that both the color and the thickness of the plant stems in the three variants are different. Leaves appear at different times, they have different colors and their color changes depending on growth.
So, in Option 1 - the stems and leaves are "strong", large. They immediately turned green and remained so until the end of cultivation. This is understandable because the plant was getting enough light. In the leaves of any plant there is a coloring matter (chlorophyll), which manifests itself in the presence of heat and light. This plant is similar to those that grow in the vegetable garden.
In Option 2 - throughout the entire time, the stems are white, long, thin and the leaves are small, yellowish, although they appeared first. This plant was in the dark, did not receive light, and chlorophyll was not produced. It is the highest, but the weakest.
In Variant 3 - the stems and leaves of a pale green color throughout the observation period, the leaves are small. It was covered periodically. This plant ranks second in development.
Any plant needs water to grow. I noticed that more often it was necessary to water the plant that was warm with additional lighting. This means that the moisture evaporated faster here. Less often than others, they watered potatoes that were in a dark place.
Potato plants planted with whole tubers and halves do not differ in their development and appearance.
IV. Processing of the received data.
06. 02. 09 the last measurements were made and the results are entered in the table.
13. 01. 09 0,6 3 0,4
18. 01. 09 2 11 4
22. 01. 09 13 20 10
27. 01. 09 21 38 17
01. 02. 09 27 48 23
06. 02. 09 35 56 29
The results of measuring the height of potato sprouts planted with whole tubers.
Schedule No. 1
Height, cm Option 1 Option 2 Option 3
13. 01. 09 0,5 4 0,5
18. 01. 09 1,5 18 3
22. 01. 09 7 35 11
27. 01. 09 23 43 18
01. 02. 09 25 52 20
06. 02. 09 42 62 25
To visualize the results of potato growth, you can build a graph.
The results of measuring the height of potato sprouts planted in halves.
Schedule No. 2
V. Conclusion.
1. The potato plant can be grown at home during the polar night.
2. Based on the results of observations and measurements, it can be seen that a plant has grown taller than others, placed in a warm place without constant lighting. It is tall, but very pale, weak. Leaves are small, yellowish. The plant was drawn to the light, all forces went into growth, and not into its development. Plant height 62 cm.
Option 2
The most beautiful and developed is a plant placed in a warm place with additional lighting. In this potato, food was spent on development: the stem and leaves are green, large.
Plant height 42 cm.
Option 1
3. The plant, grown in a cool place without constant lighting, is light green, slightly elongated, the stem is thin, the leaves are small and very light. It received insufficient light and heat.
Plant height 25 cm.
4. For better development of a potato plant in indoor conditions, it is required:
Additional lighting with fluorescent lamps;
Regular watering; Option 3
5. Plants planted with whole tubers and halves do not differ in growth. It can be concluded that it is more profitable to plant tubers cut into pieces in the garden. This will be more economical. And the remaining potatoes are best used for food and cook something delicious.
6. A self-grown plant brings great joy. It becomes, as it were, a friend. Every day you meet with him, take care of him, and you can talk (by the way, then it will grow better).
I have not finished my work. Spring is coming, I want to see if it blooms, or maybe small tubers will appear.
You can still carry out many different experiments with plants, and maybe next year I will continue to work in this direction.
I have achieved my goal.
This is how the potatoes grew during the experiment.
Potatoes were brought to Russia at the beginning of the 18th century. While Peter I was in Holland, he tasted food made from potatoes, and he really liked it, after which the tsar sent a bag of potatoes to Russia to grow.
Potato tubers grew well on Russian soil, but the spread was very hindered by the fact that the peasants were afraid of the overseas fruit. When Peter I was informed about the fear of the people, he had to use a trick. He planted several fields with potatoes, and ordered that a guard with weapons was stationed near them.
The soldiers guarded the potatoes all day and went to bed at night. The peasants who lived nearby could not resist the temptation, and began to steal potatoes and secretly plant in their garden.
Of course, at first there were cases of poisoning from potatoes, but only because people did not know the properties of this plant and tried its fruits without any culinary processing. And potatoes in this form are not only not edible, but also poisonous.
Among aristocrats in France at one time it was customary to wear potato flowers as decoration.
Thus, the potato spread very quickly across Russia, also because it helped feed people with poor grain harvests. That is why the potato was called the second bread. The name itself speaks about the nutritional properties of potatoes, which comes from the German phrase "craft teffel", which means - devilish strength.
The potato originates from South America, where you can still find this plant in the wild. It was on the territory of South America that potatoes began to be cultivated as a cultivated plant. The Indians used it for food, in addition, the potato was considered a living being, the local population worshiped it. The spread of potatoes around the world began with the Spanish conquest of new territories. In their reports, the Spaniards described the local population, as well as the plants that were used for food. Among them was potatoes, which at that time had not yet received the familiar name to us, then it was called a truffle.
Historian Pedro Cieza de Leon made a significant contribution to the spread of potatoes in European countries. In 1551 he brought this vegetable to Spain, and in 1553 he wrote an essay in which he described the history of the discovery of potatoes, its taste and nutritional properties, the rules of preparation and its storage.
From Spain, potatoes spread to Italy, Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Great Britain and other European countries. Potatoes began to be valued as an ornamental plant, they practically did not eat it, considering it poisonous. Later, the nutritional and flavoring properties of the potato were confirmed and it became widely known as a food product.
❧ The most expensive potato in the world is the LaBonnotte variety, which is grown on the island of Noirmoutier. Its yield is only 100 tons per year. The tuber is extremely delicate, so it is only harvested by hand.
To Russia the potatoes got there thanks to Peter I. At the end of the 17th century. he sent a sack of potato tubers from Holland and ordered them to be distributed throughout the provinces to be grown there. Potatoes became widespread only under Catherine II.
The peasants did not know how to properly grow and consume potatoes. Due to its many poisonings, it was considered a poisonous plant. As a result, the peasants refused to plant this crop, and this was the reason for several "potato riots". By a royal decree in 1840-1842 a massive planting of potatoes was carried out throughout the country. Its cultivation was strictly controlled. As a result, by the end of the 19th century. planting of potatoes began to occupy large areas. It got the name "second bread" as it became one of the main food products.
❧ Belgium has a museum dedicated to potatoes. There you can find many exhibits depicting this plant - these are postage stamps, and paintings by famous artists, for example, "The Potato Eaters" by Van Gogh.
Potatoes contain a large amount of potassium, which helps to eliminate salt and excess water from the body. Due to this, potatoes are often used in dietary meals. But it is worth considering that potatoes contain a high amount of carbohydrates, so they should not be carried away by people who are prone to overweight. Potatoes are an irreplaceable assistant in the fight against gastritis, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcers, it has an alkalizing effect, which is indisputably important for people suffering from high acidity. In addition to starch, potatoes contain ascorbic acid, various vitamins and proteins.
More than 99% of today's seed potatoes share common genes. All cultivated varieties, one way or another, belong to two related species.
This is S. Tuberosum that has settled around the world and S. Andigenum, better known in its homeland, has been cultivated in the upper Andes for several millennia. According to botanists and historians, it is thanks to artificial selection that began 6-8 thousand years ago that modern potatoes bear little resemblance to their wild ancestors in both appearance and taste.
Today, numerous varieties of Solanum tuberosum or Nightshade tuberosum are grown in most regions of the world. became the main food and industrial crop for billions of people who sometimes do not know the origin of the potato.
Nevertheless, in the homeland of the culture, between 120 and 200 species of wild varieties still grow. These are exclusively endemic to the American continent, and most are not only not edible, but even poisonous due to the glycoalkaloids contained in the tubers.
The discovery of the potato dates back to the era of the great geographical discoveries and conquests. The first descriptions of tubers belonged to Europeans, members of military expeditions in 1536-1538.
One of the companions of the conquistador Gonzalo de Quesada in the Peruvian village of Sorokota saw tubers similar to truffles known in the Old World or, as they were called "tartuffoli". Probably, this word became the prototype of the modern pronunciation of the German and Russian names. But the English-language version of "potato" is the result of a confusion between the tubers of a similar appearance to ordinary and sweet potatoes, which the Incas called "sweet potato".
The second chronicler in the history of potatoes was the naturalist and botanist-researcher Pedro Ciesa de Leon, who found fleshy tubers in the headwaters of the Cauca River that, when boiled, reminded him of chestnuts. Most likely, both travelers painted Andean potatoes.
Europeans, having heard about extraordinary countries and their riches, were able to see the overseas plant with their own eyes only thirty years later. Moreover, the tubers that arrived in Spain and Italy were not from the mountainous regions of Peru, but from Chile, and belonged to a different type of plant. The new vegetable did not suit the taste of the European nobility and, as a curiosity, was settled in greenhouses and gardens.
An important role in the history of potatoes was played by Karl Clusius, who at the end of the 16th century founded the planting of this plant in Austria and then in Germany. 20 years later, potato bushes adorned the parks and gardens of Frankfurt am Main and other cities, but it was not soon to become a garden culture.
Only in Ireland, the potato introduced in 1587 quickly took root and began to play a significant role in the economy and life of the country, where the main sown area was always given to cereals. At the slightest crop failure, the population was threatened with a terrible famine. The unpretentious fruitful potatoes were very useful here. Already in the next century, the country's potato plantations could feed 500 thousand Irish.
And in France and in the 17th century, potatoes had serious enemies, who considered tubers suitable for food only for the poor or even poisonous. In 1630, by parliamentary decree, the cultivation of potatoes in the country was prohibited, and Diderot and other enlightened people were on the side of the legislators. But still a man appeared in France who dared to intervene on the plant. Apothecary A.O. Parmentier brought the tubers that saved him from hunger to Paris and decided to demonstrate their dignity to the French. He arranged a magnificent potato dinner for the color of the capital's society and the learned world.
Only the Seven Years' War, devastation and famine forced to change the attitude towards the culture of the Old World. And this happened only in the middle of the 18th century. Thanks to the pressure and cunning of the Prussian king Frederick the Great, potato fields began to appear in Germany. The British, French and other previously irreconcilable Europeans recognized the potatoes.
It was during these years that the Russian Count Sheremetyev received the first bag of precious tubers and a strict order to start growing. But such an imperial decree did not arouse enthusiasm in Russia.
It would seem that the history of potatoes in this part of the world will not be smooth. Catherine II also promoted a new culture for Russians and even started a plantation in the Pharmaceutical Garden, but ordinary peasants in every possible way resisted the plant planted from above. Until the 40s of the XIX century, potato riots thundered across the country, the reason for which turned out to be simple. The farmers who grew the potatoes left the crop to be kept in the light. As a result, the tubers turned green and became unusable. The work of the whole season went down the drain, and the peasants were ripe with discontent. A serious campaign was adopted by the government to explain agricultural techniques and potato consumption. In Russia, with the development of industry, potatoes quickly became truly "second bread". Tubers were used not only for their own consumption and animal feed, they were used to produce alcohol, molasses, starch. 
And in Ireland, the potato has become not only a popular crop, but also a factor influencing the birth rate. The opportunity to feed families cheaply and satisfyingly has led to a sharp increase in the population of Ireland. Unfortunately, the addiction that arose in the first half of the 19th century led to disaster. An unexpected epidemic of phytophthora, which destroyed potato plantings in many regions of Europe, caused a terrible famine in Ireland, which halved the country's population.
Some people died, and many were forced to go overseas in search of a better life. Together with the settlers, potato tubers also came to the shores of North America, giving rise to the first cultivated plantations on these lands and the history of potatoes in the USA and Canada. In Western Europe, phytophthora was defeated only in 1883, when an effective fungicide was found.
At the same time, European countries are beginning to actively expand potato cultivation to their colonies and protectorates. This culture came to Egypt and other countries of northern Africa at the beginning of the 19th century, but became widespread thanks to the British on the eve of the First World War. Egyptian potatoes were used to feed the army, but at that time the local peasants had neither experience nor sufficient knowledge to get serious. Only in the last century, with the advent of the possibility of irrigating plantations and new varieties, potatoes began to give bountiful harvests in Egypt and other countries.
Indeed, modern tubers bear little resemblance to those that were once brought from South America. They are much larger, have a rounded shape and excellent taste.
Today, potatoes are taken for granted in the diet of many peoples. People do not think or even do not know that the real acquaintance of mankind with this culture took place less than five hundred years ago. They don't know the origin of the potatoes on the plate. But until now, scientists are showing serious interest precisely in wild species that are not afraid of many diseases and pests of cultivated varieties. To preserve and study the still unexplored possibilities of the plant, specialized scientific institutes are working all over the world. In the homeland of culture, in Peru, the International Potato Center has created a repository of 13 thousand samples of seeds and tubers, which has become a gold fund for breeders around the world.
