Potato : a global history / Andrew F. Smith.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Smith, Andrew F., author.

Series:

Edible .

Edible

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Food--History.

Food.

Potatoes.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (144 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Distribution:

London : Bloomsbury Publishing (US), 2023.

Place of Publication:

London : Reaktion Books, 2013.

Language Note:

English

System Details:

text file HTML

Summary:

From its obscure pre-Columbian beginnings in South America to its global popularity today, the story of the potato is one of rags to riches. In Potato, esteemed culinary historian Andrew F. Smith reveals the captivating story of a once lowly vegetable that has changed - and continues to change - the world. First domesticated by prehistoric people in the Andes, the potato has since been adopted by cultures all over the globe. After its discovery by Europeans, governments and monarchs encouraged the people to farm it because it was so nutritious and easy to grow, but its new position as the staple of the poor meant mass starvation in nineteenth-century Ireland when potato blight wiped out the crops. The potato was also adopted by cooks in India and in China, which is now the world's largest potato producer. Despite its popularity, in this era of both fast food and health consciousness, the potato is now suffering negative publicity for the very quality for which it was lauded by our forefathers: being a good source of carbohydrate. But is it fair to blame the humble spud for our habit of covering it with butter or sour cream or deep-frying it in oil? Potato is a captivating account of the history, economy, politics and gastronomy behind this beloved tuber. Like a well-dressed baked potato, this book will both comfort and satisfy the reader.

Contents:

Introduction 1. The Wild and Domesticated Potato 2. The Potato Diaspora 3. The European Potato Famine 4. The Culinary Potato 5. The Commercial Potato 6. The Cultural Potato 7. The Global Potato Today and Tomorrow Recipes References Select Bibliography Websites and Associations Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786613589019

9781280493782

128049378X

9781861899972

1861899971

OCLC:

775302656