The History of Potatoes In Ireland

      As most people know, potatoes are the biggest staple food in Ireland. It's what everyone thinks about besides Leprechauns and the color green. But how did this spectacular spud become so well known? Well, it all started in the 17th century when Ireland was the first of the Europeans to accept it as a field crop. It was established as a staple food in the 18th century. Potatoes are perfectly suited for the living conditions and the soil of Ireland. They also served as a new safe-guard against unemployment, poverty, and overpopulation. By the year 1830, young males were eating about 11 pounds of potatoes per person everyday. However around 15 years later, things for the potato took a different turn.

     
     Around 1845, potato blight started spreading around Europe. This was the beginning of the Potato Famine. Over 1 million people died from either starvation or disease. The famine was devastating for Ireland. Many people began immigrating to other countries, including the US. This formed the basis of Irish diaspora which had a huge impact on the social and economic status of Ireland. Potatoes are still a huge part of Irish cuisine today.

This is what a potato with potato blight would look like.


Citation: "History of The Irish Potato." World Potato Congress 2021, 13 Aug. 2018, wpc2021.com/history-of-the-potato/.

Comments

  1. Virginia SniderOctober 20, 2019 at 2:34 PM

    Interesting! The potato reminds me of Italy's spaghetti. Spaghetti Because spaghetti is also a stable food (in Italy) and it is eaten regularly. In fact, some people eat it multiple times a day as well. Great article!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Italian foodOctober 20, 2019 at 5:49 PM

    Very interesting article! The potatoes in Ireland remind me of Italian foods such as cheeses and pastas. Cheeses and patas in Italy are both eaten regularly, just like the potatoes in Ireland.

    ReplyDelete

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