They helped empires reach new heights while almost destroying other empires.
There’s no talk of the emperors in this case; this is about potatoes!
Thanks to its durability, the magic crop helped empires grow to a size never before seen.
It also afflicted Ireland by famine after the fungus was able to infest the potatoes of all their farmers.
As you will see, there’s more to it than appears to be in the picture in this tuber!
Let’s look at these ten important facts we found about the potato.
Also Read: Amazon Prime Facts
Facts about Potatoes
The potato is originated from South America.
A potato background that includes an image of South America
Many people from all over the world might mistakenly think of Ireland as the origin of the tuber that is so versatile.
Although Ireland might have played a role in the rise of potato to international fame, this is where its involvement with the country ends.
The potato was domesticated from a wild plant within an area that comprises the northwestern region of Bolivia and the south of Peru.
It was not known to the world until Spain’s conquest of the Americas during the 1600s.
Also Read: Computer Facts for Kids
It was returned to Europe through the Spanish conquistadors around the 16th century’s end and was initially seen with skepticism.
The potato crop has been cultivated for at most 7,000 years!
As previously mentioned, it was observed that the potatoes were domesticated by Bolivia in addition to Peru.
We know that this took place somewhere between 8,000 and 5,000 BC. The first archaeological evidence is from a lot later.
The evidence is from Ancon, One of Peru’s largest pre-Hispanic archaeological sites, dating to the year 2,500 BC.
Amid many amazing archaeological artifacts were remnants of potato tuber that was discovered around 4500 years ago!
Also Read: La Croix Nutrition Facts
There are about 4,000 kinds of potatoes!
A crate contains different colors of potatoes.
If you include commercial varieties, then that’s.
This list contains a wide variety of potatoes produced across South America, which are very similar to the ones returned to Europe during the 1600s.
The remaining portion of the list includes all the various varieties of potato cultivars developed over the last about 400 years or so from the time of their invention.
Although there are thousands of varieties of potatoes, usually only a few varieties will be in a particular area.
Also Read: Toast Nutrition Facts? Is Toast A Healthy Breakfast?
In the UK For instance in the UK, there are only about 80 varieties of potatoes, which are typically seen on a commercial scale.
Different types of potatoes can be used in various dishes.
Yum Hash Browns
Some people who claim that all potatoes aren’t created equal don’t understand how to properly use potatoes.
The issue is that every potato variety contains a different amount of starch and other factors.
Potatoes with higher levels of starch, such as the Russet, are regarded as more floury and are more suited for being cooked as french fries or hash brown or baking in an oven.
Lower starch levels in potatoes create an ethereal feel that makes them more suitable to eat whole in stews and salads.
The most commonly used waxy potato is the fingerling variety.
If you are unsure, choose an all-purpose variety like the Yukon Gold, which is excellent for various uses like boiling, roasting, frying, and mashing!
Potatoes are part of the same family as tobacco.
Nightshade plants that are deadly
Many people are surprised to learn that potatoes are part of that same family with nightshade, tobacco, and deadly.
It’s been discovered that the Solanaceae family is vast and contains a lot of species that we would not consider to be closely related.
This list includes edible plants like tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants.
It also includes smokable tobacco and many poisonous varieties, such as the deadly nightshade.
It’s not a good idea to consume a potato that’s turned green!
Potatoes that have a hint of green
The green fruits by themselves aren’t necessarily harmful, but they are.
If a potato turns green, it’s a sign that it’s had exposure to too much sunlight during its storage.
The spud converts the sunshine to chlorophyll (the chemical that turns plants turn green).
If a potato shows some green spots, it’s also a sign it’s beginning to defend itself from predators by producing a neurotoxin known as solanine.
However, this doesn’t mean you have to not throw away any potato that has developed one or two green spots, however.
Smaller spots can be peeled or cut; However, you should simply throw out the potato when there’s more than the size of it.
For you to get an example, if an adult took a single green potato, they’d be nauseated and suffer headaches, and the chance of developing into something far more severe!
If the conditions are right, they can be stored for one year!
A warehouse full of potatoes
Do not expect them to endure this long at home, however. Storing potatoes for this prolonged period requires well-designed equipment and an industrial warehouse.
This long life span is made possible by keeping potatoes at 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius); however, they’re not thrown into the refrigerator!
The potatoes first need to be allowed to air dry to not turn rotten.
They are then slowly chilled over a long time, allowing any cut in the potato to close properly before reaching the temperature mentioned above.
Once it’s time for you to pull them out of the storage area, the potatoes must be slowly brought back to temperatures at room temperature!
The Incas had many uses for their potatoes.
Four huge potatoes are being placed in the hands of a person.
Today, the only thing potato-related activity is to eat them, and that’s the only thing we’d consider doing with potatoes, to be honest.
The Incas were closer to potatoes, and they used them to treat different physical diseases.
The usual treatment for tooth pain was to carry a toothache in your pocket.
If your bones or muscles were aching, the solution used the leftover liquid made from boiling potatoes.
Potatoes aren’t related to sweet potatoes.
Sweet potatoes sprinkled across floorboards made of wood.
I have a feeling; I know it’s the biggest scandal of the century.
The only thing that binds the two veggies is that they’re both starchy veggies grown in the ground.
Although potatoes are tubers, sweet potatoes are, in reality, the roots that are larger than the plant that produces sweet potatoes.
They’re not even from the same lineage, with sweet potatoes being part of Convolvulaceae, the same clan as morning glory.
The first crop of potatoes was that was grown on the moon!
A potato is planted in the soil.
The University of Wisconsin worked with NASA to bring about this first-of-its-kind agricultural world record in 1995.
The group behind this incredible feat collected clippings from potatoes and took half of them into space on the Columbia spacecraft.
The rest were on earth to test to determine the differences between space-grown and earth-grown potatoes.
The test was a huge achievement, and there were no obvious distinctions between the two subjects!
