Homeland of potatoes. History of the emergence of potatoes in Russia

After bread and cereals, this vegetable is most likely to occupy the second place in prevalence. Africa or America, Europe or Asia - regardless of the continent, they are loved by people around the world. We are so accustomed to it that we no longer consider it something new and certainly do not take it to the number of delicacies. We are talking about the potato that we have known for a long time. Let's remember the time when it was not so widespread, we learn about some tragedies connected with its loss, and find out why it is still so appreciated in Russia. However, let's start from the place where it spread all over the world. What became the homeland of potatoes? Is it Europe or is it another place?

Homeland of potatoes

It has long been believed that potatoes came to us from South America. The homeland of potatoes is Chile, Peru and Bolivia. Even today, in our time, in the Andes, you can see how potatoes grow in the wild. There, at an altitude of more than a kilometer, you can find tubers of almost all known varieties at the moment. Under the assumptions of scientists, in ancient times, Indians in that area could breed and hybrid varieties of various plants, including potatoes. The very first information about potatoes came from the Spaniard, a member of the military campaign of Julian de Castellanos in 1535. According to him, the mealy root of this plant was to the liking of even the Spaniards. True, very few people paid attention to his words. So you can briefly describe how the story of the origin of potatoes (its spread) began.

How Culture Arrived in Europe

Pedro Chiesa de Leone finds the following description of the potato in the "Chronicle of Peru". He described this plant in great detail. The history of the emergence of potatoes interested the King of Spain, who gave the order to bring a huge amount of this overseas product. Thus, thanks to Spain, the birthplace of potatoes - South America - has supplied this whole Europe with this vegetable. In the beginning he got to Italy, and later to Belgium. After that, the Mayor of Mons (Belgium) passed several tubers to explore his arc and a friend in Vienna. And only his friend, also a botanist, described in detail the potatoes in his work On Plants. Thanks to him, the potato has its own scientific name - Solanum tuberozum esculentum (paslen klubnenosny). Through time, his description of the potato and the very name of the garden culture have become universally recognized.

In Ireland

It's time for Ireland, and in the 1590s the potatoes got there. There he gained universal recognition because he was well established even under relatively unfavorable conditions. Irrespective of the climate, wet or dry, soft or variable, regardless of whether the tubers were planted in fertile or not fertile soil, the potato was bearing fruit. Therefore, it spread so much that in the 1950s at least a third of the area suitable for agriculture was planted with potato plantations. More than half of the harvested crop was directed to food for people. Thus, the potatoes were eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. All would be well, but suddenly there would be a crop failure? What would the Irish eat in this case? They did not want to think about it.

Consequences of poor harvests

If it happened before that the potato did not bring the expected harvest, then some efforts were made to provide the necessary assistance to the victims. And if in the next year again it was possible to collect the necessary amount of root, this covered the shortcomings of the previous period. So, in 1845 there was another crop failure. However, no one was worried about the reasons for what happened. It must be said that at that time, much more was not known about late blight - a disease of potatoes, because of which it was not possible to collect the necessary amount of vegetables. The fungus that infects the tubers leads to the rotting of potatoes both in the ground and even after gathering from the fields. In addition, the fungal spores of the disease easily spread by airborne droplets. And because of the fact that in Ireland at that time potatoes of only one variety were planted, the entire crop quickly died. The same thing happened in the next few years, which led first to unemployment, and then to hunger in the country. Indirectly it affected the outbreak of cholera, which in 1849 killed more than 36 thousand people. The history of potatoes with such an unfavorable turn of events led to the fact that the state lost more than a fourth of its population.

Potatoes: the history of appearance in Russia

Gradually, culture spread to European countries, as we saw it in the case of Ireland, and at the very beginning of the eighteenth century it first appeared in Russia. In those years, Peter I traveled to Holland. There he had the opportunity to taste dishes made from potatoes (while, as today, did not suspect that the homeland of potatoes is South America). Having tasted the innovation of cooking, the Russian sovereign noted the original taste of potato fruits. Since in Russia this delicacy was not yet, he decided to send to his home bag with potatoes. Thus began the history of potatoes in Russia.

In chernozem, as well as in soils of medium acidification, the new culture is well established. However, ordinary people were still cautiously looking at this miracle-vegetable, because of the lack of knowledge of the correct ways of preparing it, there were numerous cases of poisoning. How to make it so that the distribution of potatoes is put on a broad footing? Peter I was an intelligent man and came up with the idea that you can do this. In several fields the tubers were planted, and next to it was set up a guard who was carrying the service during the day, but left the fields at night. This caused great curiosity among ordinary peasants, and they became at night, until no one sees, to steal a new vegetable and plant it in their own fields. However, the ubiquitous apple was not widely distributed at that time. There were a lot of those who "managed" to be poisoned by its berries. Therefore, "fucking apple" basically simple people refused to grow. For a whole 50-60 years, a miracle-vegetable was forgotten in Russia.

How potatoes became known

Later, Catherine II played a big role in making potatoes universally accepted. However, the main impetus to the spread of root crops was the famine that occurred in the 1860s. It was then that they remembered everything that they had neglected earlier, and were surprised to find that the potato has an excellent taste and is very nutritious. As they say, "there would be no happiness, but misfortune helped."

Here is an interesting story of potato in Russia. So, over time, potato tubers began to be planted throughout the country. Soon, people realized how useful the stock of this vegetable, especially in times of crop failure. Until now, potatoes are considered the second bread, because having enough storage in the cellar, you can live even in difficult times. Thanks to their calorie and benefits, and to this day, the first thing planted in the garden is potato tubers.

Why potatoes are so popular in Russia

Since the time of Peter I people did not immediately know about the chemical and nutritional value of this root for the human body. However, the history of potatoes shows that it contains the substances necessary for survival in times of hunger, disease and misfortune. What is so valuable and useful in this common root? It turns out that its proteins contain almost all the amino acids that we could meet in plant foods. Three hundred grams of this vegetable is enough to satisfy the daily norm of potassium, phosphorus and carbohydrates. Potatoes, especially fresh, are rich in vitamin C and fiber. Moreover, it contains other elements necessary for life, such as iron, zinc, manganese, iodine, sodium and even calcium. And most of the useful substances are contained in the peel of potatoes, which today is very often not used for food. However, in simple times, ordinary people did not neglect it and ate whole, baked or boiled potatoes.

Cultivation of a single potato variety and the consequences of this

As we have already learned, the birthplace of potatoes is South America. There farmers acted wisely, breeding root crops of different varieties. So, only some of them were susceptible to the disease - fungal late blight. Therefore, even if such varieties were lost, it would not entail such terrible disasters as in Ireland. The fact that in nature there are varieties of the same culture, protects people from such misfortunes. However, if you grow only one kind of fruit, this can lead to what happened in Ireland at the time. As well as the use of various chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which particularly adversely affect natural cycles and ecology in general.

What is the advantage of growing only one variety of potatoes

What, in this case, including in Russia, induces farmers to grow only one specific type of potatoes? This is mainly influenced by selling and economic factors. Thus, farmers can bet on a beautiful kind of fruit, and therefore, for greater demand from buyers. Also, the emergence of a standard culture can be explained by the fact that a certain variety of potatoes brings a greater yield in one or another locality than others. However, as we learned, this approach can have far-reaching adverse consequences.

Colorado beetle - the main enemy of Russian truck farmers

Great damage to crops can be caused by insect pests. Very familiar to every trucker or farmer one kind of beetle-beetle is a Colorado beetle. For the first time in 1859 it was discovered how many difficulties in the cultivation of potatoes can bring this insect. And in the 1900's the beetle reached Europe. When he was brought here by chance, he quickly swept the whole continent, including Russia. Because of its resistance to the chemicals that are used to combat it, this beetle is almost the main enemy of every gardener. Therefore, to finish this pest, in addition to chemicals, began to use agrotechnical methods. And now in Russia every dacha person who wants to eat a homemade fried or baked potatoes in the fire of a bonfire must first become acquainted with the simple methods of fighting this pest.