SOLANUM TUBEROSUM POTATOES have kept whole cultures alive. Not only the Incas, who first cultivated the tuber, but (after potatoes reached Europe in the 16th century) also many countries in the northern parts of Europe. Potatoes were a staple of the Irish, at least until a bacterial blight decimated the Emerald Isle’s crops in the mid- to late-1840s, causing starvation and necessitating emigration.
The word potato comes from the Carib Indian word batata, which actually referred to the sweet potato. The Spanish conquistadors who arrived in the New World pronounced it patata and used it also to refer to the white potato because of its similar appearance. Eventually the word became papas in Spanish. Like other New World crops, such as peppers and tobacco, potatoes soon conquered Europe and then the world. The Italians first thought of potatoes as a kind of truffle, because they both grow under the ground, and called them tartufo bianco, or white truffle. That became taratufflo, which the Germans heard as kartoffel. The Russians heard the German name and gave it a Slavic twist by calling them kartochki.
THE ORGANIC FACTOR
The flavor and texture—even the color—of the same variety of potato can change dramatically depending on where it’s grown and the soils and climate in that place. But no matter where they’re grown, few foods are better than potatoes pulled fresh from dark, crumbly organic soil and cooked within minutes. They have an earthy, comforting flavor, probably from delicate esters and other flavor compounds that disappear in storage. They also have a smooth, rich texture, perhaps due to the contrast with conventionally grown potatoes whose cell division has been chemically altered. If you can’t grow potatoes where you live, by all means seek out real organic spuds at the farmers’ markets or organic supermarket. You’ll also be more likely to find some of the superior if somewhat unusual varieties listed on page 493 at farmers’ markets.
Because we get the full benefit of potato nutrients only when we leave the skins on, it’s extremely important that we eat only organic potatoes, which don’t have to be peeled. Two toxic chemicals are sprayed on much of the nation’s $2.5 billion conventional potato crop each year, both in the field and in storage, to inhibit sprouting; and anyone who cooks with conventional potatoes would be wise to peel them to remove the bulk of the chemical residue. Maleic hydrazide is applied a few weeks before harvest. It inhibits cell division in the tubers but not cell expansion—therefore, besides stopping the formation of sprouts on the potatoes, it also produces tubers with large, watery cells. So the buyer gets less taste along with his chemical-treated potato. A second chemical, chlorpropham, is applied to potatoes when they are being stored, before they go to market.
That’s just the sprout inhibitors. Other chemicals are used in the processing of potatoes for potato chips, instant potatoes, and other potato products. I am reassured about the benefits of organic food every time I cook organic potatoes skins and all.
NUTRITION
While the bulk of the potato tuber is made up of starches—energy-packed complex carbohydrates—most of a spud’s generous stores of nutrients are in a thin layer just under the fibrous skins. Just 7 ounces of baked potato, with skin, gives you 4.7 grams of protein. While that’s not a huge amount, it is usable, as potatoes are higher in lysine than the other top starches of the world—wheat, corn, and rice.
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