Top 5 Facts About Potatoes

Potatoes are a popular food. They are used in a variety of cuisines and many products are made from potatoes. For people who like junk food, French fries and potato chips are popular. For people who like healthy food, baked potatoes and mashed potatoes are popular. Potatoes are great. They also have many interesting facts.

Potatoes As Money

Potatoes were often considered almost worth their weight in gold. They weren't used as money themselves, but they were often traded for gold. There is even a variety of potato called the Yukon Gold Potato. This is because they were valued like gold during the Yukon gold rush because of their high content of vitamin C.

Europeans Rejected Potatoes

Today, we often associate potatoes with Ireland. Ireland did have potatoes, but they were not discovered there. Potatoes were probably discovered in South America by the Incas. When potatoes were introduced to Europe, the Europeans first rejected them. Some said they were not acceptable because they were not mentioned in the Bible. Others said potatoes carried diseases.

Potatoes Reduced Ireland's Population

While potatoes are often associated with Ireland, they actually caused Ireland's population to be reduced. More accurately, the lack of potatoes caused Ireland's population to be reduced. Over two million people immigrated from Ireland between the years of 1847 and 1851 because of the Irish Potato Famine, when a fungus devastated the potato crops.

Space Potatoes

It is interesting to think that there might be space potatoes. However, no such discovery was made. What is known is that potato plants can be grown in zero gravity. This was discovered in 1995 when astronauts took potato plants into orbit on the shuttle Columbia.

Potatoes Are Green

Sometimes some green can be found on potatoes. However, this should not be eaten as it is a chemical reaction and it can cause people and animals to be sick. Potatoes are green because they are environmentally friendly. It would seem that all plants are environmentally friendly, but it is extremely true of the potato. Potatoes do not need as much fertilizer as other plants. Potatoes also do not need as much care as other plants.