Chuño Chuño ['chu njo] is a freeze-dried potato product traditionally made by Quechua and Aymara communities of Peru and Bolivia, and is known in various countries of South America, including Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile. It is a five-day process, obtained by exposing a frost-resistant variety of potatoes to the very low night temperatures of the Andean Altiplano, freezing them, and subsequently exposing them to the intense sunlight of the day (this being the traditional process). The word comes from Quechua ch'uñu, meaning frozen potato (wrinkled in the dialects of the Junín Region).
Origins
The existence of chuño dates back to before the time of the Inca Empire, based on findings of that have been made of the product at various archeological sites. Specifically they have been found at Tiwanaku, site of a culture which developed in the Collao Plateau, a geographic zone which includes territories of Peru and Bolivia.
Production
After harvest, potatoes are selected for the production of chuño, typically small ones for ease of processing. These small potatoes are spread closely on flat ground, and allowed to freeze with low night temperatures, for approximately three nights.
Between the freezing nights, they are exposed to the sun, and they are trampled by foot. This eliminates what little water is still retained by the potatoes, and removes the skins, enabling subsequent freezing.
After this, they are exposed to the cold for two additional nights.
Starting from this basic freeze-dry process, two varieties are obtained:
White chuño
White chuño is obtained by "washing" the frozen potatoes. The "washing" may take various forms. In Peru, the frozen potatoes are transported to a river, and deposited in pools. In Bolivia, the potatoes are spread on blankets or straw and constantly sprayed with water to moisten them.
The final step is drying in the sun. The result is now called chuño, also known as papas secas. In Bolivia, white chuño is also called tunta. Among the varied uses of tuntas in traditional cuisine, one is as an accompaniment to Christmas celebration dishes. Called "picana", the tunta is cut in the middle, a piece of white cheese is inserted, and it is steamed.
Black chuño
Black chuño is that which is obtained directly from freezing, trampling, and refreezing. The product is not washed or exposed to water again; after freezing and trampling it is simply sun-dried.
Preservation and consumption
Once dried, and with minimal care in storage, the product can last for a long time, even years.
Consumption is varied, from desserts to prepared dishes, as well as chuño flour, which is an essential ingredient in many dishes of Peruvian cuisine. Chairo is one of the most traditional Bolivian soups and it is made with chuño, meat and lots of vegetables, it is also traditional in Southern regions of Peru like Arequipa and Puno.
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Potato History
Potato
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Solanum
Species: S. tuberosum
Binomial name
Solanum tuberosum
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family. Potato may refer to the plant itself as well. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species. Potato is the world's most widely grown tuber crop, and the fourth largest food crop in terms of fresh produce after rice, wheat, and corn.
Wild potato species occur from the United States to Uruguay and Chile[1]. Genetic testing of the wide variety of cultivars and wild species suggest that the potato has a single origin in the area of southern Peru,[2] from a species in the Solanum brevicaule complex. Today, over 99% of all cultivated potatoes worldwide are descendants of a subspecies indigenous to south-central Chile.[3] Based on historical records, local agriculturalists, and DNA analyses, the most widely cultivated variety worldwide, Solanum tuberosum tuberosum, is believed to be indigenous to Chiloé Archipelago where it was cultivated by the indigenous people.[4]
The potato was introduced to Europe in 1536,[5] and subsequently by European mariners to territories and ports throughout the world.[6] Thousands of varieties persist in the Andes, where over 100 varieties might be found in a single valley, and a dozen or more might be maintained by a single agricultural household.[7] Once established in Europe, the potato soon became an important food staple and field crop. But lack of genetic diversity, due to the fact that very few varieties were initially introduced, left the crop vulnerable to disease. In 1845, a plant disease known as late blight, caused by the fungus-like oocmycete Phytophthora infestans, spread rapidly through the poorer communities of western Ireland, resulting in the crop failures that led to the Great Irish Famine.[5]
The annual diet of an average global citizen in the first decade of the twenty-first century would include about 33 kilograms (or 73 lbs.) of potato. However, the local importance of potato is extremely variable and rapidly changing. The potato remains an essential crop in Europe (especially eastern and central Europe), where per capita production is still the highest in the world, but the most rapid expansion of potato over the past few decades has occurred in southern and eastern Asia. China is now the world’s largest potato producing country, and nearly a third of the world’s potatoes are harvested in China and India[8]. More generally, the geographic shift of potato production has been away from wealthier countries toward lower-income areas of the world.
Etymology
The English word potato comes from Spanish patata (the name used in Spain). The Spanish Royal Academy says the Spanish word is a compound of the Taino batata (sweet potato) and the Quechua papa (potato).[10] This probably indicates that originally, the potato was regarded as a type of sweet potato rather than the other way around, despite the fact that there is actually no close relationship between the two plants at all. Potatoes are occasionally referred to as Irish potatoes in the English speaking world, this term originated to distinguish them from sweet potatoes. Romanian cartof, Ukrainian картопля (kartóplja), Bulgarian картоф (kartof), Russian картофель (kartofel), German Kartoffel, Danish kartoffel, Icelandic kartafla (or jarðepli, see below), Latvian kartupelis, and Estonian kartul (as well as many other similar names in various languages) all derive from the Italian word tartufoli, which was given to potato because of its similarity to truffles (Italian: tartufo). Although the current Italian term for the potato is patata.
Another common name is "ground apple": pomme de terre in French, aardappel in Dutch, jarðepli in Icelandic (or kartafla, see above), תפוח אדמה in Hebrew (often written just as תפוד), and Erdapfel in Austrian German. An analogous name is Finnish as peruna, which comes from the old Swedish term jordpäron "earth pear". In 16th century French, pomme meant "fruit", thus pomme de terre meant "ground fruit" and was probably literally loan translated to other languages when potatoes were introduced. In Polish potato is called just ziemniaki or in some regions "kartofle", and in Slovak zemiak, from the word for "ground". In Persian it is called seeb-i zameen (سیبزمینی) which also translates into 'ground apple'.
In Hindi, Nepali, and several other Indian languages the potato is called alu or aloo, while in Marathi and Gujarati, the potato is called bataka or batata.
This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.
Different names for the potato developed in China's various regions. The most widely used names in Standard Mandarin are "horse-bell yam" (simplified Chinese: 马铃薯; pinyin: mǎlíngshǔ), "earth bean" (simplified Chinese: 土豆; pinyin: tǔdòu), and "foreign taro" (simplified Chinese: 洋芋; pinyin: yángyù). The Indonesian word is kentang.
Description
Flowers of a potato plantPotato plants are herbaceous perennials that grow about 60cm high, depending on variety, the culms dying back after flowering. They bear white to purple flowers with yellow stamens resembling those of other Solanaceous species such as tomato and aubergine. Potatoes are cross-pollinated mostly by insects, including bumblebees that carry pollen from other potato plants, but a substantial amount of self-fertilizing occurs as well.
After potato plants flower, some varieties will produce small green fruits that resemble green cherry tomatoes, each containing up to 300 true seeds. Potato fruit contains large amounts of the toxic alkaloid solanine, and is therefore unsuitable for consumption.
All new potato varieties are grown from seeds, also called "true seed" or "botanical seed" to distinguish it from seed tubers. By finely chopping the fruit and soaking it in water, the seeds will separate from the flesh by sinking to the bottom after about a day (the remnants of the fruit will float). Any potato variety can also be propagated vegetatively by planting tubers, pieces of tubers, cut to include at least one or two eyes, or also by cuttings, a practice used in greenhouses for the production of healthy seed tubers. Some commercial potato varieties do not produce seeds at all (they bear imperfect flowers) and are propagated only from tuber pieces. Confusingly, these tubers or tuber pieces are called "seed potatoes".
Genetics
The potatoes cultivated in the Andes are not all the same species. However, the major species grown worldwide is Solanum tuberosum (a tetraploid with 48 chromosomes). Modern varieties of this species are the most widely cultivated worldwide. There are also four diploid species (with 24 chromosomes): Solanum stenotomum, Solanum phureja, Solanum goniocalyx and Solanum ajanhuiri. There are two triploid species (with 36 chromosomes): Solanum chaucha and Solanum juzepczukii. There is one pentaploid cultivated species (with 60 chromosomes): Solanum curtilobum.
There are two major subspecies of Solanum tuberosum: andigena, or Andean; and tuberosum, or Chilean.[11] The Andean potato is adapted to the short-day conditions prevalent in the mountainous equatorial and tropical regions where it originated. The Chilean potato is adapted to the long-day conditions prevalent in the higher latitude region of southern Chile, especially on Chiloé Island where it is thought to have originated.[12]
There are about five thousand potato varieties world wide. Three thousand of them are found in the Andes alone, mainly in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile and Colombia. They belong to eight or nine species, depending on the taxonomic school. Apart from the five thousand cultivated varieties, there are about 200 wild species and subspecies, many of which can be cross-bred with cultivated varieties, which has been done repeatedly to transfer resistances to certain pests and diseases from the gene pool of wild species to the gene pool of cultivated potato species. Genetically modified varieties have met public resistance in the United States and in the European Union.[13][14]
Most modern potatoes grown in North America arrived through European settlement and not independently from the South American sources. However, at least one wild potato species, Solanum fendleri, is found as far north as Texas and used in breeding for resistance to a nematode species attacking cultivated potatoes. A secondary center of genetic variability of the potato is Mexico, where important wild species are found that have been used extensively in modern breeding, such as the hexaploid Solanum demissum, as a source of resistance to the devastating late blight disease. Another plant native to this region, Solanum bulbocastanum, a close relative of the potato, has been used to genetically engineer the potato to effectively resist potato blight.[15]
The International Potato Center, based in Lima, Peru, holds an ISO-accredited collection of potato germplasm.[16]
Role in world food supply
Top Potato Producers
in 2006
(million metric tons)
People's Republic of China 70
Russia 39
India 24
United States 20
Ukraine 19
Germany 10
Poland 9
Belgium 8
Netherlands 7
France 6
World Total 315
Source:
UN Food & Agriculture Organisation
The potato became an important staple crop in northern Europe as the climate changed due to the Little Ice Age, when traditional crops in this region did not produce as reliably as before. At times when and where most other crops would fail, potatoes could still typically be relied upon to contribute adequately to food supplies during the colder years. Its yield of calories per acre (about 9.2 million) is higher than that of maize (7.5 milion), rice (7.4 million), wheat (3 million), or soybean (2.8 million).[17] The potato was not popular in France during this time, and it is believed that some of the infamous famines could have been lessened if French farmers had adopted it. Today, the potato forms an important part of the traditional cuisines of most of Europe. Belarus has the highest consumption of potato per capita with each Belorussian consuming 338 kg in 2005.[18][19]
Potato output in 2005The United Nations FAO reports that the world production of potatoes in 2006 was 315 million tonnes. The largest producer, China, accounted for one quarter of the global output, followed by Russia and India.
In 2008, several international organizations began to give more emphasis to the potato as a key part of world food production, due to several developing economic problems. They cited the potato's potential for a beneficial role in world food production, owing to its status as a cheap and plentiful crop which can be raised in a wide variety of climates and locales. [20] Due to perishability, only about 5% of the world's potato crop is traded internationally; its minimal presence in world financial markets contributed to its stable pricing during the 2007–2008 world food price crisis.[21][22]
In recognition of this importance, the United Nations officially declared the year 2008 as the International Year of the Potato [23] in order to “increase awareness of the importance of the potato as a food in developing nations” and calling the vegetable a “hidden treasure”.[24] This follows the International Rice Year in 2004.
Maine companies are exploring the possibilities of using waste potatoes to obtain polylactic acid for use in plastic products.
Nutrition
The toxic fruits produced by mature potato plantsPotato, raw, with peel
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 80 kcal 320 kJ
Carbohydrates 19 g
- Starch 15 g
- Dietary fiber 2.2 g
Fat 0.1 g
Protein 2 g
Water 75 g
Thiamin (Vit. B1) 0.08 mg 6%
Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.03 mg 2%
Niacin (Vit. B3) 1.1 mg 7%
Vitamin B6 0.25 mg 19%
Vitamin C 20 mg 33%
Calcium 12 mg 1%
Iron 1.8 mg 14%
Magnesium 23 mg 6%
Phosphorus 57 mg 8%
Potassium 421 mg 9%
Sodium 6 mg 0%
Percentages are relative to US
recommendations for adults.
Nutritionally, potatoes are best known for their carbohydrate content (approximately 26 grams in a medium potato). The predominant form of this carbohydrate is starch. A small but significant portion of this starch is resistant to digestion by enzymes in the stomach and small intestine, and so reaches the large intestine essentially intact. This resistant starch is considered to have similar physiological effects and health benefits as fiber: it provides bulk, offers protection against colon cancer, improves glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, lowers plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, increases satiety, and possibly even reduces fat storage (Cummings et al. 1996; Hylla et al 1998; Raban et al. 1994). The amount of resistant starch in potatoes depends much on preparation methods. Cooking and then cooling potatoes significantly increases resistant starch. For example, cooked potato starch contains about 7% resistant starch, which increases to about 13% upon cooling (Englyst et al. 1992).
Potatoes contain vitamins and minerals that have been identified as vital to human nutrition. A medium potato (150g/5.3 oz) with the skin provides 27 mg of vitamin C (45% of the Daily Value (DV)), 620 mg of potassium (18% of DV), 0.2 mg vitamin B6 (10% of DV) and trace amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, folate, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. Moreover, the fiber content of a potato with skin (2 grams) equals that of many whole grain breads, pastas, and cereals. Potatoes also contain an assortment of phytochemicals, such as carotenoids and polyphenols. The notion that “all of the potato’s nutrients” are found in the skin is an urban legend. While the skin does contain approximately half of the total dietary fiber, more than 50% of the nutrients are found within the potato itself. The cooking method used can significantly impact the nutrient availability of the potato.
Potatoes are often broadly classified as high on the glycemic index (GI) and so are often excluded from the diets of individuals trying to follow a “low GI” eating regimen. In fact, the GI of potatoes can vary considerably depending on type (such as red, russet, white, or Prince Edward), origin (where it was grown), preparation methods (i.e., cooking method, whether it is eaten hot or cold, whether it is mashed or cubed or consumed whole, etc), and with what it is consumed (i.e., the addition of various high fat or high protein toppings) (Fernandes et al. 2006).
Toxicity
Potato plants
Seed tuber with sprouts
Early Rose varietyPotatoes contain glycoalkaloids, toxic compounds, of which the most prevalent are solanine and chaconine. These compounds, which protect the plant from its predators, are generally concentrated in its leaves, stems, and sprouts. Exposure to light, physical damage, and age increase glycoalkaloid content within the tuber;[25] the highest concentrations occur just underneath the skin. Cooking at high temperatures (over 170 °C or 340 °F) partly destroys these. The concentration of glycoalkaloid in wild potatoes suffices to produce toxic effects in humans. Glycoalkaloids may cause headaches, diarrhea, cramps and in severe cases coma and death; however, poisoning from potatoes occurs very rarely. Light exposure causes greening, thus giving a visual clue as to areas of the tuber that may have become more toxic; however, this does not provide a definitive guide, as greening and glycoalkaloid accumulation can occur independently of each other. Some varieties of potato contain greater glycoalkaloid concentrations than others; breeders developing new varieties test for this, and sometimes have to discard an otherwise promising cultivar.
Breeders try to keep solanine levels below 200 mg/kg (200 ppmw). However, when these commercial varieties turn green, even they can approach concentrations of solanine of 1000 mg/kg (1000 ppmw). In normal potatoes, analysis has shown solanine levels may be as little as 3.5% of the breeders' maximum, with 7–187 mg/kg being found.[26]
The US National Toxicology Program suggests that the average American consumes at most 12.5 mg/day of solanine from potatoes (the toxic dose is actually several times this, depending on body weight). Dr. Douglas L. Holt, the State Extension Specialist for Food Safety at the University of Missouri, notes that no reported cases of potato-source solanine poisoning have occurred in the U.S. in the last 50 years and most cases involved eating green potatoes or drinking potato-leaf tea.
Solanine is also found in other plants, mainly in the mostly deadly nightshade family, which includes a minority of edible plants including the potato and the tomato, and other typically more dangerous plants like tobacco. This poison affects the nervous system causing weakness and confusion.
Cultivation
Potato Planting
Washington
Potato field
Fort Fairfield, Maine
Potato farmer in India sitting beside the day's harvest
Correct potato husbandry is an arduous task in the best of circumstances. Good ground preparation, harrowing, plowing, and rolling are always needed, along with a little grace from the weather and a good source of water. Three successive plowings, with associated harrowing and rolling, are desirable before planting. Eliminating all root-weeds is desirable in potato cultivation. Potatoes are the most fruitful of the root crops, but much care and consideration is needed to keep them satisfied and fruitful.
Potatoes are generally grown from the eyes of another potato and not from seed. Home gardeners often plant a piece of potato with two or three eyes in a hill of mounded soil. Commercial growers plant potatoes as a row crop using seed tubers, young plants or microtubers and may mound the entire row.
Seed potato crops are 'rogued' in some countries to eliminate diseased plants or those of a different variety from the seed crop.
Potatoes should be harvested before heavy frosts, which damage potatoes in the ground, and even cold weather makes potatoes more susceptible to bruising and possibly later rotting which can quickly ruin a large stored crop.
At harvest time, gardeners usually dig up potatoes with a long-handled, three-prong "grape" (or graip), i.e. a spading fork, or a potato hook which is similar to the graip but its tines are at a 90 degree angle to the handle. In larger plots, the plow can serve as the fastest implement for unearthing potatoes. Commercial harvesting is typically done with large potato harvesters which scoop up the plant and the surrounding earth. This is transported up an apron chain consisting of steel links several feet wide, which separates some of the dirt. The chain deposits into an area where further separation occurs. Different designs use different systems at this point. The most complex designs use vine choppers and shakers, along with a blower system or "Flying Willard" to separate the potatoes from the plant. The result is then usually run past workers who continue to sort out plant material, stones, and rotten potatoes before the potatoes are continuously delivered to a wagon or truck. Further inspection and separation occurs when the potatoes are unloaded from the field vehicles and put into storage.
Potatoes are usually cured after harvest to thicken their skin. Prior to curing, the skin is very thin and delicate. These potatoes are sometimes sold as "New Potatoes" and are particularly flavorful. New potatoes are often harvested by the home gardener or farmer by "grabbling", i.e. pulling out the young tubers by hand while leaving the plant in place. In additions, markets may sometimes present various thin-skinned potato varieties as "new potatoes".
Storage facilities need to be carefully designed to keep the potatoes alive and slow the natural process of decomposition, which involves the breakdown of starch. It is crucial that the storage area is dark, well ventilated and for long-term storage maintained at temperatures near 40°F (4°C). For short-term storage prior to cooking, temperatures of about 45-50°F (7-10°C) are preferred.[27] Temperatures below 40°F (4°C) convert potatoes' starch into sugar, which alters their taste and cooking qualities and leads to higher acrylamide levels in the cooked product, especially in deep-fried dishes.
Under optimum conditions possible in commercial warehouses, potatoes can be stored for up to six months, at homes usually only for several weeks.[27] If potatoes develop green areas or start to sprout, these areas should be trimmed before using.
Varieties
Potatoes have been bred into many standard or well-known varieties, each of which have particular agricultural or culinary attributes. Varieties are generally categorized into a few main groups—such as russets, reds, whites, yellows (also called Yukons) and purples—based on common characteristics. Popular varieties include:
Désirée
Bintje
Fianna
Kestrel
King Edward
Kipfler
Nicola
Pink Eye
Pink Fir Apple
Red Pontiac
Rooster
Russet Burbank
Spunta
Chiloé[28]
Camota
Cielo
Pachacoña
Clavela Blanca
Cabritas
Chelina
Genetic research has produced at least one genetically modified variety, the New Leaf, owned by Monsanto corporation. On September 22, 2007, Benguet State University (BSU) announced that four potato varieties—Igorota, Solibao, Ganza and one not yet officially named—possess more than 18% dry matter content required by fast-food chains to make crispy and sturdy French fries.[29]
Some horticulturists sell chimeras, made by grafting a tomato plant onto a potato plant, producing both edible tomatoes and potatoes. This practice is not very widespread.
Pests
Main article: List of potato diseases
The historically significant Phytophthora infestans (late blight) is an ongoing problem in Europe[30] and the United States.[31]
Insects that commonly transmit potato diseases or damage the plants include the Colorado potato beetle, the Green Peach Aphid, the Potato Aphid, Beetleafhoppers, Thrips, and Mites. The potato root nematode is a microscopic worm that thrives on the roots, thus causing the potato plants to wilt. Since its eggs can survive in the soil for several years, crop rotation is recommended.
Other potato diseases include Rhizoctonia, Sclerotinia, Black Leg, Powdery Mildew, Powdery Scab, Leafroll Virus, and Purple Top.
Preparation
Various potato dishes.Potatoes are prepared in many ways: skin-on or peeled, whole or cut up, with seasonings or without. The only requirement involves cooking to break down the starch. Most potato dishes are served hot, but some are first cooked then served cold, notably potato salad and potato chips/crisps.
Common dishes are: mashed potatoes, which are first boiled (usually peeled), and then mashed with milk or yogurt and butter; whole baked potatoes; boiled or steamed potatoes; French-fried potatoes or chips; cut into cubes and roasted; scalloped, diced, or sliced and fried (home fries); grated into small thin strips and fried (hash browns); grated and formed into dumplings, Rösti or potato pancakes. Unlike many foods, potatoes can also be easily cooked in a microwave oven and still retain nearly all of their nutritional value, provided that they are covered in ventilated plastic wrap to prevent moisture from escaping—this method produces a meal very similar to a steamed potato while retaining the appearance of a conventionally baked potato. Potato chunks also commonly appear as a stew ingredient.
Potatoes are boiled between 10 and 25[32] minutes, depending on size and type, to become soft.
Regional dishes
Latin America
Peruvian Cuisine naturally contains the potato as a primary ingredient in many dishes, as around 3,000 varieties of this tuber are grown there.[33] Some of the more famous dishes include Papa a la huancaina, Papa rellena, Ocopa, Carapulcra, Causa and Cau Cau among many others. French-fried potatoes are a typical ingredient in Peruvian stir-fries, including the classic dish Lomo saltado.
In Ecuador the potato, as well as being a staple with most dishes, is featured in the hearty Locro de Papas, a thick soup of potato, squash, and cheese.
In Chile's Chiloé archipelago, potatoes are the main ingredient of many dishes, including milcaos, chapaleles, curanto and chochoca.
Europe
In UK potatoes form part of the traditional staple fish and chips. Roast potatoes are commonly served with a Sunday roast. Mashed, potatoes also form a major component of several other traditional dishes such as shepherd's pie, bubble and squeak, champ and the 'mashit tatties' (Scots language) which accompany haggis. The Tattie scone is another popular Scottish dish containing potatoes. They are also often sautéed to accompany a meal. In the UK, new potatoes are typically cooked with mint and served with a little melted butter - Jersey Royal potatoes are the most prized new potatoes, and have their own Protected Designation of Origin.
In Ireland Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish involving mashed potato combined with shredded cabbage and onion. Boxty pancakes are eaten all over Ireland, although associated especially with the north, and in Irish diaspora communities: they are traditionally made with grated potatoes, soaked to loosen the starch and mixed with flour, buttermilk and baking powder. A variant eaten and sold in Lancashire, especially Liverpool, is made with cooked and mashed potatoes.
Bryndzové halušky is the Slovakian national dish, made of a batter of flour and finely grated potatoes that is boiled to form dumplings. These are then mixed with regionally varying ingredients.
In Northern and Eastern Europe, especially in Scandinavian countries, Poland, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, newly harvested, early ripening varieties are considered a special delicacy. Boiled whole and served with dill, these "new potatoes" are traditionally consumed together with Baltic herring.
A baked potato served with butterIn Western Europe, especially in Belgium, sliced potatoes are fried to get frieten, the original French fried potatoes. Stamppot, a traditional Dutch meal, is based on mashed potatoes mixed with vegetables.
Potatoes are very popular in continental Europe as well. In Italy, they serve to make a type of pasta called gnocchi. Similarly, cooked and mashed potatoes or potato flour can be used in the knödel or dumpling eaten with or added to meat dishes all over central and Eastern Europe, but especially in Bavaria and Luxembourg. Potatoes form one of the main ingredients in many soups such as the pseudo-French vichyssoise and Albanian potato and cabbage soup. In western Norway, komle is popular.
A traditional Canary Islands dish is Canarian wrinkly potatoes or Papas arrugadas. Tortilla de patatas (potato omelete) and Patatas bravas (a dish of fried potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce) are near-universal constituent of Spanish tapas.
North America
In the United States, potatoes have become one of the most widely consumed crops and thus have a variety of preparation methods and condiments. French fries and often hash browns are commonly found in typical American fast-food burger joints and cafeterias. One popular favorite involves a baked potato with cheddar cheese (or sour cream and chives) on top, and in New England "smashed potatoes" (a chunkier variation on mashed potatoes, retaining the peel) have great popularity. Potato flakes are popular as an instant variety of mashed potatoes, which reconstitute into mashed potatoes by adding water, plus butter & salt for taste. A regional dish of Central New York, salt potatoes are bite-sized new potatoes boiled in water saturated with salt then served with melted butter. At more formal dinners, a common practice includes taking small red potatoes, slicing them, and roasting them in an iron skillet. Among American Jews, the practice of eating latkes (fried potato pancakes) is common each winter, when Hannukah comes.
Potatoes in waterA traditional Acadian dish from New Brunswick is known as poutine râpée. The Acadian poutine is a ball of grated and mashed potato, salted, sometimes filled with pork in the center, and boiled. The result is a moist ball about the size of a baseball. It is commonly eaten with salt and pepper or brown sugar. It is believed to have originated from the German Klöße, prepared by early German settlers who lived among the Acadians.
Poutine, by contrast, is a hearty serving of french fries, fresh cheese curds and hot gravy. Tracing its origins to Quebec in the 1950s, it has become popular across Canada and can usually be found where Canadians gather abroad.
In art
Potato ceramic from the Moche culture. Larco Museum CollectionThe potato has been an essential crop in the Andes since the pre-Columbian Era. The Moche culture from Northern Peru made ceramics from earth, water, and fire. This pottery was a sacred substance, formed in significant shapes and used to represent important themes. Potatoes are represented anthropomorphically as well as naturally.[34]
Van Gogh's painting "The Potato Eaters" represents a family eating potatoes.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Solanum
Species: S. tuberosum
Binomial name
Solanum tuberosum
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family. Potato may refer to the plant itself as well. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species. Potato is the world's most widely grown tuber crop, and the fourth largest food crop in terms of fresh produce after rice, wheat, and corn.
Wild potato species occur from the United States to Uruguay and Chile[1]. Genetic testing of the wide variety of cultivars and wild species suggest that the potato has a single origin in the area of southern Peru,[2] from a species in the Solanum brevicaule complex. Today, over 99% of all cultivated potatoes worldwide are descendants of a subspecies indigenous to south-central Chile.[3] Based on historical records, local agriculturalists, and DNA analyses, the most widely cultivated variety worldwide, Solanum tuberosum tuberosum, is believed to be indigenous to Chiloé Archipelago where it was cultivated by the indigenous people.[4]
The potato was introduced to Europe in 1536,[5] and subsequently by European mariners to territories and ports throughout the world.[6] Thousands of varieties persist in the Andes, where over 100 varieties might be found in a single valley, and a dozen or more might be maintained by a single agricultural household.[7] Once established in Europe, the potato soon became an important food staple and field crop. But lack of genetic diversity, due to the fact that very few varieties were initially introduced, left the crop vulnerable to disease. In 1845, a plant disease known as late blight, caused by the fungus-like oocmycete Phytophthora infestans, spread rapidly through the poorer communities of western Ireland, resulting in the crop failures that led to the Great Irish Famine.[5]
The annual diet of an average global citizen in the first decade of the twenty-first century would include about 33 kilograms (or 73 lbs.) of potato. However, the local importance of potato is extremely variable and rapidly changing. The potato remains an essential crop in Europe (especially eastern and central Europe), where per capita production is still the highest in the world, but the most rapid expansion of potato over the past few decades has occurred in southern and eastern Asia. China is now the world’s largest potato producing country, and nearly a third of the world’s potatoes are harvested in China and India[8]. More generally, the geographic shift of potato production has been away from wealthier countries toward lower-income areas of the world.
Etymology
The English word potato comes from Spanish patata (the name used in Spain). The Spanish Royal Academy says the Spanish word is a compound of the Taino batata (sweet potato) and the Quechua papa (potato).[10] This probably indicates that originally, the potato was regarded as a type of sweet potato rather than the other way around, despite the fact that there is actually no close relationship between the two plants at all. Potatoes are occasionally referred to as Irish potatoes in the English speaking world, this term originated to distinguish them from sweet potatoes. Romanian cartof, Ukrainian картопля (kartóplja), Bulgarian картоф (kartof), Russian картофель (kartofel), German Kartoffel, Danish kartoffel, Icelandic kartafla (or jarðepli, see below), Latvian kartupelis, and Estonian kartul (as well as many other similar names in various languages) all derive from the Italian word tartufoli, which was given to potato because of its similarity to truffles (Italian: tartufo). Although the current Italian term for the potato is patata.
Another common name is "ground apple": pomme de terre in French, aardappel in Dutch, jarðepli in Icelandic (or kartafla, see above), תפוח אדמה in Hebrew (often written just as תפוד), and Erdapfel in Austrian German. An analogous name is Finnish as peruna, which comes from the old Swedish term jordpäron "earth pear". In 16th century French, pomme meant "fruit", thus pomme de terre meant "ground fruit" and was probably literally loan translated to other languages when potatoes were introduced. In Polish potato is called just ziemniaki or in some regions "kartofle", and in Slovak zemiak, from the word for "ground". In Persian it is called seeb-i zameen (سیبزمینی) which also translates into 'ground apple'.
In Hindi, Nepali, and several other Indian languages the potato is called alu or aloo, while in Marathi and Gujarati, the potato is called bataka or batata.
This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.
Different names for the potato developed in China's various regions. The most widely used names in Standard Mandarin are "horse-bell yam" (simplified Chinese: 马铃薯; pinyin: mǎlíngshǔ), "earth bean" (simplified Chinese: 土豆; pinyin: tǔdòu), and "foreign taro" (simplified Chinese: 洋芋; pinyin: yángyù). The Indonesian word is kentang.
Description
Flowers of a potato plantPotato plants are herbaceous perennials that grow about 60cm high, depending on variety, the culms dying back after flowering. They bear white to purple flowers with yellow stamens resembling those of other Solanaceous species such as tomato and aubergine. Potatoes are cross-pollinated mostly by insects, including bumblebees that carry pollen from other potato plants, but a substantial amount of self-fertilizing occurs as well.
After potato plants flower, some varieties will produce small green fruits that resemble green cherry tomatoes, each containing up to 300 true seeds. Potato fruit contains large amounts of the toxic alkaloid solanine, and is therefore unsuitable for consumption.
All new potato varieties are grown from seeds, also called "true seed" or "botanical seed" to distinguish it from seed tubers. By finely chopping the fruit and soaking it in water, the seeds will separate from the flesh by sinking to the bottom after about a day (the remnants of the fruit will float). Any potato variety can also be propagated vegetatively by planting tubers, pieces of tubers, cut to include at least one or two eyes, or also by cuttings, a practice used in greenhouses for the production of healthy seed tubers. Some commercial potato varieties do not produce seeds at all (they bear imperfect flowers) and are propagated only from tuber pieces. Confusingly, these tubers or tuber pieces are called "seed potatoes".
Genetics
The potatoes cultivated in the Andes are not all the same species. However, the major species grown worldwide is Solanum tuberosum (a tetraploid with 48 chromosomes). Modern varieties of this species are the most widely cultivated worldwide. There are also four diploid species (with 24 chromosomes): Solanum stenotomum, Solanum phureja, Solanum goniocalyx and Solanum ajanhuiri. There are two triploid species (with 36 chromosomes): Solanum chaucha and Solanum juzepczukii. There is one pentaploid cultivated species (with 60 chromosomes): Solanum curtilobum.
There are two major subspecies of Solanum tuberosum: andigena, or Andean; and tuberosum, or Chilean.[11] The Andean potato is adapted to the short-day conditions prevalent in the mountainous equatorial and tropical regions where it originated. The Chilean potato is adapted to the long-day conditions prevalent in the higher latitude region of southern Chile, especially on Chiloé Island where it is thought to have originated.[12]
There are about five thousand potato varieties world wide. Three thousand of them are found in the Andes alone, mainly in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile and Colombia. They belong to eight or nine species, depending on the taxonomic school. Apart from the five thousand cultivated varieties, there are about 200 wild species and subspecies, many of which can be cross-bred with cultivated varieties, which has been done repeatedly to transfer resistances to certain pests and diseases from the gene pool of wild species to the gene pool of cultivated potato species. Genetically modified varieties have met public resistance in the United States and in the European Union.[13][14]
Most modern potatoes grown in North America arrived through European settlement and not independently from the South American sources. However, at least one wild potato species, Solanum fendleri, is found as far north as Texas and used in breeding for resistance to a nematode species attacking cultivated potatoes. A secondary center of genetic variability of the potato is Mexico, where important wild species are found that have been used extensively in modern breeding, such as the hexaploid Solanum demissum, as a source of resistance to the devastating late blight disease. Another plant native to this region, Solanum bulbocastanum, a close relative of the potato, has been used to genetically engineer the potato to effectively resist potato blight.[15]
The International Potato Center, based in Lima, Peru, holds an ISO-accredited collection of potato germplasm.[16]
Role in world food supply
Top Potato Producers
in 2006
(million metric tons)
People's Republic of China 70
Russia 39
India 24
United States 20
Ukraine 19
Germany 10
Poland 9
Belgium 8
Netherlands 7
France 6
World Total 315
Source:
UN Food & Agriculture Organisation
The potato became an important staple crop in northern Europe as the climate changed due to the Little Ice Age, when traditional crops in this region did not produce as reliably as before. At times when and where most other crops would fail, potatoes could still typically be relied upon to contribute adequately to food supplies during the colder years. Its yield of calories per acre (about 9.2 million) is higher than that of maize (7.5 milion), rice (7.4 million), wheat (3 million), or soybean (2.8 million).[17] The potato was not popular in France during this time, and it is believed that some of the infamous famines could have been lessened if French farmers had adopted it. Today, the potato forms an important part of the traditional cuisines of most of Europe. Belarus has the highest consumption of potato per capita with each Belorussian consuming 338 kg in 2005.[18][19]
Potato output in 2005The United Nations FAO reports that the world production of potatoes in 2006 was 315 million tonnes. The largest producer, China, accounted for one quarter of the global output, followed by Russia and India.
In 2008, several international organizations began to give more emphasis to the potato as a key part of world food production, due to several developing economic problems. They cited the potato's potential for a beneficial role in world food production, owing to its status as a cheap and plentiful crop which can be raised in a wide variety of climates and locales. [20] Due to perishability, only about 5% of the world's potato crop is traded internationally; its minimal presence in world financial markets contributed to its stable pricing during the 2007–2008 world food price crisis.[21][22]
In recognition of this importance, the United Nations officially declared the year 2008 as the International Year of the Potato [23] in order to “increase awareness of the importance of the potato as a food in developing nations” and calling the vegetable a “hidden treasure”.[24] This follows the International Rice Year in 2004.
Maine companies are exploring the possibilities of using waste potatoes to obtain polylactic acid for use in plastic products.
Nutrition
The toxic fruits produced by mature potato plantsPotato, raw, with peel
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 80 kcal 320 kJ
Carbohydrates 19 g
- Starch 15 g
- Dietary fiber 2.2 g
Fat 0.1 g
Protein 2 g
Water 75 g
Thiamin (Vit. B1) 0.08 mg 6%
Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.03 mg 2%
Niacin (Vit. B3) 1.1 mg 7%
Vitamin B6 0.25 mg 19%
Vitamin C 20 mg 33%
Calcium 12 mg 1%
Iron 1.8 mg 14%
Magnesium 23 mg 6%
Phosphorus 57 mg 8%
Potassium 421 mg 9%
Sodium 6 mg 0%
Percentages are relative to US
recommendations for adults.
Nutritionally, potatoes are best known for their carbohydrate content (approximately 26 grams in a medium potato). The predominant form of this carbohydrate is starch. A small but significant portion of this starch is resistant to digestion by enzymes in the stomach and small intestine, and so reaches the large intestine essentially intact. This resistant starch is considered to have similar physiological effects and health benefits as fiber: it provides bulk, offers protection against colon cancer, improves glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, lowers plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, increases satiety, and possibly even reduces fat storage (Cummings et al. 1996; Hylla et al 1998; Raban et al. 1994). The amount of resistant starch in potatoes depends much on preparation methods. Cooking and then cooling potatoes significantly increases resistant starch. For example, cooked potato starch contains about 7% resistant starch, which increases to about 13% upon cooling (Englyst et al. 1992).
Potatoes contain vitamins and minerals that have been identified as vital to human nutrition. A medium potato (150g/5.3 oz) with the skin provides 27 mg of vitamin C (45% of the Daily Value (DV)), 620 mg of potassium (18% of DV), 0.2 mg vitamin B6 (10% of DV) and trace amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, folate, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. Moreover, the fiber content of a potato with skin (2 grams) equals that of many whole grain breads, pastas, and cereals. Potatoes also contain an assortment of phytochemicals, such as carotenoids and polyphenols. The notion that “all of the potato’s nutrients” are found in the skin is an urban legend. While the skin does contain approximately half of the total dietary fiber, more than 50% of the nutrients are found within the potato itself. The cooking method used can significantly impact the nutrient availability of the potato.
Potatoes are often broadly classified as high on the glycemic index (GI) and so are often excluded from the diets of individuals trying to follow a “low GI” eating regimen. In fact, the GI of potatoes can vary considerably depending on type (such as red, russet, white, or Prince Edward), origin (where it was grown), preparation methods (i.e., cooking method, whether it is eaten hot or cold, whether it is mashed or cubed or consumed whole, etc), and with what it is consumed (i.e., the addition of various high fat or high protein toppings) (Fernandes et al. 2006).
Toxicity
Potato plants
Seed tuber with sprouts
Early Rose varietyPotatoes contain glycoalkaloids, toxic compounds, of which the most prevalent are solanine and chaconine. These compounds, which protect the plant from its predators, are generally concentrated in its leaves, stems, and sprouts. Exposure to light, physical damage, and age increase glycoalkaloid content within the tuber;[25] the highest concentrations occur just underneath the skin. Cooking at high temperatures (over 170 °C or 340 °F) partly destroys these. The concentration of glycoalkaloid in wild potatoes suffices to produce toxic effects in humans. Glycoalkaloids may cause headaches, diarrhea, cramps and in severe cases coma and death; however, poisoning from potatoes occurs very rarely. Light exposure causes greening, thus giving a visual clue as to areas of the tuber that may have become more toxic; however, this does not provide a definitive guide, as greening and glycoalkaloid accumulation can occur independently of each other. Some varieties of potato contain greater glycoalkaloid concentrations than others; breeders developing new varieties test for this, and sometimes have to discard an otherwise promising cultivar.
Breeders try to keep solanine levels below 200 mg/kg (200 ppmw). However, when these commercial varieties turn green, even they can approach concentrations of solanine of 1000 mg/kg (1000 ppmw). In normal potatoes, analysis has shown solanine levels may be as little as 3.5% of the breeders' maximum, with 7–187 mg/kg being found.[26]
The US National Toxicology Program suggests that the average American consumes at most 12.5 mg/day of solanine from potatoes (the toxic dose is actually several times this, depending on body weight). Dr. Douglas L. Holt, the State Extension Specialist for Food Safety at the University of Missouri, notes that no reported cases of potato-source solanine poisoning have occurred in the U.S. in the last 50 years and most cases involved eating green potatoes or drinking potato-leaf tea.
Solanine is also found in other plants, mainly in the mostly deadly nightshade family, which includes a minority of edible plants including the potato and the tomato, and other typically more dangerous plants like tobacco. This poison affects the nervous system causing weakness and confusion.
Cultivation
Potato Planting
Washington
Potato field
Fort Fairfield, Maine
Potato farmer in India sitting beside the day's harvest
Correct potato husbandry is an arduous task in the best of circumstances. Good ground preparation, harrowing, plowing, and rolling are always needed, along with a little grace from the weather and a good source of water. Three successive plowings, with associated harrowing and rolling, are desirable before planting. Eliminating all root-weeds is desirable in potato cultivation. Potatoes are the most fruitful of the root crops, but much care and consideration is needed to keep them satisfied and fruitful.
Potatoes are generally grown from the eyes of another potato and not from seed. Home gardeners often plant a piece of potato with two or three eyes in a hill of mounded soil. Commercial growers plant potatoes as a row crop using seed tubers, young plants or microtubers and may mound the entire row.
Seed potato crops are 'rogued' in some countries to eliminate diseased plants or those of a different variety from the seed crop.
Potatoes should be harvested before heavy frosts, which damage potatoes in the ground, and even cold weather makes potatoes more susceptible to bruising and possibly later rotting which can quickly ruin a large stored crop.
At harvest time, gardeners usually dig up potatoes with a long-handled, three-prong "grape" (or graip), i.e. a spading fork, or a potato hook which is similar to the graip but its tines are at a 90 degree angle to the handle. In larger plots, the plow can serve as the fastest implement for unearthing potatoes. Commercial harvesting is typically done with large potato harvesters which scoop up the plant and the surrounding earth. This is transported up an apron chain consisting of steel links several feet wide, which separates some of the dirt. The chain deposits into an area where further separation occurs. Different designs use different systems at this point. The most complex designs use vine choppers and shakers, along with a blower system or "Flying Willard" to separate the potatoes from the plant. The result is then usually run past workers who continue to sort out plant material, stones, and rotten potatoes before the potatoes are continuously delivered to a wagon or truck. Further inspection and separation occurs when the potatoes are unloaded from the field vehicles and put into storage.
Potatoes are usually cured after harvest to thicken their skin. Prior to curing, the skin is very thin and delicate. These potatoes are sometimes sold as "New Potatoes" and are particularly flavorful. New potatoes are often harvested by the home gardener or farmer by "grabbling", i.e. pulling out the young tubers by hand while leaving the plant in place. In additions, markets may sometimes present various thin-skinned potato varieties as "new potatoes".
Storage facilities need to be carefully designed to keep the potatoes alive and slow the natural process of decomposition, which involves the breakdown of starch. It is crucial that the storage area is dark, well ventilated and for long-term storage maintained at temperatures near 40°F (4°C). For short-term storage prior to cooking, temperatures of about 45-50°F (7-10°C) are preferred.[27] Temperatures below 40°F (4°C) convert potatoes' starch into sugar, which alters their taste and cooking qualities and leads to higher acrylamide levels in the cooked product, especially in deep-fried dishes.
Under optimum conditions possible in commercial warehouses, potatoes can be stored for up to six months, at homes usually only for several weeks.[27] If potatoes develop green areas or start to sprout, these areas should be trimmed before using.
Varieties
Potatoes have been bred into many standard or well-known varieties, each of which have particular agricultural or culinary attributes. Varieties are generally categorized into a few main groups—such as russets, reds, whites, yellows (also called Yukons) and purples—based on common characteristics. Popular varieties include:
Désirée
Bintje
Fianna
Kestrel
King Edward
Kipfler
Nicola
Pink Eye
Pink Fir Apple
Red Pontiac
Rooster
Russet Burbank
Spunta
Chiloé[28]
Camota
Cielo
Pachacoña
Clavela Blanca
Cabritas
Chelina
Genetic research has produced at least one genetically modified variety, the New Leaf, owned by Monsanto corporation. On September 22, 2007, Benguet State University (BSU) announced that four potato varieties—Igorota, Solibao, Ganza and one not yet officially named—possess more than 18% dry matter content required by fast-food chains to make crispy and sturdy French fries.[29]
Some horticulturists sell chimeras, made by grafting a tomato plant onto a potato plant, producing both edible tomatoes and potatoes. This practice is not very widespread.
Pests
Main article: List of potato diseases
The historically significant Phytophthora infestans (late blight) is an ongoing problem in Europe[30] and the United States.[31]
Insects that commonly transmit potato diseases or damage the plants include the Colorado potato beetle, the Green Peach Aphid, the Potato Aphid, Beetleafhoppers, Thrips, and Mites. The potato root nematode is a microscopic worm that thrives on the roots, thus causing the potato plants to wilt. Since its eggs can survive in the soil for several years, crop rotation is recommended.
Other potato diseases include Rhizoctonia, Sclerotinia, Black Leg, Powdery Mildew, Powdery Scab, Leafroll Virus, and Purple Top.
Preparation
Various potato dishes.Potatoes are prepared in many ways: skin-on or peeled, whole or cut up, with seasonings or without. The only requirement involves cooking to break down the starch. Most potato dishes are served hot, but some are first cooked then served cold, notably potato salad and potato chips/crisps.
Common dishes are: mashed potatoes, which are first boiled (usually peeled), and then mashed with milk or yogurt and butter; whole baked potatoes; boiled or steamed potatoes; French-fried potatoes or chips; cut into cubes and roasted; scalloped, diced, or sliced and fried (home fries); grated into small thin strips and fried (hash browns); grated and formed into dumplings, Rösti or potato pancakes. Unlike many foods, potatoes can also be easily cooked in a microwave oven and still retain nearly all of their nutritional value, provided that they are covered in ventilated plastic wrap to prevent moisture from escaping—this method produces a meal very similar to a steamed potato while retaining the appearance of a conventionally baked potato. Potato chunks also commonly appear as a stew ingredient.
Potatoes are boiled between 10 and 25[32] minutes, depending on size and type, to become soft.
Regional dishes
Latin America
Peruvian Cuisine naturally contains the potato as a primary ingredient in many dishes, as around 3,000 varieties of this tuber are grown there.[33] Some of the more famous dishes include Papa a la huancaina, Papa rellena, Ocopa, Carapulcra, Causa and Cau Cau among many others. French-fried potatoes are a typical ingredient in Peruvian stir-fries, including the classic dish Lomo saltado.
In Ecuador the potato, as well as being a staple with most dishes, is featured in the hearty Locro de Papas, a thick soup of potato, squash, and cheese.
In Chile's Chiloé archipelago, potatoes are the main ingredient of many dishes, including milcaos, chapaleles, curanto and chochoca.
Europe
In UK potatoes form part of the traditional staple fish and chips. Roast potatoes are commonly served with a Sunday roast. Mashed, potatoes also form a major component of several other traditional dishes such as shepherd's pie, bubble and squeak, champ and the 'mashit tatties' (Scots language) which accompany haggis. The Tattie scone is another popular Scottish dish containing potatoes. They are also often sautéed to accompany a meal. In the UK, new potatoes are typically cooked with mint and served with a little melted butter - Jersey Royal potatoes are the most prized new potatoes, and have their own Protected Designation of Origin.
In Ireland Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish involving mashed potato combined with shredded cabbage and onion. Boxty pancakes are eaten all over Ireland, although associated especially with the north, and in Irish diaspora communities: they are traditionally made with grated potatoes, soaked to loosen the starch and mixed with flour, buttermilk and baking powder. A variant eaten and sold in Lancashire, especially Liverpool, is made with cooked and mashed potatoes.
Bryndzové halušky is the Slovakian national dish, made of a batter of flour and finely grated potatoes that is boiled to form dumplings. These are then mixed with regionally varying ingredients.
In Northern and Eastern Europe, especially in Scandinavian countries, Poland, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, newly harvested, early ripening varieties are considered a special delicacy. Boiled whole and served with dill, these "new potatoes" are traditionally consumed together with Baltic herring.
A baked potato served with butterIn Western Europe, especially in Belgium, sliced potatoes are fried to get frieten, the original French fried potatoes. Stamppot, a traditional Dutch meal, is based on mashed potatoes mixed with vegetables.
Potatoes are very popular in continental Europe as well. In Italy, they serve to make a type of pasta called gnocchi. Similarly, cooked and mashed potatoes or potato flour can be used in the knödel or dumpling eaten with or added to meat dishes all over central and Eastern Europe, but especially in Bavaria and Luxembourg. Potatoes form one of the main ingredients in many soups such as the pseudo-French vichyssoise and Albanian potato and cabbage soup. In western Norway, komle is popular.
A traditional Canary Islands dish is Canarian wrinkly potatoes or Papas arrugadas. Tortilla de patatas (potato omelete) and Patatas bravas (a dish of fried potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce) are near-universal constituent of Spanish tapas.
North America
In the United States, potatoes have become one of the most widely consumed crops and thus have a variety of preparation methods and condiments. French fries and often hash browns are commonly found in typical American fast-food burger joints and cafeterias. One popular favorite involves a baked potato with cheddar cheese (or sour cream and chives) on top, and in New England "smashed potatoes" (a chunkier variation on mashed potatoes, retaining the peel) have great popularity. Potato flakes are popular as an instant variety of mashed potatoes, which reconstitute into mashed potatoes by adding water, plus butter & salt for taste. A regional dish of Central New York, salt potatoes are bite-sized new potatoes boiled in water saturated with salt then served with melted butter. At more formal dinners, a common practice includes taking small red potatoes, slicing them, and roasting them in an iron skillet. Among American Jews, the practice of eating latkes (fried potato pancakes) is common each winter, when Hannukah comes.
Potatoes in waterA traditional Acadian dish from New Brunswick is known as poutine râpée. The Acadian poutine is a ball of grated and mashed potato, salted, sometimes filled with pork in the center, and boiled. The result is a moist ball about the size of a baseball. It is commonly eaten with salt and pepper or brown sugar. It is believed to have originated from the German Klöße, prepared by early German settlers who lived among the Acadians.
Poutine, by contrast, is a hearty serving of french fries, fresh cheese curds and hot gravy. Tracing its origins to Quebec in the 1950s, it has become popular across Canada and can usually be found where Canadians gather abroad.
In art
Potato ceramic from the Moche culture. Larco Museum CollectionThe potato has been an essential crop in the Andes since the pre-Columbian Era. The Moche culture from Northern Peru made ceramics from earth, water, and fire. This pottery was a sacred substance, formed in significant shapes and used to represent important themes. Potatoes are represented anthropomorphically as well as naturally.[34]
Van Gogh's painting "The Potato Eaters" represents a family eating potatoes.
jueves, 4 de diciembre de 2008
Los Collaguas
There is no better source of information about the Collaguas than Dr. Alejandro Málaga Medina, the Arequipan historian who has dedicated many years to historical research about the Colca. In his book The Valley of the Colca Dr. Málaga tells us, "The province of Collaguas was made up of two ethnic groups, both of long historical tradition: the Cabanas and the Collaguas. They can be differentiated by their customs, clothing, and especially by their language."
In his account of 1586 Ulloa y Mogollon writes: "The Collaguan ethnic group can be considered to have originated from the frontier zone between Collagua and Vellilli, where there is a worship place marked by a snow covered peak from which these people are said to have come at a very early time in the world's history. The peak is called COLLAGUATA. When they arrived in the region which is today called Collaguas they confronted the natives of the area, conquered them and established themselves as permanent settlers." This legend clearly shows that some of the tribes originated from the high plateau and that water played an important part in their agricultural activities and their survival.
The Collaguas normally deformed their heads in a high elongated form by means of splints which they attached to the new born infants. This differentiated them from the Cabanas who also deformed their heads, but in another form. It is possible that this practice was due to the influence of the Lupaca, an ethnic group which inhabited the high plateau and had their capital at Chucuito.
According to Ulloa y Mogollón, the Collaguas spoke the Aymara language, which they considered their own, although certain small villages such as Pinchollo, Colán and Tapay spoke different dialects of it. For this reason some authorities consider the Collaguas to have originated from Collao.
The territory occupied by the Collaguas comprises the high central part of the Colca valley. There were two principal centers, the seat of political power and the residence of the principal rulers. The most important was Yanque, on the right bank of the Colca. It was made up of two districts or settlements called "Hanansaya" and "Hurinsaya" and governed by their respective "Yanques" or rulers. The second in importance was Lari Collaguas or Recollaguas, also set on the right bank of the Colca, divided into two districts and governed by the "Lares".
The other ethnic group was the Cabanas, said to have come from the snowy covered peak called Gualca-Gualca, which rises in front of the town of Cabana. When the Cabanas came down from the mountain they went in two directions, one group toward Cabana-Colla and the other toward Cabana-Conde. The Cabanas also practiced craneal deformation, theirs of an oblique tabular form, that is to say, wide and flat. The people of this ethnic group could be easily recognized by this head deformation.
The Cabanas spoke Quechua or Runa-Simi with certain regional characteristics. Their capital, Cabana, was the residence of their principal rulers, and divided, the same as the other towns, into two districts called "Hanansaya" and "Hurinsaya".
It is believed that these ethnic groups developed during the intermediary period of the central Andes between 1470 and 1200 B.C. when regional states arose due to the decadence of the Huari culture.
Agriculture was the basis of the Collaguan economy in prehispanic times. This explains the presence of a great number of terraces which still remain in use today. The system of distributing water by means of canals clearly demonstrates the high level of hydraulic engineering they achieved. The agricultural economy was complemented by raising llamas and alpacas which were grazed on the natural fodder found in abundance in the region.
Textile manufacture was another important activity in the economy of the Collaguas. The fiber of the llama and the alpaca was used to weave their clothing, such as ponchos, "pillas", a kind of belt, "llicllas", a kind of vest, shirts and other objects which they exchanged by means of barter with villages from the lower regions. The cloth was of beautiful bright colors since they used cochineal and other vegetable and mineral substances as dyes.
As far as ceramics are concerned, we find them closely related to the Chuquibamba series, possibly contemporary with the Tiahuanacoid styles and, without doubt, immediately before the Inca style and contemporary to the historical imperial period.
The eight pointed star can be cited as the distinctive decoration of Collaguan ceramics. Other geometric motifs represented are squares, circles with points at the center, bands with undulating lines at the center and broken parallel lines, squares forming crosses and circular stars with rays and points at the center.
Evidence from ceramic and architectural remains of the Collaguas in the prehispanic period demonstrates population concentrations of great density, especially in the Colca basin. Thus specialists who consider the large residencial centers as permanent settlements would seem to be right, rather than those of the recent authorities who have suggested that they were floating populations.
It was possibly in the middle of the 15th century that the great political expansion of the Incas began, with the Inca Pachacútec. Thus the Royal Clan "Mayta Cápac", which included the descendents of the Inca of the same name, received the task from the Emperor Túpac Inca Yupanqui of conquering the Collasuyo region. As a result of this one of the generals of the Royal Clan "Mayta Cápac" arrived in the region of the Collaguas and established dominion in the village of Coporaque where he contracted matrimony with the "nusta" Mama Yacchi. In Coporaque he set up the principal ruling center and had a palace of copper built. it was destroyed by Gonzalo Pizarro in 1548 in order to make harness parts for his cavalry. The left overs were used by Friar Gregorio de Ore in the casting of the bells which still exist in the church tower of that village.
From Coporaque the general of the Clan "Mayta Capac" began the conquest and domination of the valleys to the south. Arriving in Arequipa, possibly in the middle of the 15th century, he was captivated by the gentle climate, the abundance of water and cultivatable land and the generosity of the people. He is said to have exclaimed "AREQUIPAY": "Yes, stay!"
The Incan presence in the Collaguas region and in the south of the empire came late, in the middle of the 15th century. Nonetheless, they managed to impose their political organization, religion, economic system, judicial system, military system, educational system, and indeed, their culture in general.
In 1532 Francisco Pizarro conquered the Incan Empire. He put to death the Inca Atahualpa. Then he marched to Cusco and took possession of all the territory dominated by the Incas in the name of the Crown of Spain.
From Cusco, Francisco Pizarro divided the major part of the Andean population among his companions under the system of "encomienda". This system (from the verb "encomendar", to commend) consisted in placing one or more chiefs and the Indians who were his subjects, under the domination of a Spaniard. The Spaniard then acquired the rights of tribute and the services of the Indians "encomendados" or subjugated. In exchange for these priviledges the "encomendero", or Spaniard, assumed the responsibility of indoctrinating the Indians in his charge with the Catholic Religion.
In 1540 Pizarro "commended" the Yanquecollaguas to his brother Gonzalo and the Laricollaguas and the Cabanas to other Spaniards, dividing them according to the districts Hanansaya and Hurinsaya. After the treason and murder of Gonzalo Pizarro in 1548 the charge of the Yanquecollaguas passed for a brief period to Francisco Noguerol de Ulloa, who shortly after returned to Spain, renouncing his rights in exchange for a pension. After 1565 the Yanquecollaguas were subject to the Crown of Spain and paid tribute directly to the "corregidor" or magistrate of the province.
From the first years of colonization the inhabitants of the province were instructed in the Catholic faith by Franciscans. They built churches in the villages and adorned them with gold and silver from the treasures found in the temples on the high peaks. Later, by order of their superior Friar Gerónimo de Villacarrillo, the Franciscans retired to their monasteries in Cusco. In 1570 the viceroy Francisco de Toledo asked that they return to the province because of the many complaints against the priests of San Pedro who replaced them. Some of the friars returned but they took charge only of the Yanquecollaguas and not of all the villages.
A period of change, both legal and as regarded tributes, followed the declaration of independence of Peru in 1821. In 1824 Simón Bolívar abolished the power of the chiefs, the "mita", a system of indian servitude, and the original system of tribute. He decreed that the land of the chiefs, or the "community" land be divided among all the families of each village.
In his account of 1586 Ulloa y Mogollon writes: "The Collaguan ethnic group can be considered to have originated from the frontier zone between Collagua and Vellilli, where there is a worship place marked by a snow covered peak from which these people are said to have come at a very early time in the world's history. The peak is called COLLAGUATA. When they arrived in the region which is today called Collaguas they confronted the natives of the area, conquered them and established themselves as permanent settlers." This legend clearly shows that some of the tribes originated from the high plateau and that water played an important part in their agricultural activities and their survival.
The Collaguas normally deformed their heads in a high elongated form by means of splints which they attached to the new born infants. This differentiated them from the Cabanas who also deformed their heads, but in another form. It is possible that this practice was due to the influence of the Lupaca, an ethnic group which inhabited the high plateau and had their capital at Chucuito.
According to Ulloa y Mogollón, the Collaguas spoke the Aymara language, which they considered their own, although certain small villages such as Pinchollo, Colán and Tapay spoke different dialects of it. For this reason some authorities consider the Collaguas to have originated from Collao.
The territory occupied by the Collaguas comprises the high central part of the Colca valley. There were two principal centers, the seat of political power and the residence of the principal rulers. The most important was Yanque, on the right bank of the Colca. It was made up of two districts or settlements called "Hanansaya" and "Hurinsaya" and governed by their respective "Yanques" or rulers. The second in importance was Lari Collaguas or Recollaguas, also set on the right bank of the Colca, divided into two districts and governed by the "Lares".
The other ethnic group was the Cabanas, said to have come from the snowy covered peak called Gualca-Gualca, which rises in front of the town of Cabana. When the Cabanas came down from the mountain they went in two directions, one group toward Cabana-Colla and the other toward Cabana-Conde. The Cabanas also practiced craneal deformation, theirs of an oblique tabular form, that is to say, wide and flat. The people of this ethnic group could be easily recognized by this head deformation.
The Cabanas spoke Quechua or Runa-Simi with certain regional characteristics. Their capital, Cabana, was the residence of their principal rulers, and divided, the same as the other towns, into two districts called "Hanansaya" and "Hurinsaya".
It is believed that these ethnic groups developed during the intermediary period of the central Andes between 1470 and 1200 B.C. when regional states arose due to the decadence of the Huari culture.
Agriculture was the basis of the Collaguan economy in prehispanic times. This explains the presence of a great number of terraces which still remain in use today. The system of distributing water by means of canals clearly demonstrates the high level of hydraulic engineering they achieved. The agricultural economy was complemented by raising llamas and alpacas which were grazed on the natural fodder found in abundance in the region.
Textile manufacture was another important activity in the economy of the Collaguas. The fiber of the llama and the alpaca was used to weave their clothing, such as ponchos, "pillas", a kind of belt, "llicllas", a kind of vest, shirts and other objects which they exchanged by means of barter with villages from the lower regions. The cloth was of beautiful bright colors since they used cochineal and other vegetable and mineral substances as dyes.
As far as ceramics are concerned, we find them closely related to the Chuquibamba series, possibly contemporary with the Tiahuanacoid styles and, without doubt, immediately before the Inca style and contemporary to the historical imperial period.
The eight pointed star can be cited as the distinctive decoration of Collaguan ceramics. Other geometric motifs represented are squares, circles with points at the center, bands with undulating lines at the center and broken parallel lines, squares forming crosses and circular stars with rays and points at the center.
Evidence from ceramic and architectural remains of the Collaguas in the prehispanic period demonstrates population concentrations of great density, especially in the Colca basin. Thus specialists who consider the large residencial centers as permanent settlements would seem to be right, rather than those of the recent authorities who have suggested that they were floating populations.
It was possibly in the middle of the 15th century that the great political expansion of the Incas began, with the Inca Pachacútec. Thus the Royal Clan "Mayta Cápac", which included the descendents of the Inca of the same name, received the task from the Emperor Túpac Inca Yupanqui of conquering the Collasuyo region. As a result of this one of the generals of the Royal Clan "Mayta Cápac" arrived in the region of the Collaguas and established dominion in the village of Coporaque where he contracted matrimony with the "nusta" Mama Yacchi. In Coporaque he set up the principal ruling center and had a palace of copper built. it was destroyed by Gonzalo Pizarro in 1548 in order to make harness parts for his cavalry. The left overs were used by Friar Gregorio de Ore in the casting of the bells which still exist in the church tower of that village.
From Coporaque the general of the Clan "Mayta Capac" began the conquest and domination of the valleys to the south. Arriving in Arequipa, possibly in the middle of the 15th century, he was captivated by the gentle climate, the abundance of water and cultivatable land and the generosity of the people. He is said to have exclaimed "AREQUIPAY": "Yes, stay!"
The Incan presence in the Collaguas region and in the south of the empire came late, in the middle of the 15th century. Nonetheless, they managed to impose their political organization, religion, economic system, judicial system, military system, educational system, and indeed, their culture in general.
In 1532 Francisco Pizarro conquered the Incan Empire. He put to death the Inca Atahualpa. Then he marched to Cusco and took possession of all the territory dominated by the Incas in the name of the Crown of Spain.
From Cusco, Francisco Pizarro divided the major part of the Andean population among his companions under the system of "encomienda". This system (from the verb "encomendar", to commend) consisted in placing one or more chiefs and the Indians who were his subjects, under the domination of a Spaniard. The Spaniard then acquired the rights of tribute and the services of the Indians "encomendados" or subjugated. In exchange for these priviledges the "encomendero", or Spaniard, assumed the responsibility of indoctrinating the Indians in his charge with the Catholic Religion.
In 1540 Pizarro "commended" the Yanquecollaguas to his brother Gonzalo and the Laricollaguas and the Cabanas to other Spaniards, dividing them according to the districts Hanansaya and Hurinsaya. After the treason and murder of Gonzalo Pizarro in 1548 the charge of the Yanquecollaguas passed for a brief period to Francisco Noguerol de Ulloa, who shortly after returned to Spain, renouncing his rights in exchange for a pension. After 1565 the Yanquecollaguas were subject to the Crown of Spain and paid tribute directly to the "corregidor" or magistrate of the province.
From the first years of colonization the inhabitants of the province were instructed in the Catholic faith by Franciscans. They built churches in the villages and adorned them with gold and silver from the treasures found in the temples on the high peaks. Later, by order of their superior Friar Gerónimo de Villacarrillo, the Franciscans retired to their monasteries in Cusco. In 1570 the viceroy Francisco de Toledo asked that they return to the province because of the many complaints against the priests of San Pedro who replaced them. Some of the friars returned but they took charge only of the Yanquecollaguas and not of all the villages.
A period of change, both legal and as regarded tributes, followed the declaration of independence of Peru in 1821. In 1824 Simón Bolívar abolished the power of the chiefs, the "mita", a system of indian servitude, and the original system of tribute. He decreed that the land of the chiefs, or the "community" land be divided among all the families of each village.
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