If you're not a spud lover you'll become one after reading this post. I never really bother much about food as I'm basically not a food lover even though I'm constantly surrounded by people who are food freaks!. Anyway, I just read something pretty interesting from "The Economist" and I would like to share it with you since I'm a spud lover.
It's about this world's fourth-most-important food crop which provides more calories, using less land, grows quickly in wider range of climates than the other plants.The wonder food after maize,wheat and rice. It is, of course, non other than the potato!
You might be thinking why potato? Let me tell you something that most of us are unaware of or we easily overlooked of its influence on world history. We often take potato for granted but do you know that this humble yet changing tuber is intertwined with economic development, trade liberalisation and globalisation? Besides tasting yummy, this meek food not only provide a cheap source of calories but its value lies in its high yield and almost perfect balance. Potatoes can produce more energy per unit area per day!
Let's backtrack to some history of potato. ( Alright, I could see you yawning but bear with me cause it gets more interesting). Back then, potato was thought to be an aphrodisiac ( to cause leprosy or to be poisonous and to be fit only for animals ) but it slowly caught on as it merits in times of war and famine and a wonder-food for the poor. However, modern effort of understanding the genetic of potatoes showed that the spud could lead to more disease-resistant varieties. (* Propitious Esculent: The potato in world history by John Reader)
Spuds are known in the form of French fries, served alongside with Coca-Cola and burgers in this YouTuber generation and its now an icon of globalisation. See? The turnaround scepticism when spud first greeted us back then.
Mashed, boiled,fried and roast, a tuber, unlikely as it seems changed the world. Therefore, never underestimate the food that you are about to take. So, each time you take in potato, remember its value. People, start eating potatoes today! (:
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