Germans love their potatoes! There are over 270 different varieties of potato grown in Germany, and the average German consumes around 56 kilos of potatoes each year. Although potatoes are today a fundamental staple in the German diet, this was not always the case.
German Potato Salad, a perennial favorite (Source: Simply Recipes)
The History of the Potato in Germany
Potatoes have their original birthplace in the Andes mountains. They were introduced in Germany in the 16th century, but only became popular after Frederick II, who recognized potatoes as a valuable food source during times of famine, encouraged its cultivation through a combination of education and strategic measures.
Frederick II (Source: Alamo)
Frederick the Great: the ‘Potato King’
In 1756 Frederick implemented policies to encourage potato cultivation, but encountered resistance from farmers, who did not know how to cook potatoes and often mistook the tuber’s toxic blossoms for edible. Germans considered bread superior to potatoes, so Frederick allegedly came up with a clever plan to change peoples’ minds.
The myth goes like this: The farmers were skeptical about planting potatoes at the directive of the king, so Frederick cunningly set up a potato field and sent heavily armed soldiers to protect it. The farmers thought that the soldiers were guarding something valuable. So when Frederick ordered the guards to carry out their duties less carefully at night, the farmers came in crowds to dig up the potatoes and plant them in their own fields. The crop took off and Frederick created a lasting legacy, gaining the reputation as ‘Kartoffelkönig’ or ‘Potato King’. Even today, when one visits his gravesite at Sanssouci in Potsdam, one sees potatoes placed at the base of his gravestone by visitors.
The Grave of Frederick II at Sanssouci (Source: Google)
The Versatile Potato in the Household
Today the whole world eats potatoes, but there is actually much more that this humble tuber can do to help in the household as well:
° A cut potato can be rubbed with salt or baking soda on the cut side to scrub grime from cutting boards, pans or kitchen surfaces.
° A cut potato dipped into dish soap or baking soda can be used to remove rust stains.
° Water mixed with mashed potatoes creates a paste that can be used to remove tarnish from metal surfaces like silver cutlery.
° A cut potato misted with water can be used to clean glass without leaving streaks.
Summary
Everyone knows what a ‘couch potato’ is, but this mighty little tuber deserves high regard for its nutritional value and underrated versatility.
Guten Appetit!
Sources:
Google AI Generator