Top 25 Amazing Facts About Potato | Amazing Facts 4U
- The Potato has been cultivated for at least 4,000 years and is believed to have originated in the Andean Mountains of South America.
- The ancient Aymara Indians developed over 200 varieties of potatoes before being conquered by the Incas.
- The word potato comes from the Spanish word patata.
- In 1536 Spanish conquered Peru, and carried potato to Europe. From Spain it spread to Ireland in 1589 where it was cultivated on the 40,000 acres of land near Cork. It took nearly four decades for it to spread to the rest of Europe.
- Between 1845 and 1852 the potato crop in Ireland was devastated by a fungus known as “potato blight”. Since farmers were dependent upon the potato , The “Great Potato Famine,” caused a million deaths and another one million people left Ireland, mostly for Canada and the United States dropping the population of Ireland by 25%.
- Potatoes arrived in the Colonies in 1621 when the Governor of Bermuda, sent two large cedar chests containing potatoes to Governor of Virginia. Idaho, the present day largest producer of potatoes, actually did not begin growing potatoes until 1836.
- Amazingly during the Alaskan gold rush, (1897-1898) potatoes were practically worth their weight in gold. Gold at that time, was more plentiful than nutritious foods!
- Currently Potato is the world’s most important root/tuber crop after corn, wheat and rice. Potatoes are grown in more than 125 countries and eaten by more than a billion people daily.
- China leads the world in potato production followed by Russia, India, USA and Ukraine.
- Potato storage facilities are kept at temperatures above 4 °C (39 °F) as potato starch turns into sugar and alters the taste below this temperature.
- Potatoes are prepared and served in many different ways, including boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes and French fries.
- Thomas Jefferson gets the credit for introducing “french fries” to America when he served them at a White House dinner in 1801.
- Despite health concerns, potato chips (French Fries) are one of the most common snack foods in the world along with dairy products.Today, almost 1/3rd of the U.S. Potato crop goes into making French Fries. McDonald’s alone uses 7% of the entire U.S. Potato crop for its fries.
- Although it shares the same name, the sweet potato is a root vegetable and is not related to the potato.
- The Potato is so closely related to the tomato, it is possible to graft a tomato “top” onto a potato “root” and grow both tomatoes and potatoes on the same plant.
- Aside from dairy products, potatoes are the most consumed produce in the U.S.
- One medium potato with skin provides about 600 mg of potassium. Potassium helps regulate fluids and mineral balance in and out of cells maintaining normal blood pressure. Potassium is also vital for transmitting nerve signals, and in helping muscles contract.
- Potato is fat-free, Sodium free and Gluten-free.
- Potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C which is more vitamin C than one medium tomato. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant stabilizing free radicals, thus helping prevent cellular damage. It aids in collagen production; assists with iron absorption, and helps heal wounds and keep your gums healthy.
- Amazingly Potatoes have more potassium than a banana, more vitamin C than an orange and more fiber than an apple. Yet the average potato has only about 100 calories. The high-calorie perception of potatoes is mostly due to the toppings.
- One medium potato with the skin contributes 2 grams of fibre. Fibre cannot be digested and absorbed in the bloodstream helping with weight loss as it makes you feel full longer.
- Potato is 80% water. Potato is also a good source of Vitamin B6 and Iron.
- One medium-sized baked potato has just 110 calories and is absolutely fat-, sodium and cholesterol-free! Potato has about 3 grams of proteins per potato.
- Potatoes became the first food to grow in space when potato plants were taken aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 1995.
- Amazingly the world’s biggest potato weighed about 8 Kg.
Home of the most beautiful quotes online: www.mesmerizingquotes.com
