In which country did potatoes originate? Homeland of potatoes. The history of the appearance of potatoes in Russia

“French fries” are pieces of potato fried in a large amount of oil. More often, special utensils are used to prepare it - a deep fryer, without which it is difficult to imagine any eatery that serves this most popular dish.

The history of French fries has several versions. For example, in English-speaking countries this dish is called French potatoes or “French Fries”. However, French fries were not invented in France. It is believed that such potatoes were first prepared in Belgium in late XVII century.

According to the inhabitants of Belgium, French fries, or as they call them “frits,” which is one of the favorite dishes of their national cuisine, were first prepared in the Meuse valley, near the town of Liege. The inhabitants of this valley often fried fish that they caught in the local river. Moreover, it was first cut into thin bars and then fried in a large amount of oil. However, in winter, when the river froze and there was no fish, the residents of the valley had to give up their favorite dish. And then the Belgians came up with the idea of ​​using potatoes instead of fish! The name frites came from an enterprising Belgian resident named Frite. It was he who first began selling potato slices fried in oil in 1861.

So where did the name “French potatoes” come from? This happened due to a fatal mistake. The fact is that during the First World War, American soldiers tried this for the first time unusual dish thanks to his Belgian allies. A large number of Belgian soldiers were from the French-speaking part of Belgium. This is where “French style” was added to the potatoes.

The story of French fries doesn't end there. Fate gave potatoes a second chance in the middle of the last century, bringing them together with the railway. The train carrying an important political figure to Paris was delayed, and the cooks serving the official dinner had to fry the potato slices a second time. The result spoke for itself: the potatoes became crispier and tastier. The most sophisticated way to prepare potatoes is to double fry them in olive oil.

If we talk about back side medals, or rather potatoes, then the enthusiasm here will diminish. The presence of chemical additives (pesticides and various stimulants) not only negatively affected the quality of the product, but also harmed the body. The use of pre-cooked and then frozen potatoes, as well as the repeated use of oil in which they were fried, ultimately led to a sharp deterioration of the product.

The homeland of potatoes is South America, where you can still find wild plants. The introduction of potatoes into culture (first through the exploitation of wild thickets) began approximately 9-7 thousand years ago in the territory of modern Bolivia.

The Free Economic Society associated the appearance of potatoes in Russia with the name of Peter I, who at the end of the 17th century sent a bag of tubers from Holland to the capital, supposedly for distribution to the provinces for cultivation. The strange vegetable was not widespread in Russia first half of the XVIII century, although " Historical reference on the introduction of potato culture in Russia” reads:

“The foreign innovation was adopted by individuals, mainly foreigners and some representatives of the upper classes... Even during the reign of Empress Anna Ivanovna, at the table of Prince Biron, potatoes already appeared as a tasty, but not at all rare, delicacy dish.”

At first, potatoes were considered an exotic plant and were served only in aristocratic houses. In 1758, the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences published the article “On the cultivation of earthen apples” - the first scientific article in Russia on the cultivation of potatoes. A little later, articles on potatoes were published by J. E. Sivers (1767) and A. T. Bolotov (1770).

State measures to distribute potatoes were taken under Catherine II: in 1765, the Senate Instruction “on the cultivation of earthen apples” was issued. The manual contained detailed recommendations for growing and consuming the new crop and, together with potato seeds, was sent to all provinces. This happened in line with the pan-European trend: “Potatoes began to be cultivated on a large scale since 1684 in Lancashire, since 1717 in Saxony, since 1728 in Scotland, since 1738 in Prussia, since 1783.<…>in France". Compared to rye and wheat, potatoes were considered an unpretentious crop, so they were considered as a good help in crop failures and in places with no grain production.

In the “Economic Description of the Perm Province” of 1813, it is noted that peasants grow and sell “excellently large white potatoes” in Perm, however, they are skeptical about the increase in crops: “They are always ready to answer that they do not have enough time to sow the necessary bread, even more so potatoes, which must be planted with your hands.” Peasants eat potatoes “baked, boiled, in porridges, and also make their pies and shangi (a type of pastry) from it using flour; and in the cities they flavor soups with it, cook it with roasts and make flour from it for making jelly.”

Due to many poisonings caused by eating fruits and young tubers containing solanine, the peasant population initially did not accept the new crop. Only gradually, thanks to the fact that the state forced the planting of potatoes, did it gain recognition, displacing turnips from the peasant diet. Nevertheless, back in the 19th century, many peasants called potatoes “devil’s apple” and considered eating them a sin.

Government measures were taken in the future. Thus, potatoes began to be grown in Krasnoyarsk in 1835. Each family was obliged to grow potatoes. For failure to comply with this order, the perpetrators were supposed to be exiled to Belarus, for the construction of the Bobruisk fortress. Every year, the governor sent all information about growing potatoes to St. Petersburg.

In 1840-42. On the initiative of Count Pavel Kiselyov, the area allocated for potatoes began to rapidly increase. According to the order of February 24, 1841 “On measures to spread potato cultivation,” governors were required to regularly report to the government on the rate of increase in plantings of the new crop. With a circulation of 30,000 copies, free instructions on correct landing and growing potatoes.

As a result, a wave of “potato riots” swept across Russia. The people's fear of innovation was shared by some enlightened Slavophiles. For example, Princess Avdotya Golitsyna “with tenacity and passion defended her protest, which was quite amused in society.” She declared that potatoes “are an encroachment on Russian nationality, that potatoes will spoil both the stomachs and the pious morals of our ancient and God-protected bread and cashew eaters.”

Nevertheless, the “potato revolution” of the time of Nicholas I was crowned with success. By the end of the 19th century, more than 1.5 million hectares were occupied by potatoes in Russia. By the beginning of the 20th century, this vegetable was already considered “second bread” in Russia, that is, one of the main foodstuffs.

Today we will open the curtain on the question: Who was the first to bring potatoes to Russia? It is known that in South America Indians have successfully cultivated potatoes since time immemorial. This root vegetable was brought to Europe by the Spaniards in the middle of the 16th century. There is no reliable information about when exactly this vegetable appeared in Rus', but researchers note that this event is more likely associated with the Peter the Great period. At the end of the 17th century, Peter I, visiting Holland, was interested in this unusual plant. Having spoken approvingly of the taste and nutritional properties tuber crop, he ordered the delivery of a bag of seeds to Count Sheremetyev in Russia for breeding.

Distribution of potatoes in Moscow

In the capital of Russia, the vegetable took root slowly; at first, the peasants distrusted the foreign product and refused to cultivate it. In those days there was interesting story related to solving this problem. The king ordered potatoes to be planted in the fields and protected, but only during the daytime, and at night the fields were deliberately left unattended. The peasants of the adjacent villages could not resist the temptation and began to steal tubers from the fields, first for food, and then for sowing.

At first, cases of potato poisoning were often reported, but this was due to the ignorance of ordinary people on how to properly use this product. The peasants ate potato berries, which are very similar to green tomatoes, but unsuitable for human food and very poisonous. Also, from improper storage, for example in the sun, the tuber began to turn green, solanine was formed in it, and this is a poisonous toxin. All these reasons led to poisoning.

Also, the Old Believers, of whom there were a great many, considered this vegetable a devilish temptation; their preachers did not allow their coreligionists to plant it or. And church ministers anathematized the root crop and dubbed it the “devil’s apple,” because translated from German language"Kraft Teufels" - "damn power."

Due to all of the above factors, great idea Peter I's plan to distribute this root crop throughout mother Russia was not implemented. As historians say, the king’s decree on the widespread dissemination of this crop aroused the indignation of the people, forcing the monarch to listen and retreat from the “potatoization” of the country.

Introduction of potatoes

Measures for the large-scale promotion of potatoes everywhere were launched by Empress Catherine II. In 1765, more than 464 pounds of root crops were purchased from Ireland and delivered to the Russian capital. The Senate delivered these tubers and instructions to all corners of the Empire. It was also intended to cultivate potatoes not only on public field lands, but also in vegetable gardens.

In 1811 Three settlers were sent to the Arkhangelsk province with the task of planting a certain amount of land. But all the implementation measures taken did not have a clearly planned system, so the population greeted potatoes with suspicion, and the crop did not take root.

Only under Nicholas I, due to the low grain harvest, did some volosts begin to take more decisive measures to cultivate tuber crops. In 1841 A decree was issued by the authorities, which ordered:

• acquire public crops in all settlements to provide peasants with seeds;
• publish guidelines on the cultivation, preservation and consumption of potatoes;
• award prizes to those who have especially distinguished themselves in the cultivation of crops.

People's revolt

The implementation of these measures encountered popular resistance in many counties. In 1842 A potato riot broke out, which manifested itself in the beating of local authorities. To pacify the rioters, government troops were brought in, who destroyed the unrest of the people with particular cruelty. For a long time, turnips were the main food product for people. But little by little attention to potatoes returned. And only in early XIX century, this vegetable gained wide popularity and many times saved people from starvation during lean years. It is no coincidence that potatoes were nicknamed “second bread”.

Until the beginning of the 18th century, potatoes were practically unknown in Russia. The first person to bring potatoes to Russia was the Russian Emperor Peter I. While on a trip to Holland in 1698, he tasted a dish with potatoes, which he apparently liked and ordered a bag of tubers to be sent to his homeland, Count Sheremetyev, which needed to be distributed throughout provinces. But at first, potatoes never received proper distribution. Potatoes were served on the table mainly in upper strata society, aristocracy and among foreigners, considered an exotic plant, “earth apples”. This continued until the beginning of the reign of Empress Catherine II.

In 1765, the Instruction “On the cultivation of earthen apples” was published, which described in detail how to properly plant this plant and subsequently use it. Copies of this instruction, along with a certain number of potato seeds, were sent to all provinces Russian Empire. It is worth noting that at the same time, the widespread spread of potatoes began in England, Scotland, France, Prussia and other European countries, although it appeared there much earlier. New exotic plant was more unpretentious compared to the cultivation of classic Russian cereal crops, rye and wheat. Potatoes could be a “savior” in lean grain years, which often happened, or in regions without grain. The peasants began to grow it, but they were still skeptical about it, and besides, they had to plant it with their hands. At first, there were cases of poisoning of peasants after attempting to eat the fruits and young potato tubers (containing toxic solanine), which made them even more repulsed by the foreign plant, which was even called the “damn, sinful apple.”

But gradually potatoes began to replace traditional turnips, although this was often in a forced form. Thus, already under Nicholas I, by the mid-19th century, every farm was required to cultivate potatoes. For refusal, peasants could be sent into exile, and from the 1840s. governors were required to report to the government on the rate of increase in the area under potato cultivation. The initiator of all these actions was the Minister of State Property Pavel Kiselev.

Of course, not all peasants liked this “voluntary-forced” cultivation of potatoes - “potato riots” began. More than half a million peasants took part in the riots. Unrest was fueled by rumors that they, the state peasants, would be given ownership to the “master” or “as an inheritance.”

The peasants refused to plant potatoes, broke the fence that separated them from other agricultural crops, dug up potatoes and planted grain crops. In those places where the rebellions became serious, they were harshly suppressed by the tsarist army. After such reprisals, the “potato riots” began to decline.

But as a result of these events, forced sowing was abolished in 1843, and in order to popularize potatoes, propaganda and bonuses were used for cultivating it with an advantage over other crops. In the second half of the 19th century, thanks to the policy of Nicholas I to accelerate the spread of potatoes, more than one and a half million hectares were available for it in Russia. We can say that at the end of the 19th century - the beginning of the 20th century, potatoes were rightfully considered the “second bread”, which also applies to the present time.

Potatoes were brought to Russia quite late, at the very beginning of the 18th century. This was done by Peter I, who first tried it in Holland various dishes from potatoes. Having approved gastronomic and taste qualities product, he ordered the delivery of a bag of tubers to Russia for planting and cultivation.

In Russia, potatoes took root very well, but Russian peasants were afraid of the unknown plant and often refused to grow it. Here begins a very funny story related to the method of solving the problem that Peter I resorted to. The Tsar ordered the fields to be sown with potatoes and armed guards were assigned to them, who were supposed to guard the fields all day long and go to bed at night. The temptation was great; peasants from nearby villages could not resist and stole potatoes, which had become a sweet forbidden fruit for them, from the sown fields to plant on their plots.

At first, cases of potato poisoning were often recorded, but this was usually due to the inability of peasants to eat potatoes correctly. The peasants ate potato fruits, berries that resembled small tomatoes, which are known to be unsuitable for food and even poisonous.

Of course, this did not become an obstacle to the spread of potatoes in Russia, where it gained enormous popularity and many times saved a significant part of the population from starvation during grain crop failures. It’s not for nothing that in Rus' potatoes were called the second bread. And, of course, the name of the potato speaks very eloquently about its nutritional properties: it comes from the German words “Kraft Teufel”, which means “devilish power”.

“Potatoes have weak, unbalanced, uncertain energy, the energy of doubt. The body becomes sluggish, lazy, sour. The solid energy of potatoes is called starch, which is not amenable to alkaline-acid treatment in the body, is poorly excreted from the body, sharply reduces the speed of thought, and blocks the immune system. Potatoes cannot be combined with any products. If you have it, then separately, it is advisable to cook it in its uniform. In the peel and immediately underneath there is a substance that helps break down starch.

There were never potatoes in Rus'; they were brought by the “dark” and cultivated by force. Gradually they brought it out and designated it in people’s thoughts as the main vegetable, which caused great harm to the human body. Today this is the most important vegetable product on the table, it is considered the second bread, and healthy vegetables transferred to the secondary category.

We ask you to under no circumstances eat potatoes to students of the School of Happiness, where everything is aimed at increasing the speed of thought, because potatoes will reduce everything to zero.
Potatoes can be eaten young for two months, after which they become poisonous. Replace potatoes with turnips. It is no coincidence that they are trying to completely remove turnips from food.”
(from the book “Knowledge stored by dolmens”, A. Savrasov)

Also for everyone who is interested healthy eating It is known that potatoes are a very mucus-forming product, and mucus is practically not removed from the body, but is deposited, causing many diseases (“traditional” medicine, of course, knows nothing about this)).

There was a time when Russian Old Believers considered potatoes a devilish temptation. Of course, this foreign root crop was forcibly introduced into Russian soil! The clergy, anathematizing it, dubbed it “the devil’s apple.” Saying a good word about potatoes, especially in print, was very risky. But today, many of our fellow citizens are sure that potatoes come from Russia, or at worst Belarus, and America gave the world only French fries.

Potatoes were first brought to Europe after the conquest of Peru by the Spaniards, who spread them throughout the Netherlands, Burgundy and Italy.

There is no exact information about the appearance of potatoes in Russia, but it is associated with the era of Peter the Great. At the end of the 17th century, Peter I (and again Peter I), while in the Netherlands on ship business, became interested in this plant, and “for brood” he sent a bag of tubers from Rotterdam to Count Sheremetyev. To speed up the spread of potatoes, the Senate considered the introduction of potatoes 23 TIMES in 1755-66 alone!

In the first half of the 18th century. Potatoes were grown in significant quantities by “particular people” (probably foreigners and people of the upper classes). Measures for the widespread cultivation of potatoes were first taken under Catherine II, at the initiative of the Medical College, whose president at that time was Baron Alexander Cherkasov. The matter was initially about finding funds to help the starving peasants of Finland “without great dependence.” On this matter, the medical board reported to the Senate in 1765 that The best way to prevent this disaster “consists in those earthen apples, which in England are called potetes, and in other places earthen pears, tartuffels and potatoes.”

At the same time, by order of the Empress, the Senate sent seeds to all parts of the empire and instructions on the development of potatoes and the care of this were entrusted to the governors. Under Paul I, it was also prescribed to grow potatoes not only in vegetable gardens, but also on field land. In 1811, three colonists were sent to the Arkhangelsk province with instructions to plant certain number tithes of potatoes. All these measures were fragmentary; Potatoes were met with distrust by the mass of the population, and the crop was not grafted.

Only during the reign of Nicholas I, in view of what happened in 1839 and 1840. Due to the failure of the grain harvest in some provinces, the government took the most energetic measures to spread potato crops. The highest orders that followed in 1840 and 1842 decreed:

1) establish public potato crops in all state-owned villages to supply the peasants with this for future crops.
2) issue instructions on the cultivation, storage and consumption of potatoes.
3) encourage owners who excel in potato breeding with bonuses and other rewards.

The implementation of these measures was met with stubborn resistance from the population in many places.
Thus, in Irbitsky and neighboring districts of the Perm province of states, peasants somehow connected the idea of ​​selling them to landowners with the order for public potato planting. A potato riot broke out (1842), which was expressed in the beating of village authorities and required the assistance of military teams to pacify it, which in one volost were even forced to use grapeshot;

In terms of the number of peasants participating in it and the vastness of the region it covered, this is the largest of the Russian unrest of the 19th century, which entailed reprisals, which were distinguished by the cruelty usual at that time.

Interesting fact:
The owner of the estate, General R.O. Gerngros, growing tubers since 1817, also gave them to peasants for seeds. However, crops on peasant plots turned out to be sparse. It turned out that the peasants, having planted the tubers, dug up and sold the “damned earth apples” for vodka at night in the nearest tavern. Then the general resorted to a trick: he gave out cut tubers rather than whole ones for seeds. Their peasants did not choose from the land and collected good harvest, and having convinced themselves of the convenience of potatoes, they began to grow them themselves.

In general, those who needed and benefited from the Russian people degrading achieved their goal and potatoes became our second bread.