Chapter:
RUSSIAN KITCHEN
Traditional Russian dishes
27th page of the section

Traditional dishes
POTATO DISHES

FROM THE HISTORY OF POTATOES IN THE WORLD AND IN RUSSIA

Potatoes are a relatively recent product in Russia. Potatoes began to occupy their usual place on the Russian table only in early XIX century, gradually displacing turnips, which were previously used in the same capacity, which were boiled, mashed with butter or sour cream, fried, baked, and added to various dishes.

On the one hand, Russian cuisine has significantly lost in quality when replacing traditional Russian turnips, which are very valuable in nutritional terms, with potatoes saturated with empty starch, more suitable for eating in mild or tropical climates, but not in the Russian cold. The high content of biochemical sulfur compounds in turnips makes it a unique natural immunostimulant, but only if consumed frequently enough. On the other hand, less useful, but much more productive potatoes saved tens of millions of Russians from starvation.

ORIGIN OF POTATOES

Europeans first discovered potatoes in 1536-1537. in the Indian village of Sorokota (in present-day Peru). These were members of the military expedition of Gonzalo de Quesada. They named the tubers they found truffles for their similarity to the corresponding mushrooms. Subsequently, one of the participants in this expedition spoke about “truffles” in his book “The History of the New State of Grenada.”

A year later, in 1538, another adventurer, Pedro Ciesa de Leon, in the upper reaches of the Cauca River valley, and then in Quito (present-day Ecuador), also found fleshy tubers, which the Indians called “papa.” Ciesa de Leon wrote a book about his travels and adventures called “Chronicle of Peru,” which was published in Seville in 1553. In this book, Pedro Ciesa de Leon wrote: “Papa is a special kind of groundnut; when cooked, they become soft, like a baked chestnut; at the same time, they are covered with a peel no thicker than a truffle peel.” The book goes on to describe the solemn harvest festival of Papa, which was accompanied by certain religious rituals. This is not surprising: inconspicuous-looking tubers served the Indians as the main means of food and subsistence.

Scientific expeditions of Soviet scientists in the 1920-30s convincingly proved that the birthplace of potatoes is South America. At the time of the discovery of America, potatoes were not known in the northern and central parts of this continent.

Potatoes were brought to Europe (primarily Spain) in 1565. True, it was not a native of the Andes, not Andean potatoes, but Chilean potatoes - the progenitor of all modern European varieties. The Spaniards did not like the new fruit. And no wonder - they say that they tried to eat raw balls.

Then the journey of potatoes begins throughout Europe. Also in 1565, potatoes came to Italy. For about 15 years, potatoes were cultivated here as a garden vegetable, and only from 1580 did they become widespread. The Italians first called potatoes “Peruvian peanuts”, and then “tartuffoli” for their resemblance to truffles. The Germans subsequently turned this word into “tartofel”, and then into the generally accepted word - “potato”.

From Italy in the mid-80s of the 16th century, potatoes came to Belgium, but even here they remained a rare plant in botanical gardens for a long time. In 1588, the French botanist King Clusius received two potato tubers as a gift from the mayor of the Belgian city of Ione, Philippe de Sivry. Clusius landed one of them in Vienna botanical garden, and thereby marked the beginning of potato culture in Austria.

Another tuber, in connection with Clusius's move, ended up in Frankfurt am Main. In 1601, Clusius described the potato in his book History of Rare Plants. In this book, the author wrote that "...potatoes are becoming a fairly common plant in most gardens in Germany, as they are quite prolific." True, when the Prussian king Frederick William I issued a decree on potato cultivation, he followed this with dragoons who forcibly forced the peasants to plant potatoes. The potato finally took root in Germany only in the middle of the 18th century; This was facilitated by the famine caused by the war of 1758-1763.

The circumstances surrounding the appearance of potatoes in England and Ireland are not entirely clear. This fact is associated with the name of Admiral Francis Drake, who in 1587 traveled around the world and allegedly brought potatoes from it to England. According to another version, the tubers were brought by the English navigator Thomas Cavendish. Most likely, potatoes came to England from Spain or through the same Clusius, who was a friend of Drake.

The credit for growing potatoes in England was also attributed to Admiral Walter Releigh. True, the admiral’s first experiments in using potatoes for food ended rather curiously. Having grown potatoes, Releigh prepared an exquisite dish from them, seasoned them with oil and spices and invited his friends to taste this dish. But the guests did not like the dish, since it was made not from potato tubers, but from stems and leaves.

Potatoes were brought to Ireland around 1587. Here the new crop quickly took root and played an exceptional role in preventing the famine from which the country suffered due to crop failure. Less than 100 years later, about half a million Irish people were eating potatoes.

Particular attention should be paid to the history of potatoes in France. Potatoes were known in this country as early as 1600. The French called potatoes “earth apples.” This name was retained for some time in Russia, where potatoes arrived in the mid-18th century.

At first, earthen apples did not find recognition in France, as, indeed, in all other countries. French doctors claimed that potatoes were poisonous. And in 1630, parliament, by a special decree, prohibited the cultivation of potatoes in France. Even the famous “Great Encyclopedia,” which was published in 1765 by the most prominent scientists of France - Diderot, D'Alembert and others, even reported that potatoes are rough food, suitable only for undemanding stomachs.

Soon, however, a man was found in France who appreciated potatoes as they deserved. He was a Parisian agronomist and pharmacist Antoine Auguste Parmentier. While a prisoner of war in Germany, he became acquainted with a new culture there. Returning to his homeland, Parmentier took with him a bag of potatoes. In Paris, he hosted a dinner, all dishes of which were made from potatoes.

Parmentier did not repeat Rayleigh's mistake: the dishes were prepared from tubers. The dinner was attended by prominent royal dignitaries, scientists and, they say, even the famous French chemist Antoine Laurent Lavoisier. Everyone enjoyed the lunch. But this was not enough for Parmentier. He sought to ensure that potatoes gained recognition among the people. In 1771, Parmentier wrote: “Among the countless number of plants that cover the land and water surface of the globe, there is perhaps not one that more rightly deserves the attention of good citizens than the potato.”

But the “good citizens” of France at first did not share Parmentier’s enthusiasm. And then the pharmacist decided to use a trick. Having procured a small plot of land near Paris from the king, Parmentier built a potato garden on it. But how to arouse public interest in a new strange plant? Parmentier came up with an idea: he hired a detachment of soldiers to guard his garden. From dawn to dusk, the guards vigilantly ensured that no strangers entered the garden, and when it got dark, they went to bed in formation to the beat of drums. The armed guard of a simple vegetable garden attracted everyone's attention and interested the peasants living nearby. There were many fans who decided to check what it was that the eccentric pharmacist was so zealously guarding. They came at night, secretly took the tubers and then planted them in their gardens.

This was all Parmentier wanted. Through his trusted people, household servants and garden workers, he “in great confidence” spread information about growing potatoes and preparing various dishes from them, “which are served only on the table of the king himself”! " Secret knowledge"spread quickly among the population. And very soon the French peasants appreciated the new culture.

POTATOES IN RUSSIA

The beginning of potato cultivation in Russia is usually associated with the name of Peter I. There is a version that Peter I, having become acquainted with potatoes in Holland and appreciating them, sent Count Sheremetev a bag of potatoes with a strict order to breed them in Russia. The history of Russian potatoes seems to have begun with this bag of potatoes. However, there is no information about the fate of this royal parcel. If it actually took place, it was only one of the ways potatoes entered our country.

At first, potatoes in Russia, as indeed everywhere else, were considered an outlandish exotic vegetable. It was served as a rare and delicious dish at palace balls and banquets, and then the potatoes were sprinkled not with salt, but with sugar.

Already in 1764-1776. Potatoes were cultivated in small quantities in the gardens of St. Petersburg, Novgorod, near Riga and other places.

Gradually, Russian people learned more about the benefits of potatoes. More than 200 years ago, in one of the articles in the journal “Works and Translations for Benefit and Entertainment,” dedicated to potatoes, it was said that earthen apples (we have already noticed that potatoes were called that way at first) are a pleasant and healthy food. It was indicated that potatoes can be used to bake bread, cook porridge, and prepare pies and dumplings. Baked potatoes were one of Pushkin’s favorite dishes, and he often treated his guests to them.

With the development of capitalism, potato production in Russia grew from year to year, and its purpose and use became wider and more diverse. At first, potatoes were used only for food, then they began to be used as feed for livestock, and with the growth of the starch-molasses and distillery (alcohol) industries, they became the main raw material for processing into starch, molasses and alcohol.

So Russia became the “second homeland” of potatoes. Now, perhaps, there is no more popularly loved “Russian” vegetable than potatoes. In modern Russian cuisine, there are many thousands of different dishes using potatoes.

But useful for improving health turnip from a daily food product (remember the saying “simpler than steamed (i.e. boiled) turnips”?) has become a rare and unique product on the Russian table, although it can be successfully prepared in all the ways in which we are accustomed to preparing potatoes. In addition, it can be eaten raw - cut into thin slices or shredded.
Don’t forget to include turnips more often, at least in the diet of your growing children.

Ingredients:
10 pieces. potatoes, 400 g fresh mushrooms, 2 onions, 4 tbsp. spoons of butter or vegetable oil, salt, parsley or dill.

Boil the peeled potatoes in salted water with a small addition of vegetable or butter.
Place potatoes only in boiling water and then quickly bring to a boil. After boiling, cook over low heat with a tightly closed lid.
Boil fresh mushrooms until half cooked, cut into strips, add salt and fry.
Onion chop, fry.
Mix potatoes with mushrooms and onions, pour oil over them, sprinkle with finely chopped herbs.

Ingredients:
10 pieces. potatoes, 1 herring, 1 onion, 200 g mayonnaise, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of butter, mustard to taste, herbs, salt.

Boil the peeled potatoes in salted water.
Prepare the sauce: cut the herring into fillets (without skin), chop finely, add chopped onion, mix with mayonnaise, sour cream and add mustard to taste.
Pour oil over potatoes and sprinkle with chopped parsley and dill.
Serve the sauce in a gravy boat.

Ingredients:
12 pcs. potatoes, 4 eggs, 2 tbsp. spoons of chopped dill and parsley, 3 tbsp. spoons of butter, salt.

Boil the peeled potatoes in salted water.
Mix finely chopped boiled eggs with chopped herbs, pour into melted butter, heat for 2-3 minutes and place on boiled potatoes.

Ingredients:
1 kg of potatoes, 100 g of dried mushrooms, 1 small onion, 2 eggs, 1-2 tbsp. spoons of flour, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, 100 g of fat, sour cream.

Boil the peeled potatoes, dry and wipe.
Add eggs, flour, salt, mix thoroughly and cut into small cakes.
Place minced mushrooms on them (boil the mushrooms, chop finely, fry and mix with sautéed onions, pepper, salt), join the edges, form into patties, brush them with beaten egg, bread them in breadcrumbs or flour and fry in a frying pan in fat.
Separately, you can serve mushroom sauce made from mushroom broth with the addition of sour cream.

Ingredients:
10-12 pcs. potatoes, 1 egg, 3-4 tbsp. spoons of flour, 2-3 tbsp. spoons of grated cheese, 5 tbsp. spoons of rendered pork fat, salt.

Boil the peeled potatoes, drain the water, dry, wipe, add the egg, flour, salt and mix.
Divide the resulting mass into pieces, roll them into thin cylinders the thickness of a cigarette, and fry in heated fat until golden brown.
Place the finished sticks on a plate and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Ingredients:
10-12 pcs. potatoes, 1 tbsp. spoon of flour, 3-4 onions, 5-6 tbsp. spoons of sour cream, 2-3 tbsp. spoons of fat, salt.

Boil the potatoes in their skins, cool and peel.
Prepare the sauce: fry the flour in a frying pan with fat until creamy, add sour cream, fried onions, salt and boil for 5-7 minutes.
Pour the sauce over the peeled potatoes and bake in the oven.

Ingredients:
10 pieces. potatoes, 4 tbsp. spoons of grated cheese, 1-2 eggs, salt, fat.

Pour cold water over the peeled potatoes, bring to a boil over low heat and cook for 7-10 minutes.
Then cut the potatoes into long sticks, dry them, add salt, brush with egg, sprinkle with grated cheese and fry in a large amount of fat until golden brown.

Ingredients:
1 kg potatoes, 50 g butter, 3 eggs, 3 tbsp. spoons of breadcrumbs, 150 g of vegetable oil, salt, herbs.

Boil the peeled potatoes, dry and mince.
Separate the yolks from the whites, combine with the potatoes and mix well, adding salt to taste.
Form the potato mass into balls, putting butter inside.
Soak them in beaten egg whites, bread them in breadcrumbs and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown.
Place the finished balls in a heap on a dish and garnish with parsley sprigs.

Ingredients:
1.2 kg potatoes, 2/3 cup flour, 40 g butter, 2 eggs, 4 tbsp. spoons of ground crackers, salt, vegetable oil.

Boil the potatoes, dry, peel and wipe. Add egg yolks, butter, 1/3 of the flour, salt and mix thoroughly.
Prepare croquettes in the form of balls or columns.
Dip them in flour, moisten them in beaten egg whites, bread them in breadcrumbs and fry in a large amount of fat (deep fat) for 5-7 minutes.

Ingredients:
1 kg of potatoes, 2 onions, 2 cups of sour cream, pepper, salt, herbs.

Cut the peeled potatoes into slices and place them in boiling water for 5 minutes. Then transfer it into a mold with a slotted spoon, add salt and pepper, add thinly sliced ​​onion, pour in sour cream and simmer until done.
When serving, sprinkle with finely chopped parsley or dill.

Ingredients:
5 pieces. potatoes, 50 g butter, 1 egg yolk, 1 egg, 40 g cheese, 1 tbsp. spoon of flour, salt.

Boil the potatoes and pass them through a meat grinder while hot. Grind the butter with the egg yolk and mix with the potatoes, grated cheese, salt and flour.
Salt the resulting mass, mix well and use a pastry bag to release onto a greased sheet in the form of roses.
Brush them with egg and bake in the oven.

Ingredients:
8 pcs. potatoes, 3 tbsp. spoons of butter, 2 tbsp. spoons of grated cheese, pepper, salt.

Cut each tuber into thin slices, but not all the way (like a book).
Grease a deep frying pan with oil and place potatoes in it.
Place a piece of butter on each tuber, sprinkle grated cheese, salt, pepper on top and bake in the oven.

Ingredients:
1 kg of potatoes, 1 egg, 0.5 cups of milk, 8 tbsp. spoons of grated cheese, 3 cloves of garlic, 3 tbsp. spoons of butter, pepper, nutmeg, salt.

Cut the peeled potatoes into thin slices, add salt, pepper, nutmeg, half the grated cheese, mix everything, then pour in a raw egg, milk and mix again.
Place the potato mixture in a deep ceramic dish, grated with garlic and greased with oil, sprinkle with the remaining cheese, put pieces of butter on top and place in a heated oven for 40-50 minutes.

Cool the boiled potatoes in their skins, peel and cut into slices.
Place potato slices, butter and cottage cheese in several alternating thin layers in a greased mold or a suitable sized metal pan so that the top layer is potato.
Pour egg yolks mixed with a little milk on top and bake in a moderately heated oven until done.
When serving, you can sprinkle with chopped herbs. Or serve the greens separately.

Ingredients:
1 kg potatoes, 3 eggs, 50 g cheese, 2 tbsp. spoons of crackers, 4 carrots, butter, milk, parsley, pepper, salt.

Boil the potatoes in their skins, peel, mince, add finely chopped herbs, 1 egg, pepper, salt and mix.
Spread the mixture in a thin layer in the form of a rectangle on a napkin. Sprinkle with crushed breadcrumbs, add finely chopped carrots, coarsely grated cheese, 2 chopped boiled eggs and finely chopped parsley.
Using a napkin, roll into a roll, place on a greased baking sheet, grease with a mixture of butter and milk, sprinkle with crushed breadcrumbs and bake in the oven.

Ingredients:
6 large round potatoes, 6 eggs, 50 g butter, salt, pepper, parsley.

Bake the peeled tubers in a hot oven (make sure they do not crack).
Cut off the top with a sharp knife and remove the core so that “nests” are formed. Salt, sprinkle with pepper inside, put a piece of butter, pour in one egg at a time and put in a hot oven for 3-4 minutes.
When serving, sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.

Ingredients:
5-6 pcs. potatoes, 3 tbsp. spoons of mayonnaise, 100 g of processed cheese, 1 tbsp. spoon of vegetable oil, salt.

Boil the peeled potatoes in salted water, drain the broth, place the potatoes in a greased dish, pour over the sauce and bake for 15-20 minutes in the oven.
To prepare the sauce, heat the processed cheese and grind until smooth, then add 1 tbsp. spoon, stirring constantly, add mayonnaise and 1-2 tbsp. spoons of potato broth.

Ingredients:
1 kg of potatoes, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, 5 tbsp. spoons of grated cheese, 400 g of fresh mushrooms, salt.

Cut the peeled potatoes into slices, fry in oil until half cooked and add salt.
Grease the bottom and sides of the pan with oil and line with fried potatoes.
Mix the remaining potatoes with grated cheese and finely chopped boiled mushrooms.
Place the mixture in a mold, press lightly and bake in the oven.

Ingredients:
8-10 pcs. potatoes, 1/2 cup sour cream, salt, parsley or dill.
For minced meat: 400 g beef, 1 onion, 1 tbsp. spoon of pork fat, pepper, salt.

Prepare minced meat: mince beef (pulp), mix with fried shredded onions, salt and pepper.
Peel the potatoes (give the tubers the same round shape). Cut the core out of the tubers to make cups and fill with minced meat.
Lightly fry the potatoes, then put them in a roasting pan, add salt, pour sour cream and bake in the oven.
Place the baked potatoes on a plate and sprinkle with herbs.
You can also prepare potatoes with minced mushrooms: finely chop boiled dried white mushrooms, add onions fried in oil; fry the flour, dilute it with mushroom broth and mix with mushrooms and onions.

Ingredients:
12 pcs. potatoes, 2 tbsp. spoons of ghee, 2-3 tbsp. spoons of sour cream, salt.
For minced meat: 1 herring, 1 onion, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of sour cream, 1 egg, pepper, dill or parsley.

Boil large potato tubers, if possible of the same size, in their skins until half cooked, peel them, cut off the tops, remove the cores and pass through a meat grinder together with the herring fillet, add finely chopped onion, pepper, raw egg, sour cream and mix.
Fill the potatoes with the resulting minced meat, place in a deep frying pan, greased, pour over sour cream and bake in the oven. Serve sprinkled with dill or parsley.

Ingredients:
potatoes 3-5 pcs., salt to taste, butter to taste.

Boil the potatoes in their jackets in salted water. Be careful not to overcook the potatoes (you may need to undercook them slightly).
Once ready, cool the potatoes and remove the skins.
Melt the butter in a frying pan, cut the potatoes into slices and fry in oil until golden brown.

Ingredients:
1 kg of potatoes, 60 g of butter, 125 g of sour cream.

Peel the potatoes and cut into 4 parts. Steam for 8 minutes (can be done on a rack in a pressure cooker).
Pour lightly melted butter into portioned pots, add potatoes, lightly salt, pour in sour cream.
Place in the oven to bake.
When serving, sprinkle with dill.

Ingredients:
1 kg potatoes, 100 g onions, 100 g red pepper, 50 g fat, 1 tbsp. l. tomato paste, 1/2 liter broth, 1 pickle, salt.

Cut the peeled potatoes into cubes, cut the onion and cored red pepper into strips.
After salting, fry them in hot fat, then sprinkle with flour and fry, stirring, until the flour turns light brown.
Refuel tomato paste and boiling broth, boil and cook in a covered saucepan over low heat until tender.
Season the finished stew with diced pickled cucumber.

Ingredients:
1 kg potatoes, 200 g soaked lingonberries, 1 tbsp. spoon of flour, 1 egg, vegetable oil, sugar to taste, salt.

Grate the peeled potatoes on a fine grater, add salt, flour, egg, mix and bake pancakes.
Strain the soaked lingonberries, boil the juice with sugar, put lingonberries in it and serve in a gravy boat.

Ingredients:
1 kg potatoes, 2 carrots, 1 onion, 3 tbsp. spoons of flour, 2 eggs, vegetable oil, pepper, salt.

Grate peeled potatoes, carrots and onions on a fine grater, add flour, eggs, salt, pepper and mix.
Bake pancakes in butter.

Ingredients:
5 pieces. potatoes, 250 g cheese, 1 egg, 2 yolks, 3 tbsp. spoons of grated wheat bread, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, pepper, salt.

Boil and mash the potatoes or pass through a meat grinder, add grated cheese, egg, yolks, pepper, and salt.
Roll out the dough on a board sprinkled with grated wheat bread, cut out pancakes using a notch or glass, sprinkle with grated bread and fry on both sides in vegetable oil.

Ingredients:
12 pcs. potatoes, 2 tbsp. spoons of flour, 3-5 tbsp. tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 egg, pepper, salt.

Grate the potatoes on a fine grater, squeeze, add flour, salt, pepper, egg and mix. Divide the mixture into flat cakes.
Place several flatbreads in a frying pan heated with oil. Place minced meat on each, cover with another flatbread and fry on both sides until golden brown.
Pancakes, stuffed with mushrooms, pour sour cream sauce(1.5-2 cups), and fish or meat - oil, put in the oven and bring to readiness.
For minced mushrooms: 50 g dried mushrooms, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of fat, 2 onions, 1/4 cup mushroom broth, salt.
Boil dried mushrooms and chop finely. Add fried onions, mushroom broth, salt and stir.
For minced meat: 400 g pork, 2 onions, 1 tbsp. spoon of butter, pepper, salt.
Pass the meat through a meat grinder, add finely chopped fried or raw onions, salt, pepper and mix.
For minced fish: 250 g fish fillet, 15 g dried mushrooms, 2 onions, 1 egg, 2 tbsp. spoons of butter, salt.
Pass the fish fillet through a meat grinder and fry. Chop the onion and sauté. Finely chop the boiled mushrooms and fry. Mix everything, adding chopped egg, salt, pepper.
For minced eggs: 4-5 eggs, 1 onion, 1 tbsp. spoon of butter, salt.
Finely chop the hard-boiled eggs and mix with fried onions and add salt.

Ingredients:
12 pcs. potatoes, 2 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil, 2 tbsp. spoons of butter, salt.
For minced meat: 400 g pork, 4 cloves of garlic, pepper, salt.

Grate raw potatoes and add salt.
Spoon the prepared mass into flat cakes onto a frying pan heated with vegetable oil and fry on both sides.
Then place the pancakes in a greased duck pan, topping them with minced pork, seasoned with salt, pepper, and finely chopped garlic, and place in the oven for 15 minutes.

Ingredients:
6 large potato tubers, 1 egg, 6 yolks, 1 tbsp. spoon of butter and vegetable oil, salt.
For the filling: 500 g full-fat cottage cheese, 2 eggs, salt.

Peel the potatoes, boil them in salted water, dry them slightly and rub them hot through a sieve.
Mix with yolks, butter, salt.
Rub the cottage cheese through a sieve, add eggs and salt.
Form thick pancakes from the potato mixture, make a depression in each with the bottom of a glass, which is filled with curd filling.
Place on a baking sheet greased with vegetable oil, brush with beaten egg and bake in the oven.

Ingredients:
10 pieces. potatoes, 1 tbsp. spoon of flour, 1 tbsp. spoon of fat, 2 teaspoons of breadcrumbs, 1 egg, 1 cup of sauce, salt.
For minced meat: 3 eggs, 1-2 tbsp. spoons of melted lard, 2 onions, salt.

Pass boiled and peeled potatoes through a meat grinder, add flour and salt and mix.
Prepare the minced meat: finely chop the hard-boiled eggs and mix with chopped fried onions.
Place minced meat in a 2 cm layer on the potato mass, wrap it in the form of a roll and transfer it to a greased baking sheet or frying pan.
Brush the roll with beaten egg, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, sprinkle with fat, pierce with a fork in 4-5 places and bake in the oven until golden brown.
Slice the finished roll and serve with sauce (sour cream, onion or mushroom).

For more information about the history of potatoes and many recipes for dishes made from them, see the section:
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Potatoes were brought to Russia at the beginning of the 18th century. While Peter I was in Holland, he tried food made from potatoes and really liked it, after which the Tsar sent a bag of potatoes to Russia to grow.

Potato tubers grew well on Russian soil, but the spread was greatly hampered by the fact that the peasants were afraid of the overseas fruit. When Peter I was informed about the fear of the people, he had to use cunning. He sowed several fields with potatoes, and ordered guards with weapons to stand near them.

The soldiers guarded the potatoes all day and went to sleep at night. The peasants who lived nearby could not resist the temptation and began to steal potatoes and secretly plant them in their gardens.

Of course, at first there were cases of poisoning from potatoes, but only because people did not know the properties of this plant and tried its fruits without any warning. culinary processing. And potatoes in this form are not only inedible, but also poisonous.

Among aristocrats in France at one time it was customary to wear potato flowers as decoration.

Thus, potatoes spread very quickly throughout Russia, also because they helped feed people during poor grain harvests. That is why potatoes were called the second bread. The nutritional properties of potatoes are indicated by its very name, which comes from the German phrase “Kraft Teufel”, which means devilish power.

In what place on our planet were potatoes first grown? Potatoes come from South America , where you can still find its wild ancestor. Scientists believe that the ancient Indians began cultivating this plant about 14 thousand years ago. It came to Europe in the mid-16th century, brought by Spanish conquistadors. At first, its flowers were grown for decorative purposes, and the tubers were used to feed livestock. It was only in the 18th century that they began to be used as food.

The appearance of potatoes in Russia is associated with the name of Peter I; at that time it was an exquisite court delicacy, and not a mass product.

Potatoes became widespread later, in the second half of the 19th century.. This was preceded by “potato riots,” caused by the fact that the peasants, forced to plant potatoes by order of the tsar, did not know how to eat them and ate poisonous fruits rather than healthy tubers.

Photo of the flag

And this is what the flag of the country in which potatoes began to be cultivated looks like.

Growing conditions and locations

Now potatoes can be found on all continents where there is soil. Temperate, tropical and subtropical climate zones are considered the most suitable for growth and high yields. This crop prefers cool weather; the optimal temperature for the formation and development of tubers is 18-20°C. Therefore, in the tropics, potatoes are planted in the winter months, and in mid-latitudes - in early spring.

In some subtropical regions, the climate allows potatoes to be grown year-round, with a dew cycle of only 90 days. In the cool conditions of Northern Europe, harvesting usually occurs 150 days after planting.

In the 20th century, the world leader in potato production was Europe.. Since the second half of the last century, potato growing began to spread in the countries of Southeast Asia, India, and China. In the 1960s, India and China jointly produced no more than 16 million tons of potatoes, and in the early 1990s, China took first place, which it continues to occupy to this day. In total, more than 80% of the world’s harvest is harvested in the countries of Europe and Asia, with a third of it coming from China and India.

Productivity in different countries

An important factor for agriculture is crop yield. In Russia, this figure is one of the lowest in the world; with a planted area of ​​about 2 million hectares, the total harvest is only 31.5 million tons. In India, the same area yields 46.4 million tons.

The reason for such low yields is the fact that more than 80% of potatoes in Russia are grown by so-called unorganized smallholders. Low level of technical equipment, rare implementation of protective measures, lack of quality planting material– all this affects the results.

European countries, USA, Australia, Japan are traditionally characterized by high productivity.(read about how to get a rich harvest of early potatoes, and from there you will learn how to properly grow potatoes, and we will also tell you about new technologies for producing large root crops). This is primarily due to the high level of technical support and quality of planting material. The world record for yield belongs to New Zealand, where they manage to collect an average of 50 tons per hectare.

Leaders in cultivation and production

Here is a table indicating countries that grow the root vegetable in large quantities.

Export

In international trade, the world leader is Holland, which accounts for 18% of all exports. About 70% of Dutch exports are raw potatoes and products made from them.

In addition, this country is the largest supplier of certified seed potatoes. Of the three largest producers, only China, which ranks 5th (6.1%), made it into the top 10 exporters. Russia and India practically do not export their products.

Usage

According to international organizations, approximately 2/3 of all potatoes produced are consumed in one form or another by people, the rest is used for livestock feed, for various technical needs and for seeds. Global consumption is currently shifting from fresh potato consumption to processed potato products, such as French fries, chips, and mashed potato flakes.

In developed countries, potato consumption is gradually decreasing, while in developing countries it is steadily increasing. Inexpensive and unpretentious, this vegetable allows you to get good harvests from small areas and provide healthy nutrition to the population. Therefore, potatoes are increasingly being planted in areas with limited and abundant land resources, year after year expanding the geography of this crop and increasing its role in the global agricultural system.

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It's hard to find a person who doesn't like potatoes. Even those who don’t eat it to stay slim talk about it as a feat. It is not surprising that the vegetable itself was nicknamed “second bread”: it is equally appropriate on the holiday table, in the work canteen and on a long-distance hiking trip. I can’t even believe that three hundred years ago, most of the European population did not even know about the existence of potatoes. The history of the emergence of potatoes in Europe and Russia is worthy of an adventure novel.

In the 16th century, Spain conquered vast lands in South America. The conquistadors and the learned monks who came with them left most interesting information about the life and way of life of the indigenous people of Peru and New Granada, which included the territory of present-day Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela.

The basis of the diet of South American Indians was maize, beans and strange tubers called “papa”. Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada, the conqueror and first governor of New Granada, described the "papa" as a cross between truffles and turnips.

Wild potatoes grew throughout almost all of Peru and New Granada. But its tubers were too small and tasted bitter. More than a thousand years before the arrival of the conquistadors, the Incas learned to cultivate this crop and developed several varieties. The Indians valued potatoes so much that they even worshiped them as a deity. And the unit of time was the interval required for boiling potatoes (about one hour).

Potatoes were eaten boiled “in their uniforms.” In the Andean foothills the climate is harsher than on the coast. Due to frequent frosts, storing “papa” (potatoes) was difficult. Therefore, the Indians learned to prepare “chuño” – dried potatoes – for future use. For this purpose, the tubers were specially frozen to remove the bitterness from them. After thawing, the “papa” was trampled underfoot to separate the pulp from the skin. The peeled tubers were either immediately dried in the sun, or first soaked in running water for two weeks and then laid out to dry.

Chunyo could be stored for several years and was convenient to take with you on a long journey. This advantage was appreciated by the Spaniards, who set off from the territory of New Granada in search of the legendary Eldorado. Cheap, filling and well-preserved, chuño was the staple food of slaves in the Peruvian silver mines.

In South American countries, many dishes are still prepared based on chuño: from main dishes to desserts.

Adventures of Potatoes in Europe

Already in the first half of the 16th century, along with gold and silver from overseas colonies, potato tubers came to Spain. Here they were called the same as in their homeland: “dad.”

The Spaniards appreciated not only the taste, but also the beauty of the overseas guest, and therefore potatoes often grew in flower beds, where they pleased the eye with their flowers. Doctors widely used its diuretic and wound-healing properties. In addition, it turned out to be a very effective cure for scurvy, which in those days was a real scourge of sailors. There is even a known case when Emperor Charles V presented potatoes as a gift to the ill Pope.

Potatoes became very popular in Flanders, which was then a colony of Spain. At the end of the 16th century, the cook of the Bishop of Liege included several recipes for its preparation in his culinary treatise.

Italy and Switzerland also quickly appreciated the benefits of potatoes. By the way, we owe this name to the Italians: they called the truffle-like root vegetable “tartuffoli”.

But further across Europe, potatoes spread to literally fire and sword. In the German principalities, peasants did not trust the authorities and refused to plant a new vegetable. The trouble is that potato berries are poisonous, and at first people who did not know that the root vegetable should be eaten were simply poisoned.

The “popularizer” of potatoes, Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia, got down to business. In 1651, the king issued a decree according to which those who refused to plant potatoes had to have their noses and ears cut off. Since the august botanist’s words never diverged from deeds, already in the second half of the 17th century, significant areas in Prussia were planted with potatoes.

Gallant France

In France, it has long been believed that root vegetables were the food of the lower classes. The nobility preferred green vegetables. Potatoes were not grown in this country until the second half of the 18th century: the peasants did not want any innovations, and the gentlemen were not interested in the overseas root crop.

The history of potatoes in France is associated with the name of the pharmacist Antoine-Auguste Parmentier. It rarely happens that one person combines selfless love for people, a sharp mind, remarkable practical intelligence and an adventurous streak.

Parmentier began his career as a military doctor. During the Seven Years' War, he was captured by the Germans, where he tried potatoes. Being an educated man, Monsieur Parmentier immediately realized that potatoes could save peasants from hunger, which was inevitable in the event of a wheat crop failure. All that remained was to convince those whom the master was going to save of this.

Parmentier began to solve the problem step by step. Since the pharmacist had access to the palace, he persuaded King Louis XVI to go to the ball by pinning a bouquet of potato flowers to his ceremonial uniform. Queen Marie Antoinette, who was a trendsetter, wove the same flowers into her hairstyle.

Less than a year had passed before every self-respecting noble family acquired its own potato bed, where the queen’s favorite flowers grew. But a flowerbed is not a garden bed. In order to transplant potatoes into French beds, Parmentier used an even more original technique. He hosted a dinner to which he invited the most famous scientists of his time (many of them considered potatoes, at least, inedible).
The royal pharmacist treated his guests to a wonderful lunch, and then announced that the dishes were prepared from that same dubious root vegetable.

But you can’t invite all French peasants to dinner. In 1787, Parmentier asked the king for a plot of arable land in the vicinity of Paris and a company of soldiers to guard the potato plantings. At the same time, the master announced that anyone who steals a valuable plant will face execution.

All day long the soldiers guarded the potato field, and at night they went to the barracks. Need I say that all the potatoes were dug up and stolen in the shortest possible time?

Parmentier went down in history as the author of a book about the benefits of potatoes. In France, two monuments were erected to Master Parmentier: in Montdidier (in the scientist’s homeland) and near Paris, on the site of the first potato field. On the pedestal of the monument in Montdidier is carved: “To the Benefactor of Humanity.”

Pirate's booty

In the 16th century, England was just challenging the decrepit but still powerful Spain for the crown of “Mistress of the Seas.” The famous corsair of Queen Elizabeth I, Sir Francis Drake, became famous not only for his voyage around the world, but also for his raids on Spanish silver mines in the New World. In 1585, returning from one such raid, he took on board the British, who were unsuccessfully trying to establish a colony in what is now North Carolina. They brought with them the papa or poteitos tubers.

Territory British Isles It is small, and there is little fertile land here, and therefore hunger was a frequent guest in the homes of farmers and townspeople. The situation was even worse in Ireland, which the English masters mercilessly plundered.

Potatoes became a real salvation for ordinary people in England and Ireland. In Ireland it is still one of the main crops. Local residents even have a proverb: “Love and potatoes are two things you don’t joke with.”

History of potatoes in Russia

Emperor Peter I, having visited Holland, brought a bag of potatoes from there. The Tsar was firmly convinced that this root crop had a great future in Russia. The overseas vegetable was planted in the Aptekarsky garden, but things didn’t go any further: the tsar had no time for botanical studies, and the peasants in Russia were not much different from foreign ones in their mentality and character.

After the death of Peter I, the rulers of the state had no time to popularize potatoes. Although it is known that already under Elizabeth, potatoes were a frequent guest on both the royal table and the tables of nobles. Vorontsov, Hannibal, and Bruce grew potatoes on their estates.

The common people, however, were not inflamed with love for potatoes. As in Germany, there were rumors about the poisonousness of the vegetable. In addition, in German “Kraft Teufel” means “damn power.” In an Orthodox country, a root vegetable with this name caused hostility.

A special contribution to the selection and distribution of potatoes was made by the famous botanist and breeder A.T. Bolotov. On his experimental plot, he received record yields even in modern times. A.T. Bolotov wrote several works on the properties of potatoes, and he published the first of his articles in 1770, much earlier than Parmentier.

In 1839, during the reign of Nicholas I, there was a severe shortage of food in the country, followed by famine. The government has taken decisive measures to prevent such incidents from happening in the future. As usual, fortunately the people were driven away with a club. The Emperor ordered that potatoes be planted in all provinces.

In the Moscow province, state peasants were ordered to grow potatoes at the rate of 4 measures (105 l) per person, and they had to work for free. In the Krasnoyarsk province, those who did not want to plant potatoes were sent to hard labor to build the Bobruisk fortress. “Potato riots” broke out in the country, which were brutally suppressed. However, since then potatoes have truly become the “second bread”.

In the middle of the 19th century, many Russian scientists, in particular E.A. Grachev, were engaged in potato breeding. It is to him that we should be grateful for the variety “Early Rose” (“American”), known to most gardeners.

In the 20s of the twentieth century, Academician N.I. Vavilov became interested in the history of the origin of potatoes. The government of a state that has not yet recovered from the horrors Civil War, found funds to send an expedition to Peru in search of wild potatoes. As a result, completely new species of this plant were found, and Soviet breeders were able to develop very productive and disease-resistant varieties. Thus, the famous breeder A.G. Lorch created the “Lorch” variety, the yield of which, subject to a certain growing technology, is more than a ton per hundred square meters.

History of potatoes. How potatoes appeared in Russia

The name potato comes from the Italian word truffle and the Latin terratuber - earthen cone.

WITH potato related a lot interesting stories. They say that in the 16th century, a certain admiral of the English army brought an unknown vegetable from America, with which he decided to surprise his friends. A knowledgeable cook mistakenly fried not potatoes, but tops. Of course, no one liked the dish. The angry admiral gave the order to destroy the remaining bushes by burning. The order was carried out, after which baked potatoes were found in the ash. Without hesitation, the baked potato arrived on the table. The taste was appreciated and everyone liked it. Thus, the potato gained its recognition in England.

In France, at the beginning of the 18th century, potato flowers decorated the vest of the king himself, and the queen decorated her hair with them. So potato dishes were served to the king every day. True, the peasants had to be accustomed to this culture by cunning. When the potatoes arrived, guards were placed around the fields. Thinking that they were protecting something valuable, the peasants quietly dug up potatoes, boiled them and ate them.

In Russia potatoes took root not so easy and simple. The peasants considered it a sin to eat devil’s apples brought from nowhere, and even under pain of hard labor they refused to breed them. In the 19th century, so-called potato riots occurred. Quite a long time passed before people realized that potatoes are tasty and nutritious.

This the vegetable is used for preparing appetizers, salads, soups and main courses. Potatoes contain proteins, carbohydrates, potassium, ballast substances, vitamins A, B1, c. There are 70 calories in 100 g of potatoes.

About a couple of thousand years before the human era, wild potatoes played important role in the life of the first inhabitants of the Andes. The dish, which saved entire settlements from starvation, was called “chuño” and was prepared from frozen and then dried wild potatoes. In the Andes, until this time, the Indians cherish the proverb: “Jerky meat without chunyo is equivalent to life without love.” The dish was also used as a unit of exchange in trade, since “chuño” was exchanged for beans, beans, and corn. "Chunyo" was distinguished by two types - white ("tunta") and black. The recipe for “chuño” is something like this: potatoes were laid out in the rain and left to soak for 24 hours. Once the potatoes were sufficiently wet, they were laid out to dry in the hot sun. To get rid of moisture as quickly as possible, after thawing, the potatoes were laid out in a place that was blown by the wind and carefully trampled underfoot. To help peel the potatoes better, they were placed between special crumpled skins. When black “chunyo” was prepared, the potatoes, peeled using the method described above, were washed with water, and when “tunta” was prepared, the potatoes were dipped into a pond for several weeks, after which they were left in the sun for final drying. “Tunta” retained the shape of a potato and was very light.

After this treatment, wild potatoes lost their bitter taste and were preserved for a long time. If you want to enjoy wild potatoes, the recipe is still valid today.

In Europe, potatoes found it difficult to take root. Despite the fact that the Spaniards were the first Europeans to become acquainted with this culture, Spain was one of last countries in Europe, which truly appreciated the vegetable. In France, the first mention of potato processing dates back to 1600. The English first experimented with planting potatoes back in 1589.

Potatoes to Russia came through the Baltic port, directly from Prussia around 1757-1761. The first official import of potatoes was associated with the foreign travel of Peter I. He sent a bag of potatoes from Rotterdam for Sheremetyev and ordered the potatoes to be scattered throughout various regions of Russia. Unfortunately, this attempt was unsuccessful. Only under Catherine II was an order issued to send so-called earthen apples to all parts of Russia for brood, and already 15 years later potatoes were in the territory, reaching Siberia and even Kamchatka. However, the introduction of potatoes into peasant farming was accompanied by scandals and cruel administrative penalties. Cases of poisoning were observed because it was not potatoes that were eaten, but green poisonous berries. Conspiracies against potatoes were intensified even by the name itself, since many heard “Kraft Teufels,” which translates from German as “damn power.” To increase the rate of potato consumption, peasants were sent special instructions on breeding and consuming “earth apples,” which gave a positive result. Beginning in 1840, the acreage for potatoes began to increase rapidly, and soon, after decades, the variety of potatoes reached more than a thousand varieties.