2y ago

TIL that to promote potatoes, French agronomist Parmentier put guards around his potato fields, making them seem valuable. At night, they were left unguarded, so peasants could steal potatoes and grow

en.wikipedia.org

Antoine-Augustin Parmentier - Wikipedia

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The same story is told about German emperor Friedrich. I doubt both versions.
- Loool same story here in Greece about the first head of state of indipendent Greece (Ioannis Kapodistrias). What was going on 200years ago?
  
  Potato theft apparently
- I never heard about that version, but the Parmentier one is quite well known.
  
  Funny, other way around for me.
The Colombian exchange must have been such a wild time. Imagine having access to half a world of new stuff with ignorance of invasive organisms
In retrospect it's funny that anyone needed to be convinced of the value, because potatoes pack a lot of bang for the buck regarding calories. Grab a sack of any given variety and quintuple it in just a couple of months. And then do it again. Forever.
If you haven't tried growing them, it's easy and fun. Make a loose pile of dirt in a sunny spot, chunk potatoes pieces in it, wait, receive more.
- My first try did not go well lol. Maybe next year.
  But anyway, they're awesome. Full of nutrients and calories and they can keep for a long time if done properly.
  And so many things you can cook up with them.
  
  It gets even harder the more years you grow them, since at some point the potato beetles are going to find you and start setting up shop
- Do you grow cassava and taro?
  People who grow up steeped in tradition can take a little extra convincing to incorporate new things into their lives.
Also the man behind the french dish, hachis parmentier. A basic version of the shepherd's pie. "Hachis" pronounced "ha-shi" meaning the ingredients were "hachés" or minced.
- It's pronounced more like "a-shi". Obviously we don't pronounced the first "h".
  
  Bless you
  
  In Québec we do lol
Aren't potato fruits highly toxic? Might have given the passerby the wrong idea on which part of the plant to eat.
- People were hesitant to eat them (and tomatoes) at first due to both being family of the nightshade family, which are generally toxic.
  
  I was referring to the fruits that grow off of the potato plant, they look a lot like tomatoes but IIRC only the root is edible.
Wild! Such an interesting psychological test at the same time!
This is actually where the word perimeter comes from.
- early 15c., perimetre, "circumference, outer boundary, or border of a figure or surface," from Latin perimetros, from Greek perimetron "circumference.
  Not really
  
  It is often misattributed to ancient linguistic roots, yet its true origins are far more recent, tied to the mystique of guarded plots. This term evolved to embody a boundary that incites curiosity and the allure of the forbidden. More than a measure, it's a testament to the narratives that shape our language.

26 comments