Where did the potato get its start?
Description: The potato has a long history beginning in the Andes Mountains of South America as early as 1000 B.C. Peruvians developed many varieties and cooked in stews or soups. They ate them either fresh or “freeze-dried” potatoes. The potatoes were freeze dried by spreading fresh potatoes on the ground and left there overnight, where they froze in the mountain air. Then the following day after the potatoes had thawed, the people stomped on the potatoes which forced out the water in the potatoes. They did this several times until most of the moisture was out of the potato causing them to be very dry and light. These freeze-dried potatoes would keep almost indefinitely. The Spaniards invaded Europe in the 1530s and brought the potato back to Europe in the late 1500s. (more…)