The History And Properties Of Potatoes

Video: The History And Properties Of Potatoes

Video: The History And Properties Of Potatoes
Video: History through the eyes of the potato - Leo Bear-McGuinness 2024, November
The History And Properties Of Potatoes
The History And Properties Of Potatoes
Anonim

There is no person in the world who has not tried potatoes. For some it is the main food product, for others it is a source of extra calories.

The potatoes belong to the Potato family and are grown for their thickened, underground growths, called tubers. Known in Europe only since the 16th century, today they have become one of the most widespread staple foods.

Potatoes consist of stems, leaves and tubers - the latter are the ones we eat. The homeland of potatoes is South America. In the meantime the potatoes appear in Russia only three hundred years ago - they were brought from the Netherlands at the request of Peter I, and at first the Russian people treated the new product with great apprehension.

The introduction of potatoes in cultivation (first through the exploitation of wild thickets) began about 9-7 thousand years ago in modern Bolivia. The Indians not only ate potatoes for food, but also adored him, considering them living beings.

Useful properties of potatoes
Useful properties of potatoes

Gradually, the potato revolution from the time of Nicholas I was still successful: by the end of the 19th century, more than 1.5 million hectares of potatoes were occupied in Russia, and by the early 20th century, this vegetable was already considered second bread in Russia.

Baked, boiled, stuffed, fried potatoes - the list goes on. But this vegetable is not only delicious, it has an abundance of healing properties. Potatoes are very rich in vitamins and nutrients. They contain potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and folic acid, vitamin C and B.

Due to the fact that the product contains a large amount of potassium, the roots help to purify the body, remove excess fluid and salt, which leads to the normalization of metabolic processes.

They are also used in folk medicine because potatoes have a number of useful properties. They are used for wounds and burns for quick healing, potato vapors are inhaled for colds, gargling is done for sore throats with potato broth.

Baked potatoes are most useful
Baked potatoes are most useful

Of course, the most useful potatoes are baked. With this type of culinary processing all vitamins and nutrients are preserved. It is better to bake potatoes without peeling them, wrapped in foil.

You can also make fluffy mashed potatoes, which is also a useful option, especially for those who suffer from disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Of course, mashed potatoes should not be too thick and should not be diluted with milk, but with potato broth.

It is very important not to lose your vigilance by eating the root tubers of this plant. The fact is that during long-term storage they are also able to accumulate a poisonous substance - solanine. It is not always possible to visually detect its presence in a product, so there is a general recommendation - to refrain from eating potatoes if they are stored for more than 4-5 months. Furthermore potatoes are dangerous for diabetics - The starch contained in them can provoke an exacerbation of the disease.

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