SC - Re Potatoes

[Ilkka Heikki Salokannel]

Lord Ras wrote:
" potatoes were considered to all intent and purposes
poison."
I believe that depends on what you mean by a "potato". The 
kind we buy at the grocery store in 10 lb. bags were first 
brought back to the Old World by the Spanish who got them 
from the Inca. They were not just the white and yellow ones 
we are familiar with but several other colours including 
blue! (I kid you not.) The Spanish tried them out as ship's 
provisions and ate them for some time. They spread them to 
Germany where someone (probably a turnip farmer) started the 
rumour that they caused leprosy! Needless to say that stopped 
the eating of potatoes until the late 1700's. At least, that 
kind of potato. 
However there are several recipes in Elizabethan cookbooks 
for "potatoes". What they are referring to is the sweet 
potato which was apparently eaten freely in Europe without 
fear of poisoning.
Rowenna 
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Name: Ilkka Heikki Salokannel
E-mail: Ilkka Heikki Salokannel<Rennes at xl.ca>
Date: 4/30/97
Time: 11:01:29 PM

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