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[Browning, Susan W.]

It seems that the use of potatoes became _widespread_ in Europe somewhen
in the 17th and 18th centuries, depending on the region. But the
earliest culinary uses and experiments in Europe are known since the
16th century. Here is some further material:


1. Potatoes were cultivated in mid-17th century England

Günter Wiegelmann, in his excellent book 'Alltags- und Festspeisen
[Dishes for everyday and dishes for feasts]' (Marburg 1967) has an
important chapter on potatoes. He says among other things:

- -- "Der feldmäßige Anbau war in England schon in der Mitte des 17.
Jahrhunderts - nach dem Vorbild Irlands - üblich geworden und in den
Niederlanden auch seit 1670 bekannt" (p.76).
- -- Roughly: 'The cultivation [of potatoes] on fields was common in
England as early as in the mid-17th century (after the model of Ireland)
and was known in the Netherlands since 1670'.

He metions three books to back up this statement:
- -- Fuess, W.F.K.: Die Geschichte der Kartoffel [The history of the
potato], Berlin 1939, 57-62
- -- Salaman, R.N., The history and the social influence of the potato.
Cambridge 1949, 188ff.
- -- J.A. van Houtte, Economische en sociale geschiedenis van de Lage
Landen, Antwerpen 1964, 172.


2. Potatoes in butter 1591

Not a recipe but a description how potatoes were cooked can be found in
a letter of the Landgraf Wilhelm IV von Hessen to the Kurfürst Christian
I. von Sachsen in 1591 (quoted from Wiegelmann p. 76 in his
potato-chapter):

- -- "Wir uberschicken auch E.L. Under andern ein gewechse so wir Vor
wenig Jahren auß Italia becommen, Und Taratouphli genandt wirdt (...)
Undenn ahn der wurzelnn hatt es Viele tubera henkenn, dieselbige wenn
sie gekocht werden, seindt sie gar anmutig zu eßen, Mann muß sie aber
erstlich im Wasser uffsieden laßenn, so gehen die oberste schalens ab,
darnach thutt mann die bruhe darvonn, Undt seudt sie in butter Vollendes
gahr". 
- -- Roughly: 'We also send to your Highness among other things a plant
that we got from Italy some years ago, called Taratouphli (...) Below,
at the root, there hang many tubers. If they are cooked these tubers are
very good to eat. But you must first boil them in water, so that the
outer shell (peeling?) gets off, then pour the cooking water away, and
cook them to the point in butter'. -- The article in the "Deutsches
Woerterbuch" (vol. 11, 244f.) says that "Kartoffel" was derived from
earlier "Tartuffel".


3. Spiced potatoes 1648

Hans Wiswe, in his 'Kulturgeschichte der Kochkunst', says, among other
things, that potatoes began to be used _widespread_ only in the 18th
century, especially as food for the poor (p.78). However, Wiswe quotes
or rather paraphrases a passage from a work on gardening and the
culinary use of garden plants from the year 1648:

- -- "Die Kartoffeln werden gewaschen und in Wasser 'muerbe' gekocht. Nun
wird das Wasser abgegossen. Man laesst sie abkuehlen. Nun zieht man die
'auswendige [aufwendige_Wiswe] Haut' rein davon. Die grossen Kartoffeln
schneidet man ein- oder zweimal auseinander, die kleinen laesst man
ganz. Dann tun man sie wieder in einen Topf, giesst Wein darueber, tut
Butter, Muskatblumen und anderes Gewuerz sowie Salz daran und laesst sie
fein uebersieden. Danach richtet man die Speise an und streut Ingwer
darueber" (Hoyer 1648, second ed. 1651; Wiswe p. 125).
- -- Roughly: 'Wash the potatoes and boil them well-cooked. Let cool down.
Put away the outer skin. Cut the big potatoes once or twice, the smaller
ones must not be cut. Then put them into a pot again, add wine, butter,
mace and other spices and salt and let boil. Then serve it forth and
sprinkle with ginger'.


4. Potatoes are 'quite common' in 1682
Wiswe points us to an interesting passage in the 'Diaeteticon' of
Elsholtz (1682). Looking up that passage, Elsholtz writes:

- -- "Man isset aber diese Tartuffeln theils zur Lust und verenderung/
theils als eine naehrende Speise/ weil sie nunmehr zimlich gemein bey
uns worden" (p. 31/32).
- -- Roughly: 'These potatoes ("tartuffeln") are eaten as a dish of
pleasure and a dish of variety, but also as a nutritive dish. They are
now quite common here').


5. Potatoes in 'Olla podrida'?

Wiswe also mentions potatoes dealing with (Spanish) recipes for Olla
potrida, but the recipe for "Hollapotrida" in Rumpolt (1581, fol.
137b-139b) does not mention potatoes. Nor does the recipe for Olla
podrida of Hernández de Maceras 1607.


6. Four potato-recipes in the 'Frauenzimmerlexikon' (1715) 

In the "Frauenzimmerlexikon [Lexicon for and about women]" (1715), there
are four recipes with potatoes (cols. 1979-1981). Manfred Lemmer
comments on these recipes in his "Nachwort" (p. 23): "Wie die Rezepte
lehren, wurde die Kartoffel aber damals noch nicht als Beilage zum
Fleisch genossen, sondern in der Suppe oder als Salat" (potato was used
only in soups and as salad). Now, it is important to know, that these
lines were written in 1980 by Manfred Lemmer, who is also the editor of
the facsimile of Marx Rumpolt (1976) and probably one of the few persons
who read Rumpolt entirely. I am quite sure that Manfred Lemmer would
have mentioned any potatoe recipe already available in the cookbook of
Rumpolt. -- I read somewhere that an old potatoe recipe might be in the
second edition of Rumpolt (1587), but I did not look up this source yet,
as I am working with the facsimile of the first edition (1581).


7. Four potato-recipes in the 'Ouverture de cuisine' (1604) 

There are four (candidates for) recipes for Tartoufle in Lancelot de
Casteau's 'Ouverture de cuisine' (1604). They are interpreted as recipes
for potatoes by the editors of the reprint of this very rare cookbook:
Léo Moulin and Jacques Kother in the facsimile of Lancelot de Casteau's
'Ouverture de cuisine' (repr. Anvers & Bruxelles 1983) held the view
that potatoes were ment: "Ces quatre recettes de pomme de terre
constituent une des plus précieuses révélations du livre de Lancelot de
Casteau" (p.255). They quote some evidence for their position, but as
far as I can see, at least some of the quoted texts are also uncertain.
There is a further reference to: Léo Moulin: La Belgique à table. L'art
de manger en Belgique. Antwerpen (Esco Books) 1979, 15-22, for the
diffusion of potatoes in Europe.

Here is the third of the four recipes:
- -- "Autrement [= Tartoufle autrement]. Prennez la tartoufle par
tranches, & mettez esteuuer auec beurre, mariolaine haschee, du persin:
puis prennez quatre ou cinq iaulnes d'oeuf battus auec vn peu de vin, &
iettez le dessus tout en bouillant, & tirez arriere du feu, & seruez
ainsi" (Lancelot de Casteau, Ouverture de cuisine, Liège 1604, p.95).
- -- Roughly: '(Potatoes:) A different manner. Take potatoes cut in slices
and heat them with butter, chopped (minced?) marjoram, parsley, then
take four or five egg yolks beaten with a bit of wine, and put it over
the potatoes while they are still cooking and take it from the fire then
and serve it forth'. [Sort of tortilla?]

Best,
Thomas