[Sca-cooks] Carolus Clusius and the Kartoffel

[Harris Mark.S-rsve60]

Bear said:
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"Food: a Culinary History," a usually reliable source states that Clusius
introduced the potato into the Low Countries in 1580.  This is an error, for
by his own words, Clusius was only introduced to the potato in 1587, "I
received the first authentic information about this plant from Phillipus de
Sivry, Dn. de Walhain and the Prefect of the City of Mons in Hannonia, of
the Belgians, who sent two tuber of it, with its fruit, to me in Vienna,
Austria, at the beginning of the year 1587, and in the following year, a
drawing of the branch with a flower."  De Sivry had obtained his potatoes
from an employee of the Pontifical Delegation to Belgium in 1586.

<snip of even more comprehensive info>
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Bear, are we talking specifically about the white potato here? Or
the Sweet Potato? Or maybe both?

Thanks,
  Stefan li Rous
  stefan at texas.net