The potato, a staple in many cuisines today, had a humble beginning fraught with scepticism and misconceptions. However, thanks to the relentless efforts of Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, this unassuming tuber emerged from the shadows to become a vital part of the European diet. Parmentier's smart campaigns and trickery transformed potatoes from mere livestock feed into a beloved and essential food source and a vital resource in the effort of ending famine. This is a short story about the man who popularised the potato in many parts of Europe.
Cultivation of the Potato in Europe
The potato was introduced to Europe in the 17th century by Spanish seafarers who brought them from South America. By the 18th century, potatoes were being cultivated in most European countries. However, their usage differed across the continent. While Ireland, Spain, and England embraced potatoes and incorporated them into popular dishes, in most of Europe, potatoes were mainly grown as animal feed or to produce cheap vodka in Scandinavia.
Smear Campaign and Religious Opposition
Potatoes were generally considered inedible for humans. In fact, France went as far as banning the planting and consumption of potatoes, associating them with poison and leprosy. A smear campaign further propagated the belief that potatoes were detrimental to health and could cause illness. Some religious institutions even claimed that potatoes were not approved by God since they were not mentioned in the Bible. In the East and Persia on the other hand, rulers began promoting potatoes as a way to combat famine, but their popularity did not catch on in Europe.
Antoine -Augustin Parmentier’s potato saga begins
During the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), a global conflict involving major European powers, Europe experienced a severe famine. However, the Persians fared considerably better due to their potato crops. Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, (1737-1813) a pharmacist for the French army who was captured during the war and held in a Persian prison, survived on potatoes for three years without falling ill or developing leprosy. This experience led him to realize that potatoes were not in fact poisonous.
After his release, he returned to France, working as a pharmacist and developing a passion for potato cultivation as a solution to famine. Parmentier faced opposition from colleagues and the public who held firmly to the belief that potatoes were inedible, barely sustaining life, and dangerous. Moreover, the potato remained illegal in France, which made marketing even more challenging.
In 1772, the Paris Faculty of Medicine declared potatoes "edible" after Parmentier won an academy contest by publishing an essay on the virtues of potatoes as a staple food during times of need. This declaration led to the legalization of potatoes in France.
Antoine-Augustin Parmentier Potato campaign
Parmentier initiated a strategic and complex campaign to popularize potatoes in France. He hosted dinner parties for influential guests, serving dishes made with or accompanied by potatoes. In 1785, he presented King Louis XVI and Queen Marie-Antoinette with a bouquet of purple potato flowers. After the royals were seen wearing them, the public began to warm up to the idea of potatoes, albeit cautiously. King Louis XVI then granted Parmentier several acres of land for potato cultivation, providing the foundation for his next marketing strategy.
Parmentier initially emphasized that potatoes could be grown anywhere, by claiming that his land was barren land, making them an excellent crop for all farms. He also attempted to increase their appeal by comparing them to truffles, but these efforts failed to capture the interest of the common people.
A strike of genius
When all other methods failed or only gave a limited result in the fight to popularize the potato, Parmentier finally decided to place guards around his potato fields, claiming that the potatoes were so valuable that they needed protection from thieves. By only gardening the potato fields during the daytime, the thieves could sneak in and steal the crops at night. This strategy proved successful, as thieves began stealing potatoes at night, much to Parmentier's delight.
As the thefts continued stealing night after night and Parmentier continued planting potatoes, the potato soon spread all across France and with that, their popularity quickly grew. From there, the potato's popularity kept spreading to other European countries, and soon potatoes became a staple food throughout Europe.
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