Earth apple. Many hear this definition for the first time, and no wonder! Actually, this is not about a fruit like an apple, but about the most popular vegetable, which is found almost daily on our table - tuber nightshade! What, again did not understand what was going on? Well, we will not confuse you anymore, but on the contrary, we will try to give the most detailed answer to your question: "Earth apple - what is it?" This is nothing but potatoes! Yes, you heard right, it’s the potato.
And why not, judge for yourselves, at the time of harvesting, the aerial part of the plant dries out and becomes slightly similar to the root, and what is in the ground can easily be compared with the crown of an apple tree strewn with apples - small or large.
Potato History
Potato as a wild plant arose a very long time ago. The birthplace of the plant is considered South America. It was there that about 7 thousand years ago, they began to grow an earthen apple as a crop, initially using wild thickets for this purpose.
In the territory of modern Bolivia, the local Indian tribes not only grew potatoes and consumed them for food, but also worshiped them, considering them to be spiritualized creatures that could prolong their lives.
Potatoes in europe
Potato tubers first came to Europe, or rather to Spain, in 1551. They were brought by the Spanish geographer Siesa de Leon, who was from Peru. And already in 1573 there was a historically certified fact that when purchasing products for the Hospital of the Blood of Jesus, among other products, potatoes were present.
Further, the culture began to actively spread throughout Italy, Germany, Belgium, France. In this case, initially, potatoes were perceived as an ornamental plant with poisonous properties.
Earth apples: first appearance in Russia
The history of the appearance of potatoes in Russia begins at the end of the 17th century. It was then that Peter I sent the first sack of potato tubers to his homeland for distribution in the provinces, for the purpose of growing and further eating.
But the culture did not receive mass distribution throughout the eighteenth century, in view of the fairly frequent cases of poisoning by the fruits of the "devil's apple" (the peasants called potatoes). Indeed, at that time, people still did not have sufficient knowledge about the properties and components of potatoes.
Few understood that only root crops were to be eaten, and berries were mistakenly eaten — fruits that appear after flowering. Already with experience, mankind has determined that it is berries and leafs that contain a life-threatening element - corned beef. It is also formed in the roots of harvested potatoes, which for a long time is exposed to sunlight.
Root crops that are dangerous for consumption can be determined by visual inspection for the presence of green patches and reject the whole root crop or cut a part of it. But since ignorance breeds fear, it was it that repelled people from cultivating this culture.
In the middle of the XVIII century, the first article was published entitled "On the cultivation of earthen apples." It described in detail the methods of cultivating potatoes. Articles about his research and conclusions about culture were also published by the scientist A. T. Bolotov and statesman Sivers Ya. E. But all this did not save the country from the periodic occurrence of the so-called "potato riots", due to the fear of culture among the people. People did not understand why they needed an earthen apple, what it was. They were afraid that these root crops would at least ruin their stomachs.
But due to the "potato revolution" conducted during the time of Nicholas I, potatoes began to be considered "second bread."
How earth apples became potatoes
Now you know what they called the earthen apple. But why now this vegetable is called potato? The etymology of the word "potato" has come an interesting way.
The sources say that it was originally called kartoffel in Germany. This word was taken from a colloquial phrase: sich die kartoffeln von unten anschauen, which literally means "to lie in the grave." As you understand, people saw from their own experience that root crops cause food items and therefore can lead to death.
Some believe that the original source of the name is Italians who named the potato tartufo, a derivative of the word "truffle". By external signs, potatoes can really be compared with truffles just extracted from the ground.
What is called an earthen apple, or potato, in different languages
At the moment, potatoes are distributed around the world. This culture is unpretentious to climatic conditions and grows well enough in any soil, so it is grown on almost all continents of our planet. The difference can only be found in the varieties and, of course, the names of the culture in different languages ​​of the world.
Earth apples: photos and facts
And finally, here are some interesting facts related to potatoes:
- There is an unusual plant called tomato. Its originality is that in the aerial part it has fruits - tomatoes, and potatoes grow on the roots.
- In Belgium there is a museum dedicated to potatoes. It presents thousands of exhibits that tell about the history of cultivation and the formation of this culture.
- In Russia, namely in the city of Mariinsk, there is a monument to Potato.
- What do the French still call an earthen apple? Banal potatoes! At the moment, the combination "earthen apple" is still found in this country. Even in the restaurant menu, you can sometimes read something like "puree from earthen apples." It's piquant, isn't it? Surely lovers of extraordinary taste sensations would have “bought” and tasted such an original dish!
- Potatoes are widely used for the preparation of food and “technical” starch for baby powders.
- At the stage of the appearance of potatoes in our country, nobles preferred to grow potatoes in pots as an ornamental plant. The presence of a potato flower in the lady’s hair was also considered a sign of exceptional taste at social events.
- The use of “earth apple” in home cosmetology is not only financially justified, but also effective. Homemade masks, compresses and folk remedies for various kinds of skin problems - all this can be prepared with the help of potato root crops.
- At the moment, the potato has about 5 thousand varieties.