Earliest known use of a potato in North America

BigVanVader · October 31, 2017

Found this interesting.

http://www.hcn.org/articles/scientif...climate-shifts

Salsacharley · October 31, 2017

Very interesting.

wildcat62 · October 31, 2017

Yes great article

Worth1 · November 1, 2017

I think they had an Inca Mart® down the creek.

Worth

Cole_Robbie · November 1, 2017

Here is some more information about the species of potato. The link mentions that it might make a person sick, if not appropriately prepared:

https://www.cultivariable.com/solanum-jamesii/

bower · November 1, 2017

Both articles really interesting.
I wonder if there are any mutants with lower alkaloids, since there's no chance of breeding with the cultivated potato.

I always find the pre-agriculture foods to be interesting and want to try them, but it doesn't take much experience before the superiority of cultivated types becomes really obvious - from an eating pov. The wild proto-foods have other advantages, like being perennial, or being adapted to specific environments etc. This is great if the drawbacks are really not too bad...

I have yet to find an "alternative" food that is really edible as more than a garnish.
I have a patch of sunchokes, for example - always compared to other (tasty!) foods, but in fact I doubt I could eat many of these, even if I was starving.
I have a giant lovage plant (always compared to celery - it is not!) and while I enjoy it once or twice a year it is a very strong flavored herb, not a vegetable.

Another one that tempted me, I haven't grown yet though, is the "skirret" - a perennial relative of carrot and parsnip. And still wondering if skirret is to parsnip as lovage is to celery.

https://www.restorationseeds.com/products/skirret

As "four corner" is to spuds?

Cole_Robbie · November 1, 2017

There is a microbrewery near me that specializes in foraged ingredients in their beer. I've only been there once, but all of the beer that I tried is excellent. Their varieties change constantly as differently ingredients come in and out of season.

Here's their site: https://www.scratchbeer.com/

**carolyn137** · November 1, 2017

I think Tom Wagner might be able to help here since he breeds not just tomatoes,but also potatoes and has a good sense of history as well.

He hasn't been here lately but here's a thread where he last posted so you can PM him if any of you want to.

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?p=624069

I think this link might be enven better than the one above.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Tom+...&bih=815&dpr=1

Carolyn

bower · November 2, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

There is a microbrewery near me that specializes in foraged ingredients in their beer. I've only been there once, but all of the beer that I tried is excellent. Their varieties change constantly as differently ingredients come in and out of season.

Here's their site: https://www.scratchbeer.com/

That looks pretty amazing.

Chanterelles in beer.

Tomatoes in beer??

I notice they use 'wild carrots' as a flavoring, among other things..... And the food looks pretty tasty too.
Of course the exotic things are flavorings. Small amounts'll do.

We tried some wild flavors back in the wine making days. Flavors really magnified in wine, no joke. Elecampane... that was pretty good. Gooseberry and yarrow, took very little yarrow to make it extremely floral - ah what hangovers we had from that one.

If I ever tried that again I would use the tiniest pinch...

macmex · June 10, 2018

I can think of two alternative foods which measure up quite well to their more common equivalents: poke weed and lambsquarters. Poke weed makes a wonderful potherb. There are, however some individuals who react to it, getting itching in the mouth. Lambsquarters, on the other hand, is simply delightful. When we fix it we never get complaints, unless the person complaining just doesn't like greens.

I suspect in ancient days there was a whole lot more traffic going between North and South America than we generally think of. The Aztec and Incan empires had regular trade routes. There are indications that Aztec traders made it all the way into parts of what is now the American West.

When our family was studying Spanish, in order to serve in Mexico, we were befriended by a Nicaraguan family. The wife taught my wife to make a typical Nicaraguan tamale, called a Nacatamal. Later, when we relocated into an Aztec area, my wife shared some with an Aztec friend. When she told her friend that Nicaraguans called them nacatamales, our Aztec friend looked startled. She informed us that nacatamal is Aztec for "meat tamale." We mentioned this to our Nicaraguan friends. They responded that they never knew what the term meant. They simple used it when referring to that food.

October 31, 2017	#1
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	Earliest known use of a potato in North America Found this interesting. http://www.hcn.org/articles/scientif...climate-shifts

October 31, 2017	#3
wildcat62 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2014 Location: Zone 6 Northern Kentucky Posts: 1,094	Yes great article __________________ Mark

November 1, 2017	#8
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	I think Tom Wagner might be able to help here since he breeds not just tomatoes,but also potatoes and has a good sense of history as well. He hasn't been here lately but here's a thread where he last posted so you can PM him if any of you want to. http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?p=624069 I think this link might be enven better than the one above. https://www.google.com/search?q=Tom+...&bih=815&dpr=1 Carolyn __________________ Carolyn

October 31, 2017	#2
Salsacharley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: New Mexico Posts: 2,052	Very interesting.

November 1, 2017	#4
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I think they had an Inca Mart® down the creek. Worth

November 1, 2017	#5
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Here is some more information about the species of potato. The link mentions that it might make a person sick, if not appropriately prepared: https://www.cultivariable.com/solanum-jamesii/

November 1, 2017	#6
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	Both articles really interesting. I wonder if there are any mutants with lower alkaloids, since there's no chance of breeding with the cultivated potato. I always find the pre-agriculture foods to be interesting and want to try them, but it doesn't take much experience before the superiority of cultivated types becomes really obvious - from an eating pov. The wild proto-foods have other advantages, like being perennial, or being adapted to specific environments etc. This is great if the drawbacks are really not too bad... I have yet to find an "alternative" food that is really edible as more than a garnish. I have a patch of sunchokes, for example - always compared to other (tasty!) foods, but in fact I doubt I could eat many of these, even if I was starving. I have a giant lovage plant (always compared to celery - it is not!) and while I enjoy it once or twice a year it is a very strong flavored herb, not a vegetable. Another one that tempted me, I haven't grown yet though, is the "skirret" - a perennial relative of carrot and parsnip. And still wondering if skirret is to parsnip as lovage is to celery. https://www.restorationseeds.com/products/skirret As "four corner" is to spuds?

June 10, 2018	#10
macmex Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Tahlequah, Oklahoma Posts: 102	I can think of two alternative foods which measure up quite well to their more common equivalents: poke weed and lambsquarters. Poke weed makes a wonderful potherb. There are, however some individuals who react to it, getting itching in the mouth. Lambsquarters, on the other hand, is simply delightful. When we fix it we never get complaints, unless the person complaining just doesn't like greens. I suspect in ancient days there was a whole lot more traffic going between North and South America than we generally think of. The Aztec and Incan empires had regular trade routes. There are indications that Aztec traders made it all the way into parts of what is now the American West. When our family was studying Spanish, in order to serve in Mexico, we were befriended by a Nicaraguan family. The wife taught my wife to make a typical Nicaraguan tamale, called a Nacatamal. Later, when we relocated into an Aztec area, my wife shared some with an Aztec friend. When she told her friend that Nicaraguans called them nacatamales, our Aztec friend looked startled. She informed us that nacatamal is Aztec for "meat tamale." We mentioned this to our Nicaraguan friends. They responded that they never knew what the term meant. They simple used it when referring to that food.