Potato

Ah, the humble spud. The potato (solanum tuberosum) has a rich etymology and a confusing history. Quite a big deal for something which has become a staple food for much of the developed world. Although there are many theories as to where the word began, the best bet so far seems to be that it comes from patata, the Spanish word for potato or sweet potato. Christopher Columbus brought back sweet potatoes from Haiti, where they were called batata by the locals. The potato and the sweet potato were often confused and the Spanish version of the word became used for both. Patata was Anglicized to potato upon its introduction to England and Ireland.

Potatoes more than likely first arrived in Europe via the Spaniards returning from Cartagena in Columbia. The notion that Sir Walter Raleigh was responsible for their introduction is now widely disputed. The English and the Irish were the first Europeans to cultivate it on a large scale as a staple, but not without a shaky start. The Protestants would not grow or eat them, as they had no mention in The Bible. The Catholics would grow them, but the seed tubers had to be sprinkled with holy water and planted on Good Friday, which must have been a real nuisance for Catholic farmers.

The word spud – synonymous in the United Kingdom with potato – has an etymology all its own. The word originates from either the Danish spyd or Old Norse spjot, originally meaning a short knife or dagger, later taken to mean spade. The original meaning in 17th century English was “something short or stumpy”, so we can see why it would be applied to a potato. The common myth surrounding the origin of spud comes from a book called The Story of Language (Pei, 1949). It is stated in this work that people did not like the potato and thought it unhealthy. A society was formed called the Society for the Prevention of Unwholesome Diet ) the acronym, of course, being SPUD. A good story, but untrue.

Many of us know that potatoes can be poisonous. The reason is that the potato – along with the tomato and chilli amongst others – is a member of the same botanical family as the Deadly Nightshade. The poison it contains is called solanine, a poison affecting the central nervous system, and in high enough concentration can kill even a healthy adult. The amount in potatoes is such that you’d need to eat an awful lot for it to kill you. More likely is that you would get cramps and sickness. Potato poisoning is extremely uncommon, however – so enjoy your sausage and mash.