Food /
History of the Polish potato (what did Polish people eat before?) [17]
Good question.
I researched this same question a couple of months ago.
It seems like Europe was in the middle of the mini ice age in the 16 century. Temperatures dropped by a couple of degrees,and the rains and snows ,flooded the fields then the low temperatures froze the grains in the fields depriving the people of bread and other cereals. There were reports of people selling their children for food. This happened all over Europe including the British Isles.
About that time the Spaniards in their quest in South America, discovered the Inca Indians growing a tuber which was eventually referred to as a potato.( interesting story, look it up)
People were leery of it, but the slavs ate it.. It did well in the frozen ground.. It took a much longer time for the French to eat them.. For some crazy reason they referred as Satan Food
It took some French nobleman to convince the French to eat it.