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The Potato Man
The French used to hate potatoes, but along came Antoine-Augustin Parmentier
Who doesn’t love a good batch of French fries? Well, if you offered them to the French back in the 18th century, you’d be met with disgust. It’s hard to imagine a time when potatoes weren’t a beloved staple in the Western world, but back in the day, they were reviled for numerous causes by Europeans.
Seen as no better than cattle feed and even a potential cause of leprosy, the French largely shunned potatoes. The French Parliament even went so far as to ban potatoes in 1748!
Life-saving spud
Enter French pharmacist Antoine-Augustin Parmentier's efforts, a man whose obsession over the potato was shaped by his experiences in the army. During the Seven Years’ War (1754–1763), he was captured by the Prussians — and one of his regular prison rations was a typical serving of potatoes.
The experience forever changed the way he looked at the humble spud. The whole time he had been fed potatoes, he did not catch the alleged infections from this carb-filled diet. Better still, he realized how delicious they were.
In prison, the potato was a godsend. He was eternally grateful for how it saved his life, putting him on the mission to extol the virtues of the tasty treat to his countrymen.
And while he was met with many challenges, by 1772, the French ban on potatoes was repealed because of his hard work. Parmentier wrote a scientific treatise about the potato titled, “Inquiry into Nourishing Vegetables That in Times of Necessity Could Substitute for Ordinary Food.”
He argued that it would be a nutritious and affordable food that could be grown anywhere, providing much-needed nutrition for those looking for ways to fill their stomachs. For this research, he won an award in 1773 from the Academy of Besancon.
