Day 13: Potato Flowers

Antoine-Augustin de Parmentier (1737-1813) pictured, was an early promoter of the potato in France, at a time when potatoes were looked upon with great suspicion considered then only as animal food.

As an eminent physician who wanted to introduce the potato into the French diet, he decided that the best way to break through the prejudice was to recruit the good offices of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette.

If they made the potato fashionable, the rest of society would follow suit; and follow they did.

Parmentier finally got his lucky break when, on Louis XVI’s thirty-fifth birthday (August 23, 1785), Parmentier presented the king with a bouquet of potato flowers.

The king tucked one in his lapel, and his wife, Marie Antoinette, stuck a potato flower into her hair.

Suddenly potatoes became all the rage at court, and Parmentier oversaw a series of all-potato banquets.

Louis XVI immediately grasped the potato’s potential as a basic food that could make all the difference when wheat crops were jeopardised by disease or bad weather.

By the end of the 18th century, the potato was a firmly established and popular part of French cuisine.

Marie Antoinette probably never said “Let them eat cake” when she was told that poor French folk had no bread to eat.

But the French queen definitely thought they should eat potatoes, which, in the late 18th century, were hailed as a wonder food from the New World.

In 1785, famine struck northern France, but the poor were able to survive, thanks to the lowly potato.

The death of many by starvation had been avoided.

Today’s variety - Linda (Maincrop)

Linda is an old main crop variety from Germany which was saved from extinction and re-instated because the taste was so good.

Linda has an unusual oval shape with yellow waxy flesh

Good for gratins and oven bakes with a very good flavour.

Waxy becoming floury on storage.

About my January Potato Journey

I am trying to build up my horticulture knowledge, all views are my own and are intended to be in a positive spirit.

I am a member of Nottingham Organic Gardeners (NOGs)

The daily posts are hoped to feature varieties which are likely to be part of Nottingham Organic Gardeners’ Potato Day and some fun potato trivia.

Also to be my celebration of the potato and Nottingham Organic Gardeners Potato Day.

More information at

http://nottinghamorganicgardeners.com/potato-day-info

The text below is from the Nottingham Organic Gardeners’

“DUE TO LOCKDOWN ANNOUNCEMENT..

We are still definitely planning to bring potato day to you in some manner!

We have placed the order for the potatoes!

When we have them delivered and how we will get them to you will be planned soon!"