The Potato Meets Europe

Before we explore the effects of the Great Potato Famine in Ireland, first lets look at how the potato came to Ireland. The potato is believed to have originated in the southern Peru around 3,000-7,000 years ago. In 1532, the Spanish arrived in South America where they encountered the potato for the first time. The Spanish brought the potato back to Europe, where it spread slowly throughout the different countries. Although it was not liked at first, it slowly became popular because of its hardy growing capabilities, easy preparation, and dense nutritional content. By the 1600's, the potato had found its way to Ireland. Unlike the rest of Europe, the Irish welcomed the potato into their diet very quickly because it was an extremely easy crop to grow that produced a large amount in a small area of land. By 1800, the potato was a staple food for almost all of Ireland. It even is believed to be the cause of a huge population increase between 1780 and 1841, where Ireland's population doubled. Without the constant threat of starvation, the Irish people were able to live healthier, longer lives because of the potato. This crop was so important in the daily diet of the Irish, it was common to have the potato at every meal. Clearly, a decrease in potato production would have a great affect on the Irish people.

Source: http://www.history-magazine.com/potato.html

Introduction

Hello again! I just wanted to give a little introduction to the topics that I plan to cover in my blog about Ireland between now and May. This blog will focus of the Great Potato Famine of 1845. I plan to research  three main areas: life before, during, and after the famine. Within these areas, information will be covered concerning the typical diet of the Irish, living conditions, history of the potato,  scientific detail concerning the potato fungus, and lasting affects of the famine. This information will be posted in weekly blog posts until May.

I chose this topic because I am a Food Science major at Penn State University. I have traveled to Italy and Switzerland on a food science trip, so I wanted to incorporate food science into this trip as well. I love to learn about other countries, especially their food systems. Enjoy the Blog! 

Blogging!!

Welcome to the Penn State to Ireland Blog! All about my journey to Ireland and what I learned along the way. Enjoy! :)