Planetagarden
- What was the significance of the potato to the Irish?
- Where did Irish potatoes originate?
- Are Irish potatoes really Irish?
- How did potatoes affect history in Ireland?
- Why do the Irish blame the English for the potato famine?
- What did Irish eat before potatoes?
- Should you refrigerate Irish potatoes?
- Are potatoes native to Ireland?
- What is the name of the Irish?
- What kind of potatoes did the Irish grow?
- Are Irish potatoes vegetables?
- How do Irish potatoes grow?
- How many potatoes did the Irish eat per day?
- Did the British starve the Irish?
- How many Irish were killed by the British?
- Why did the Irish not eat fish during famine?
- What did the Irish eat during the famine?
- Who helped the Irish during the famine?
- What is the most famous Irish dish?
- What can you not eat in Ireland?
- Do the Irish eat a lot of potatoes?
What was the significance of the potato to the Irish?
Why were potatoes so important to Ireland? The potato plant was hardy, nutritious, calorie-dense, and easy to grow in Irish soil. By the time of the famine, nearly half of Ireland's population relied almost exclusively on potatoes for their diet, and the other half ate potatoes frequently.
Where did Irish potatoes originate?
While the exact origins of Irish potatoes are vague, history has it that they were first made in Philadelphia in the 1800s — possibly by Irish immigrants, possibly not. (By 1860, Irish were the city's largest immigrant population as a result of the Great Famine in Ireland.)
Are Irish potatoes really Irish?
Irish potatoes are not Irish at all. ... They are called Irish potatoes for the simple reason that they were the main type grown in Ireland in the early 1800s, and are forever associated with The Great Irish Famine, one of the worst agricultural, social, and cultural disasters of the time.
How did potatoes affect history in Ireland?
The potato blight arrived in Ireland in the summer of 1846. It caused the potato crop to fail in many areas. By the winter of 1846, there was widespread hunger in rural Ireland. The British government began a relief program and purchased maize in large quantities to help the starving Irish.
Why do the Irish blame the English for the potato famine?
In fact, the most glaring cause of the famine was not a plant disease, but England's long-running political hegemony over Ireland. ... Competition for land resulted in high rents and smaller plots, thereby squeezing the Irish to subsistence and providing a large financial drain on the economy.
What did Irish eat before potatoes?
Until the arrival of the potato in the 16th century, grains such as oats, wheat and barley, cooked either as porridge or bread, formed the staple of the Irish diet.
Should you refrigerate Irish potatoes?
Because of this, Irish potatoes should be kept in a refrigerator. It is best to store them in an airtight container. If you do this, they should keep well for at least 7 to 10 days, and possibly up to two weeks.
Are potatoes native to Ireland?
Potatoes are not native to Ireland but likely originated in the Andes Mountains of Peru, South America. In the early 1500s, Spanish conquerors found the Incas growing the vegetable, which the Spanish called patata. They were taken back to Europe and eventually reached England where the name changed to potato.
What is the name of the Irish?
Éire (Irish language name since 1937) As mentioned above, Article 4 of the Constitution of Ireland, gives the state its two official names, Éire in Irish and Ireland in English.
What kind of potatoes did the Irish grow?
The Irish Lumper is a varietal white potato of historic interest. It has been identified as the variety of potato whose widespread cultivation throughout Ireland, prior to the 1840s, is implicated in the Irish Great Famine in which an estimated 1 million died.
Are Irish potatoes vegetables?
Potato is a cool-season vegetable that ranks with wheat and rice as one of the most important staple crops in the human diet around the world. The white potato is referred to as the "Irish potato" because it is associated with the potato famine in Ireland in the 19th century.
How do Irish potatoes grow?
Unlike most other vegetables, Irish potatoes are not grown from seed. Instead, pieces from the potato itself start new plants. ... The seed potato contains buds or “eyes” that sprout and grow into plants. The seed piece provides food for the plant until it develops a root system.
How many potatoes did the Irish eat per day?
The economic lessons of the Great Famine. On a typical day in 1844, the average adult Irishman ate about 13 pounds of potatoes. At five potatoes to the pound, that's 65 potatoes a day. The average for all men, women, and children was a more modest 9 pounds, or 45 potatoes.
Did the British starve the Irish?
By the end of 1847 the British government was effectively turning its back financially on a starving people in the most westerly province of the United Kingdom. The famine was to run for a further two or three years, making it one of the longest-running famines in Irish and European history.
How many Irish were killed by the British?
The combination of warfare, famine and plague caused a huge mortality among the Irish population. William Petty estimated (in the 1655–56 Down Survey) that the death toll of the wars in Ireland since 1641 was over 618,000 people, or about 40% of the country's pre-war population.
Why did the Irish not eat fish during famine?
Fishing and the Famine
The question is often asked, why didn't the Irish eat more fish during the Famine? ... Because people were starving they did not have the energy that would be required to go fishing, haul up nets and drag the boats ashore.
What did the Irish eat during the famine?
For the Irish, the potato was the majority of their diet. The Irish ate potatoes every day, at every meal. The more rural the family, the more they depended on the potato for sustenance. When you hear about the Irish Potato Famine, you can only imagine its history.
Who helped the Irish during the famine?
In 1847 the Choctaw people sent $170 to help during the potato famine. Irish donors are citing that gesture as they help two tribes during the Covid-19 pandemic. DUBLIN — More than 170 years ago, the Choctaw Nation sent $170 to starving Irish families during the potato famine.
What is the most famous Irish dish?
Don't leave Ireland without trying…
- Irish stew. ...
- Colcannon and champ. ...
- Boxty. ...
- Boiled bacon and cabbage. ...
- Smoked salmon. ...
- Black and white pudding. ...
- Coddle. ...
- Barmbrack. Enthusiasts make this fruity tea loaf all year round, serving it smothered in butter with a cup of tea in the afternoon.
What can you not eat in Ireland?
10 Irish Food Rules You Must Not Break
- Rashers (this is back bacon - like Canadian bacon.
- Pork sausages.
- Black pudding (sausages mixed with oats, herbs and pork blood - trust me, its delicious)
- White pudding (same as above, minus the blood)
- Grilled mushrooms.
- Grilled tomatoes.
- Eggs (scrambled, fried or poached)
Do the Irish eat a lot of potatoes?
The Irish consume more potatoes than most countries in the world, according to Food by Country. Colcannon is a famous Irish potato dish, which is typically whole or chopped potatoes cooked in onions, cream, butter and cabbage.
