Notas del episodio
The potato fueled a quarter of the Old World's population growth, yet it belongs to the nightshade family and can produce toxins of its own. This deep dive unearths the hidden history, strange biology and precarious future of the humble spud.
We explore why potatoes are swollen underground stems, not roots, why green potatoes contain solanine, and how Andean farmers domesticated them thousands of years ago. Then we follow the potato to Europe, the genetic bottleneck behind the Irish famine, the thousands of varieties still grown in the Andes, CRISPR breeding breakthroughs and the threat of rising temperatures.
- How the word potato came from a mix-up between batata and papa
- Why the Lenape potato was pulled from the market for high glycoalkaloid levels
- Why most modern potatoes descend from lowland Chilean varieties adapted to long days
- How starch structure separates fluffy russets from firm waxy potatoes
- How cold storage raises acrylamide risk and why heat stress threatens future yields