When the Potato Entered China and Its Historical Origins
The potato is the fourth most important food crop in the world, also known as Irish potato, yam, Dutch potato and so on. It is the tuber of a perennial herbaceous plant in the genus Solanum of the family Solanaceae, and together with wheat, rice, corn and sorghum it is known as one of the world's five major crops. China is the country with the largest total potato production in the world. Let us now take a look together at when the potato entered China!
When did the potato enter China?
Due to the lack of early written records or confusion over crop names in existing written records, experts disagree on when the potato entered China. Some believe it was during the Wanli period of the Ming dynasty (1573 to 1619), while others hold that the potato was first introduced to China in the 18th century. Based on Chinese scientists' textual research on the materials, the earliest time the potato entered China is considered to be during the Wanli period of the Ming dynasty (1573 to 1619). In Volume 2, "Miscellaneous Records of Huangdu," of Jiang Yikui's "Changan Kehua" written during the Wanli period of the Ming dynasty, the potato planted in the Beijing area is recorded as "tudou."
Where is the potato native to?
The potato is native to the Andean region of South America. Its history of artificial cultivation can be traced back as early as 8000 BC to 5000 BC in southern Peru. The Lake Titicaca area above 3800 m in elevation in the Andes may be the place where the potato was first cultivated. About 7000 years ago, a group of Indian tribes migrated from the east to the cold Andean highlands and set up camp near the Lake Titicaca area, living by hunting and gathering. They were the first to discover and eat wild potatoes.
How did the potato spread?
1. In the mid-16th century, the potato was brought from South America to Europe by a Spanish colonist.
2. In 1586, the British defeated the Spanish in the Caribbean and brought the potato to Britain.
3. By 1650, the potato had become a major food crop in Ireland and began to spread throughout Europe.
4. In the 17th century, the potato had become an important food crop in Europe and had already spread to China.
5. In 1719, it was brought back to the United States by Irish immigrants, and cultivation in the United States began.
6. In the early 18th century, when Peter the Great of Russia traveled through Europe, he bought a sack of seed potatoes for a large sum of money and planted them in the palace garden, and later their cultivation gradually spread among the common people.