No One Saw It Coming The royal roots of French fries
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Feb 15, 2026 Dr Lauren Samuelsson, Associate Lecturer and food historian, traces the potato's journey from Andean staple to Western sensation. She unpacks fears and fashions around the tuber, royal endorsements that reframed its image, the potato's role in empire and famine, and how frying traditions traveled from France to America. Short, surprising tales connect politics, culture and cuisine.
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Early European Distrust Of Potatoes
- Potatoes arrived in Europe from the Americas and were initially mistrusted due to superstition and associations with nightshades.
- Dr Lauren Samuelsson explains myths like potatoes causing leprosy and fears they were poisonous shaped early rejection.
Parmentier's Prison Conversion
- Antoine Augustin Parmentier ate only potatoes while a prisoner of war and came to champion them on his return to France.
- He used essays and social gatherings to rebrand the potato as nutritious and respectable.
Potato Dinner Parties Win Influence
- Parmentier hosted lavish potato-themed parties to persuade elites that potatoes were safe and tasty.
- He even served potato-based dishes from soup to vodka to win over influential guests.
