Early Europeans once feared potatoes, calling them 'the Devil's Apples.'

The potato (Solanum tuberosum) was first domesticated by the Inca in the Andes mountains between 8000 and 5000 BC. When Spanish conquistadors brought the plant to Europe around 1570, it faced immediate backlash. Botanists noticed the plant belonged to the Solanaceae family, which includes deadly nightshade and mandrake. This botanical link led to widespread rumors that potatoes were poisonous or caused diseases like leprosy and syphilis.Religious leaders also fueled the fire by noting that potatoes were not mentioned anywhere in the Bible. In many cultures, plants that grew in the dark soil were associated with the underworld or the devil. This led to the nickname 'the Devil's Apples' and a general refusal to consume the crop for nearly two centuries. Most Europeans initially used the plant only as ornamental flowers or as fodder for livestock.The turning point occurred in the 18th century during the reign of Frederick the Great of Prussia. Facing a famine in 1744, he issued the 'Potato Order' (Kartoffelbefehl) to mandate cultivation. He famously used reverse psychology by planting a royal field in Berlin and ordering guards to protect it. The guards were secretly told to allow peasants to steal the 'valuable' crop, which successfully spread potato farming across the region.French pharmacist Antoine-Augustin Parmentier also played a key role after being fed potatoes as a prisoner of war in Prussia. Upon his return to France in 1763, he hosted lavish potato-themed dinners for guests like Benjamin Franklin. His efforts, combined with Frederick's tactics, eventually transformed the potato into a staple crop that helped end periodic famines in Europe.