As families get ready to set their holiday tables, one of the quintessential side dishes is mashed potatoes. A perfect complement to any main course, the creamy indulgence of a good mashed potato is the equivalent of a warm hug.
Regardless of how you celebrate, comfort food is a necessity. Everybody needs some extra comfort this year, and what better way to do it than by making some yourself?
Potatoes weren’t always considered to be delicious. In the 1700s, this vegetable was considered only fit for livestock.
They also were thought to be a cause of leprosy, which led them to be banned in France from 1748 to 1772. Herbalists of the time believed that the look of produce was a clue to what they could cure or cause. The potato resembled the hands of a leper, which caused the rumor to begin. This is, of course, false.
Botanists of the time also found the tuber to be in the nightshade family, which gave them a more nefarious reputation.
While potatoes are perhaps most readily associated with Ireland, they are not native to the Emerald Isle.
The tasty tubers were cultivated and consumed first in Peru and Bolivia. They tasted bitter and were, in fact, slightly poisonous.
Interestingly, relatives of llamas found a way to eat them without becoming poisoned. They would lick clay before taking a bite, as the poison would stick to the clay and not make them sick.
The popularity of the potato actually began in prison, with scientist Antoine-Augustin Parmentier. He was captured while serving in the French Army in 1760s, and ended up spending years in a Prussian jail.
He was able to survive by consuming potatoes, and upon his release, even wrote an award-winning essay exalting the tuber.
Parmentier embarked on a publicity tour that included a banquet that featured potatoes for the birthday of King Louis XVI.
To further convince the public, he began growing potatoes in fields guarded by soldiers. Locals became curious as to what was growing, and would wait and watch, trying to learn what the valuable crop must be.
When the potatoes were ready for harvest, the guards were removed and the public ran into the fields and stole the ripe produce.
Potatoes are delicious in a variety of preparations, from French fries and baked potatoes to what we’ll focus on, mashed potatoes.
Parmentier is responsible for coming up with a variety of preparations, and some food historians credit him with inventing the mashed potato during one of his potato preparation publicity stunts in 1771.
Others point to the English, who mashed potatoes and served them with pan drippings in the 1600s.
One of the earliest recipes for this holiday staple is found in “The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy (c.1747) penned by Hannah Glasse.
Her 384-page cookbook was a bestseller for an entire century after its publication, and had 40 editions. Some of those Glasse was involved in, while many were done without her knowledge or consent.
This text was very popular in the original 13 American Colonies, and was a major influence on holiday meals. Founding Fathers Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington all owned a copy.
The secret to these is to mash the potatoes by hand until all the large chunks are gone, and finish by whipping them with a hand or stand mixer.
Peel and cut the potatoes into chunks that are all a similar size. Cover them with cold water and some salt.
Boil for around 10 minutes – they’re done when a fork or knife doesn’t meet resistance when it’s inserted. Drain thoroughly. If I think there’s still some water left, I put the pan back on the burner to evaporate it out.
Slowly add in the butter, cream cheese and milk, beating with a mixer to combine. When half is added, give them a taste and decide what it needs more of. Mix until just combined, add salt and pepper to taste. Chives and garlic are also delicious additions.
Boil for around 10 minutes – they’re done when a fork or knife doesn’t meet resistance when it’s inserted. Drain thoroughly. If I think there’s still some water left, I put the pan back on the burner to evaporate it out.
Slowly add in the butter, cream cheese and milk, beating with a mixer to combine. When half is added, give them a taste and decide what it needs more of. Mix until just combined, add salt and pepper to taste. Chives and garlic are also delicious additions.
One of the earliest recipes for this holiday staple is found in “The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy (c.1747) penned by Hannah Glasse.
When the potatoes were ready for harvest, the guards were removed and the public ran into the fields and stole the ripe produce.
Parmentier embarked on a publicity tour that included a banquet that featured potatoes for the birthday of King Louis XVI.
A version of this article appeared on p. 14 of the November 17, 2022 version of the Daily Nexus.
The best thing about mashed potatoes is how personal they can be. You can make just about any modification to them, as long as they involve soft and creamy potatoes. This holiday season, try something new with your mashed potatoes. Add some new ingredients and make the recipe your own! Happy holidays!
From there, it was a fast track to fame for the potato. The Spanish had recognized its nutritional value and brought it to Europe, and though at first it was shunned (even outlawed in France from 1748-72), considered food for livestock and not fit for human consumption, its belly-filling, energizing qualities were undeniable and soon made it a smash hit. Everyone wanted their hands on the potato gold: the French, the English and, yes, the Irish. Now the potato is the third-most-consumed food source in the world, and people can’t seem to get enough of it.
Every table spread for the holidays consists of staple dishes that we simply cannot do without. Christmas without gingerbread houses? Thanksgiving without turkey? Impossible. While these star dishes take the stage, there is one powerful behind-the-scenes player at hand, a resilient dish that has stood the test of time. For what it may often lack in visual attraction, it makes up for with its creamy, melt-in-the-mouth texture, its subtle nuttiness and its soothing, warm aroma. But just how did mashed potatoes become such a keystone species in the holiday ecosystem?
But who mashed it first? The Andes people were thought to mash their potatoes and eat them, but the earliest verified appearance of mashed potatoes in history is in the 18th century from English author Hanna Glasse’s cookbook, “The Art of Cookery.” The simple wording of the recipe, once overly complicated and restricted to aristocracy, made it accessible to the common man and allowed for it to spread as far as it has today. Today, there are seemingly infinite varieties of the versatile mashed potato. Its simple base flavors allow it to mesh well with a plethora of ingredients, as seen with the Irish variety of mashed potato, the traditional Irish colcannon. It is the adaptability of the mashed potato, its warm disposition, that allowed it to sneak its way onto millions of dining tables every holiday season, and into our hearts as well.
Food History: Mashed Potatoes
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