How the French Fry Saved France

In 1785 France there were a series of unusually cold winters that destroyed the crops and caused a terrible famine that left the nation on the brink of starvation.  One man thinks he can solve it.  Forty-eight-year-old pharmacist Antoine-Augustin Parmentier was dedicated and passionate about using his knowledge to help France in its time of need.

He learned of a plant hardy enough to survive France's cold winters that grow underground and requires very little water. It also contains most of the nutrients that people require to live.  This miracle plant? The humble potato.  He believed the French needed a basic vegetable to rebuild their diet and the potato was it.

The potato was introduced to Europe by Spanish explorers returning from South America in the 1500s. Since then lots of other countries have added it to their diets--but not everyone.  Parmentier tries to convince the people to eat the potato but they refuse. They believe it to be cursed and evil.  The leaves of the potato resemble those of the deadly nightshade plant which was thought to be used in witchcraft and sorcery.  The potato scared people who thought if you ate one you might fall under the influence of a witch or a devil.

Parmentier published a paper in a medical journal arguing for the potato and posted it everywhere but to no avail.  Then inspiration strikes.  He asks King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette of France to hold a banquette where he would serve them many fine potato dishes.  He offers up potato soup, boiled potatoes, potato casserole. But the most popular was thinly cut slices of potato that had been fried, called pomme fries, or what we today call french fries.  The dinner party was a huge success.  Everybody loved the food served. This would be one of many dinner parties he would have. Some would include such exalted guests as Benjamin Franklin and Antoine Lavoisier.   Cookbooks were published and fields were set aside to grow them and soon the peasants were following the example of their royal counterparts and began eating the potato and France managed to stave off a famine all due to the brilliance of Parmentier and the wonder of the potato and the magic of french fries.