Just for Kids

Story by Lynn Haley

Who can resist a potato? Not kids who love their fries, that’s for sure. Meet the potato—a veggie with a style all his own…

Spud History

Ever wonder where the potato got its roots?

Think back—way back to 200 B.C. That’s when the Incas first started growing potatoes. In 1536, the Spanish Conquistadors conquered Peru (where the Incas lived) and brought potatoes back to Europe. From there, our friendly potato made his way to Ireland and then eventually to the New World (North America) in the early 1700s.

In 1995, he hit the stars and became the first vegetable to be grown in space on board a NASA (North America Space Aviation) space station.

Chip Talk

Did you know that the potato chips you like munching on were actually created by mistake in 1853?

A railroad executive named Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt complained that his potatoes were cut too thick and sent them back to the kitchen of the fancy hotel he was staying in. The chef, who was very insulted at his guest’s comments, decided to teach him a lesson. So, he sliced the potatoes really thin, put them in hot oil, salted them and served them back to Mr. Vanderbilt. To his great astonishment, Mr. Vanderbilt loved them and asked for more of the ‘Crunchy Chips’!

Spud Stuff

Beyond eating, potatoes were used by many cultures for treating illness.

Here’s three ways the ancient Incas and many early settlers put the humble potato to work (Remember—these are OLD folktales —they don’t really work!)

Toothache? Carry a potato in your pocket
Frostbite? Rub raw grated potato or potato juice on the affected area
Got a zit? Wash your face with cool potato juice (yuk...)

Baked Potatoes - kid style

Help out with dinner at your house tonight and make baked potatoes. You’ll need 4–6 medium-sized potatoes. Turn the oven on to 400°F (205°C) and prick each potato with a fork in about 2–3 places. This keeps them from bursting when they bake. Rub the skins lightly with a little vegetable oil, butter or margarine and then wrap each one in foil. Put the spuds on the centre rack of the oven and bake for about 45–60 minutes. You can tell if they’re done by squeezing one to see it is soft (use an oven mitt to do this so you don’t burn yourself).

Then, put some fun fillings on the table (grated cheese, butter, green onions, chopped tomatoes, bacon bits, butter, sour cream and yogurt) and let everyone fix their spud their own way.

Spud money

Early on, potatoes were recognized for their great nutritional qualities. So much so, they were worth their weight in gold—really. During the Alaskan gold rush, potatoes were so valued for their vitamin C content (it was pretty hard to get oranges or fresh vegetables up to Alaska in those days) that miners traded real gold nuggets for potatoes. On one south Atlantic island, potatoes were used as money, and everything on the island was traded in terms of spuds. How many potatoes do you think it would take to buy a slurpee?

To learn more visit: albertapotatoes.ca/spudsforkids



	Food for Thought Magazine > Current Issue > Past Issues > Food for Thought on CTV > Food for Thought Gift Pack > Photo contest > Subscribe today! > Contest Rules and Regulations > About Food for Thought > Advertising Information Special Content for: > Parents and Teachers > Media > Industry and Producers The GROWING ALBERTA LEADERSHIP AWARDS were presented at the 11th Annual Harvest Gala on October 17th in Calgary. Find out more about the 2008 recipients. Click here. Take your fork on the road - visit Chomp Around Alberta to enjoy Alberta's marvellous food secrets! Visit our Market Place Craving quality Alberta food or innovative services? See what's new in Growing Alberta's Market Place.	Just for Kids Story by Lynn Haley Who can resist a potato? Not kids who love their fries, that’s for sure. Meet the potato—a veggie with a style all his own… Spud History Ever wonder where the potato got its roots? Think back—way back to 200 B.C. That’s when the Incas first started growing potatoes. In 1536, the Spanish Conquistadors conquered Peru (where the Incas lived) and brought potatoes back to Europe. From there, our friendly potato made his way to Ireland and then eventually to the New World (North America) in the early 1700s. In 1995, he hit the stars and became the first vegetable to be grown in space on board a NASA (North America Space Aviation) space station. Chip Talk Did you know that the potato chips you like munching on were actually created by mistake in 1853? A railroad executive named Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt complained that his potatoes were cut too thick and sent them back to the kitchen of the fancy hotel he was staying in. The chef, who was very insulted at his guest’s comments, decided to teach him a lesson. So, he sliced the potatoes really thin, put them in hot oil, salted them and served them back to Mr. Vanderbilt. To his great astonishment, Mr. Vanderbilt loved them and asked for more of the ‘Crunchy Chips’! Spud Stuff Beyond eating, potatoes were used by many cultures for treating illness. Here’s three ways the ancient Incas and many early settlers put the humble potato to work (Remember—these are OLD folktales —they don’t really work!) Toothache? Carry a potato in your pocket Frostbite? Rub raw grated potato or potato juice on the affected area Got a zit? Wash your face with cool potato juice (yuk...) Baked Potatoes - kid style Help out with dinner at your house tonight and make baked potatoes. You’ll need 4–6 medium-sized potatoes. Turn the oven on to 400°F (205°C) and prick each potato with a fork in about 2–3 places. This keeps them from bursting when they bake. Rub the skins lightly with a little vegetable oil, butter or margarine and then wrap each one in foil. Put the spuds on the centre rack of the oven and bake for about 45–60 minutes. You can tell if they’re done by squeezing one to see it is soft (use an oven mitt to do this so you don’t burn yourself). Then, put some fun fillings on the table (grated cheese, butter, green onions, chopped tomatoes, bacon bits, butter, sour cream and yogurt) and let everyone fix their spud their own way. Spud money Early on, potatoes were recognized for their great nutritional qualities. So much so, they were worth their weight in gold—really. During the Alaskan gold rush, potatoes were so valued for their vitamin C content (it was pretty hard to get oranges or fresh vegetables up to Alaska in those days) that miners traded real gold nuggets for potatoes. On one south Atlantic island, potatoes were used as money, and everything on the island was traded in terms of spuds. How many potatoes do you think it would take to buy a slurpee? To learn more visit: albertapotatoes.ca/spudsforkids	Subscribe Today! Subscribe to Food for Thought magazine and never miss another issue again. Food for Thought on CTV Get the recipes of Alberta chefs featured on CTV. Enter to Win! Complete the Food for Thought reader response card and you will be entered to win some great prizes! Where to Find Food for Thought Copies of Food for Thought are available at the following grocery stores & outlets during March, June, September and December: Bigway Calgary Co-op Canada Safeway Save-On-Foods Sunterra Markets Super A Receive Food for Thought Online! Sign up now! Ask the Editor Submit your question or comments. Enjoy delicious recipes every week from the bestselling Company's Coming cookbooks. To view PDFs of the magazine you'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader or aren't sure click here to get your free copy.

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