<http://schema.org/articleBody>
" Fry it, mash it, gratin it, bake it \u2014 the potato is one versatile food. But spuds aren&amp;#039;t just a cornerstone for comfort food; they helped shape the world we live in today. More from Delish: Hot Potato Recipes A recent Smithsonian article adapted from the book, 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created, by Charles C. Mann, traces the potato back to its roots. First eaten in the Andes, where 5,000 varieties of potatoes grow, then snacked on by the Spaniards in the 1500s, then exported to France and the Netherlands, the potato quickly grew from an everyday spud to what is currently the fifth most important crop worldwide. When the potato first arrived in France, it was looked at cautiously. Who would eat this hideous, bulbous root? According to Mann, it was the potato&amp;#039;s blossoms that popularized it. Marie Antoinette put them in her hair and her husband, Louis XVI, put one in his buttonhole. It became fashionable to grow and harvest potatoes. More from Delish: Healthy Potato Side Dish Recipes After they tried it, Europeans immediately accepted the potato into their lives. Not only was it packed with calories and versatile, it also was easy to grow \u2014 and grow it did. Since they develop underground, potatoes are not limited in growth by the strength of the plant. They have been known to hit more than twenty pounds. Once potato crops were in the ground, residents in northern Europe breathed a sigh of relief. Many historians believe that the arrival of the potato meant the end of famine. That meant that the population could flourish. In Mann&amp;#039;s words, &amp;quot;The potato...fueled the rise of the West.&amp;quot; More from Delish: 11 Tempting Potato Soups If it weren&amp;#039;t for the potato, who knows how the world would be different today? But more immediately, who knows what you would be making as an easy, delicious side dish. Luckily, the potato is here to stay. Here are just a few ways to prepare the history-altering tuber. Recipes for the Versatile Potato        Crispy French Fries      Potato Soup with Spicy Shrimp      Crispy Rosemary Potato Chips        Camembert Mashed Potatoes      Twice-Baked Potato      Two-Tone Potato Salad     "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.delish.com/cooking/news/a38916/the-history-of-the-potato/?src=shelter_footer>