I don't think anyone here appreciates just how important

I read that they made it harder for moving armies to steal food
Not sure what book possibly by Charles Mann

>>2731522
I do. Saved many from starvation around the world, and it's very easy to cultivate. Also fuck the Anglos for what they did to the Irish.

Any other reasons why? Easy to grow? Nutritious?

>>2731522
It boomed Europes population which allowed them to prosper despite their constant warfare with each other. It fucked up the Irish though.

>>2731522
I do, but my family is from Peru.

File: IMG_1213.jpg (59KB, 358x450px)

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I always thought it was cool that if you have potatoes and access to dairy, that covers a vast majority of nutritional needs and you can survive on just that for quite a while.

>Hey, my dear Mickie, look what I've got for you! A yummy 'tatoe! Come get it. Oops, it vanished. Haha, I'm kidding with you! Here, have it, you merry old chap. Oopsie, it really vanished this time! My mate Nigel must have taken it, he was in the mood for some fish and chips this morning. See you, mate.

>>2731606
What if you're lactose intolerant?

>>2731626
Then you're defective and nobody cares if you live or die

>>2731626
You'd be malnourished

>>2731543

Yes, in addition to being pretty adaptable, hardy, and productive.

In general, tubers from the Americas were a big thing for everyone. They made for a population explosion practically everywhere, for good and bad.

>>2731541

Not quite. Tubers (among other things) being introduced into China led to overpopulation, which contributed to the decline of Qing in the 19th century. They also led to unsustainable population growth in Ireland, which was as much a factor in the Famine as English negligence.

>>2731541

>perfect survival food
>the Irish can't even do that right

>>2731522
Half of my countries' traditional cuisine consists of potatoes, which were introduced to my region in late 18th century by Scottish farmers

I appreciate them every day

Explain why the potatos failed the irish

>>2731681
Turns out monocropping can go south when a blight rolls through.

>>2731681
Potatos have good and bad qualities.
The good, such as nutrients and being able to be planted in bad quality land.

But the bad qualities? If planted wrong, without anything to compliment or, or too little soil rotation, it "cleans" the earth.
It also isn't completely buried, so its still capable of being infected by bird shit induced blight.

>>2731681
>Excessive reliance on potato due to poverty and Anglo colonialism
>Potato prone to pests and disease due to centuries of genetic manipulation
>Potato infected by disease which was happening all around Europe
>Irish starve
>Anglos fumble relief efforts because of emergent liberal capitalism

>>2731626
Then you're a nigger

>>2731541
Those were Irish nobles exporting potatoes
Anglos did nothing wrong

>>2731734
anglos were forcing the irish nobles to export potatoes

>>2731701
>>2731679
The current varieties of potatoes are hardly nutritious however compared to some older and at least the blue variant
Blue potatoes aren't as easy to farm however

But I don't know that much about the older variants except for the blue ones. I do know the modern variants are basically all starch.

>>2731742
yeah, sure thing

The Irish potato famine may have actually been one of the defining moments of European history.

Historically, Ireland and England had roughly the same populations. Higher birthrates meant that their population was starting to actually grow faster before the famine hit, and they were growing substantially faster than the European population at large. Today, there are more people of Irish descent in the world than English, despite Ireland itself having less than 10% of the English population. It's very likely that, had the potato famine not happened, Ireland could have actually become one of the major European nations in modern times.

>>2731787
>Historically, Ireland and England had roughly the same populations
First of all, "historically" is meaningless without a reference point. Second, Ireland did not have roughly the same population mass as England.

>>2731661
That was mostly corn and sweet potato in China.

Irelands issue was just lack of biodiversity, they could have had even more crofters comfortablely

>>2731626
Lactose intolerance does nothing but make your belly feel uncomfortable and maybe your shits loose. You still digest all the macronutrients even if you can't handle the lactose. So, if you were a lactose intolerant Irish peasant you'd fucking deal with it.

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>>2731522
>mfw potatoes caused the horrific overpopulation we now experience

File: Colorado Potato Beetle.jpg (48KB, 500x357px)

48KB, 500x357px

>>2731522
*Blocks your path*

>>2731787
>Today, there are more people of Irish descent in the world than English, despite Ireland itself having less than 10% of the English population
Because Amerimutts claim to be Irish if they have 1 Irish grand father.Shaq Oneill is an Irish by American standards.If you did the same to English their population would be like 400 million people and Spaniards would have like 750 million people

>>2733216
Same thing.

Ireland's issue had to do with a lot of things. Aside from English negligence, there was also the matter of ever-diminishing farming plots, lack of transport infrastructure inland, and so forth. Point is, the situation was unsustainable for long.