The Irish lived and died by the potato brought to the Island
from the New World
By Sir Walter Raleigh in 1589 as a cheap nourishing food for the Irish to dine
Slowly the ease of growing it and the nutrition gained by
eating it
Potatoes dominated the Irish plates and cash generated made it hard to from the
diet quit
The population grew, and prosperity was on an upward path
Trickling down to even tenant farmers but fungi always have
the last laugh
In 1845 the annual potato crop began to fail from the P. infestans mold
By turning it into a slimy mass that could not be eaten of sold
The Irish farmer tenants were left with only a Hobson choice
In a British ruled island on which they had little voice
Die from starvation caused by the Potato Famine or from the nation flee
Many chose the United States they viewed as the land of opportunity
Treated like dogs and crammed into tenement slums where they died like flies
A deadly lesson not to be easily forgotten of the dangers of potato to rely
Famine memories may not have lasted long
Plates of meat and potatoes over time at meals would belong
Today with obesity more of a challenge and Type II diabetes running free
The potato especially fried has become the cuisine bête
noire to see
The icons of nutrition sounded the alarm
Eat potatoes and the increased risk of Type II diabetes will
you harm
But the studies did not separate the baked and mashed spuds
from what tagged along
All the butter, sour cream and bacon to maintain health did not belong
New studies now tout that baked potatoes by themselves do not raise the Type II
risk
High in fiber, low in calories, and high in vitamins so should not be banned
from the food list
© December 26, 2022 Michael P. Ridley aka The Alaskanpoet
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