The good potato – from international guarantor of meals safety to cultural worth. Dimante story researcher / Article

Potatoes in Latvian tradition

It’s identified that Imantas Ziedonis had a particular relationship with potatoes. So particular that the poet even wished to not anticipate a breath of roses from him, as a result of he’s a potato flower.

“In the event you solely eat potatoes,” he stated, “then I’ll let you know about love in useless. However, love eats potatoes too, and you’ll not lose every little thing when you have not observed how which potatoes are rising.”

The Ziedonis Basis “Viegli” continues to construct in honor of the potato. As soon as upon a time, the Cultural Potato Area was opened, the place Potato Area Radio performed good music for potatoes.

As one of many cultural values ​​of Latvia, the potato acquired a particular standing 10 years in the past, when Riga was the “European Capital of Tradition 2014”. Then the magnificent “Potato Opera” was created, whose attention-grabbing libretto tells in regards to the path of the small potato from the Andes mountains in South America by way of the royal homes of Europe to the nation of Latvia.

World Potato Congress

However not solely is tradition broadly mentioned, it seems that World Potato Conferences are held recurrently all over the world (World Potato Congress (WPC) – English), which brings collectively potato growers, seed breeders, breeding firms, processors, representatives of manufacturing applied sciences, in addition to researchers. Scientists from the Institute of Agricultural Assets and Economics, together with Dimante, may also take part in them with papers and analysis displays.

“Potato science is sort of a huge microcosm for us, as a result of each continent on this planet has a connection that brings collectively individuals who research potatoes,” stated Dimante.

As soon as each three years, the World Potato Congress is held on one of many world’s continents, and this yr in June it was held for the twelfth time – this time in Australia. There are additionally potatoes in honor.

“Potatoes are eaten all around the world. If we really feel that consumption is lowering, in different elements of the world it’s growing considerably. Potato is a worldwide meals safety middle.

Despite the fact that they’re at present in third place in human consumption after wheat and rice, potatoes are higher by way of dietary worth by one and two and a half heads,” stated Dimante.

Potato as guarantor of security

Dimante identified that within the final ten years, the notion of the position of potatoes within the financial system and tradition of the world has modified considerably. They’re the guarantor of geopolitical safety fears and meals crises.

“Now, at this convention, above all, the message was that many years have handed, when scientists have studied potatoes fastidiously, in order that talked, after they discuss their dietary worth, and now the message is that it’s protected –

potatoes must be eaten not solely to have power, however potatoes must be eaten as a result of with them we surprisingly present ourselves with nearly all the mandatory vitamins,” stated Dimante.

From the viewpoint of preserving diet, it’s endorsed to prepare dinner potatoes within the oven – complete and with all of the pores and skin. If till now potatoes have largely been in comparison with cereals by way of dietary worth, now many nations nonetheless acknowledge them as greens.

“Along with greens that comprise high-quality proteins, which can also be very uncommon. In our minds, potatoes are usually not related to proteins. The truth is, the principle which means of potatoes, the place they assist us and serve us splendidly, is to cut back. starvation, however starvation not solely as an absence of meals, but in addition as an absence of full meals and diet,” stated Dimante.

Traditionally, it was rising and consuming potatoes that helped Europe develop and dominate the world. Due to potatoes, meals turned simpler to purchase and manpower was freed as much as construct factories, stated Dimante. Many historians imagine that it was solely on account of potato cultivation that the economic revolution may start and progress quickly.

At present, in fact, potatoes are extra vital in African and Asian nations to cut back starvation.

Potatoes in science and artwork

Dimante has additionally simply returned from the European Potato Analysis Affiliation convention in Norway.

“This, in flip, is an occasion at a really excessive scientific degree. Generally it’s troublesome for individuals to know – how? Potatoes and science? What’s it? However

potatoes have scientific organizations, potatoes have scientific journals with very excessive requirements. It is a huge, deep science,” Dimante stated.

In her thesis, which has acquired recognition – in asserting the promotion prize “Science in observe and innovation” on the competitors of the Ministry of Agriculture “Sējējs 2023” – Dimante assessed the potential for growing the effectivity of potato tubers.

The potato was additionally a unifying aspect of the convention she organized in Cēsis this spring.

The county of Cēsi and Priekulis normally might be referred to as the potato coronary heart of Latvia

– right here within the nineteenth century. In the midst of the yr, the primary trials of potato varieties have been established, however in 1931, the creation and choice of new varieties started.

Historians, literary students, artwork students and artists spoke on the convention, together with the artist Jeffrey Allen Value (Jeffrey Allen Value) from the US, who research the multifaceted impression of the potato in artwork, tradition and philosophy and coined the time period “potato” or “kartupelism”.

“We have been hoping for at the very least a video discuss from this potato artist Jeffrey Allen Value from New York, however he stated – no, why a video, he involves Cesis! That is how he got here to us to speak about potatoes in artwork. That is how we gathered completely different branches of science round potato individuals who have potatoes as a unifying theme,” stated Dimante. The potato is a novel and highly effective image that unites completely different individuals in several contexts, she concluded.