Potato history and the historic country inn at Camino real Kings'Highway

Tenerife's potato history goes back to Juan Bautista de Castro. This man owned finca Casa la Pared at Icod el Alto and brought the potato from Peru. He found it in the region of Ayacucho. The latter was conquered, i.e.fortified by the Spanish from from 1532-1537.

What is a potato?

So the potato or Tenerife papa is a vegetable which belongs to the family of nightshadow growers.

It puts up with poor, sandy soil and can grow in altitudes, as happened in the Peruvian Andes. However, it doesn't like
the sun or whet feet. In fact, it stores best in a cool, dark and dry place, such as in a potato bed, where air can enter from all sides.

Potato history of growing habits Tenerife

The Tenerife potato grows by el Guindaste Rambla del Mar, almost by the sea. It also does well at over 1000m. However, it wouldn't be practical to grow it above Tenerife's mistbelt which stops at about 1200-1500 meters.

Icod el Alto, la Guancha, some parts of San Juan de la Rambla, Palo Alto of Los Realejos and specific areas of la Orotava are good for potatoes. Some spots at Isla Baja tolerate potatoes.

Potato sorts by region

Are purple potatoes bad?

How prepare potatoes

The potato must be boiled or steamed until very soft or it must be baked or fried which can be in foil or oil.

When did Tinerfeños start eating potatoes?

We know from Juan de Castro's descendant Dr.Juan Bautista Bandini that the potato had become a stable diet all over Tenerife by all classes by 1816. It was only eaten by everybody in Europe by 1780, as people were sceptic. They didn't trust a plant whose leaves were poisonous and whose raw bulbs were just as lethal.

Funny French potato history

There's a comic story told about a Parisien called Monsieur Parmentier. He was a pharmacist and he believed totally in the goodness of the potato. He had been fed on it. He planted potatoes on a 50 acre plot outside Paris. He had it patrolled all day. People must have thought that that chemist was trying to grow gold. Those were the days of alchemie, you know...

Eventually, they all bought the miracle root. That's how the French fries and Brussel's Fritten came about, much later.

A sad potato history about blight

A country must never become dependent on one single crop, That could be rice, wheat, potatoes or whatever. Potato blight caused havoc in Ireland. It was fatal until, France found a cure much too late.

Potato history of distribution in Tenerife?

La Pared was a historical country inn. It accommodated men and beast, while they travelled on Tenerife's vital Camino Real or Kings's Highway all around the Island, until tourism started. The Casa la Pared with its 200000m2 was one of fincas in Tenerife which took everybody in.

It made history for being warm and helpful. Rich and poor were also fed potatoes besides gofio whose flour was home made with the help of a grain grinder on the farm. Monks, traders, farmers, you name them... They all past by this welcoming country inn 500 m above sea level. There they also rested their horses or donkeys. Needless to say is that the finca's fame has lived on for centuries. Today, hardly any farming is done there. However, the nearby school Colegio la Pared borrowed its name. It passes on its good reputation in a similar social spirit.

How spend the night in Icod el Alto, nowadays?

By the way, finca Tenerife La Hacienda de los Principes of Adelentado de Lugo was located in Los Realejos bajo. This must have been connected with the Camino Real somehow, as a country road is still going past there up the mountains. However, the conqueror of Tenerife probably only admitted very selected visitors.

History of potatoes Germany and Wodka

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From potato history back to Los Realejos where the historial country inn is part of.

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