the big bang, potatoes, and imperialism
Approximately 13.7 billion years ago, the big bang occurred. The universe was hot and dense, but cooled and expanded over time, forming hydrogen, helium, galaxies, and stars—which then formed all of the heavier elements.[1]. Around 4.2 billion years ago, the earth was formed, and the first significant life began to form during the Precambrian period.[2] From this early life, the potato eventually evolved and grew natively in modern day Peru.[3] Humans eventually became dependent upon agriculture, which led to population increase, the development of cities, and therefore systems of government, bureaucracy, and inequality.[4] The potato was transferred to Europe via the Columbian exchange in the late 1400’s, and it has been argued that it played a strong role in ending famine, feeding growing populations, and even assisted powerful European nations in colonial behavior. The flowers from potato plants were worn by notables such as Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, in an attempt to attract more Frenchmen to plant and eat potatoes.[5] The initial use and spread of the potato by itself has had many political implications, from the formation of cities to colonialism. However, the potato has another popular use; making vodka.
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This video is an example of the depth of the history of the potato. Without bringing vodka into the equation, the vegetable has had a serious, visible impact on the modern world, from an agricultural and political standpoint.
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Historians must tread lightly when analyzing the origins and development of vodka in Eastern Europe. Ukrainians, Russians, and Poles have all made claims on the beverage, and it is common, if absurd, to stumble across claims of vodka being invented by a member of any of those three nationalities in the 11th and 12th centuries. Fact can only place vodka—or wodka--being distilled as early as the 13th century, for medicinal use. It is safest to say that vodka originated in Eastern Europe. Near the end of the 16th century, nearly 100 years after the Columbian Exchange began, vodka transformed from a rarely used, medicinal concoction, made with rye, fruit, and then potatoes, to a recreational drink.[6]
Eastern European nations seem to have latched on to vodka as a symbol of nationalism. It is a beverage that several nations can claim as their own, and it dates back to a time that many people in that region are nostalgic for, before the soviet union, the world wars, and the development of indisputably tyrannical governments. Poland, for example, has several nostalgic brand names that call back to times past. Some are named after traditional clothing, others are named after folk heroes who managed to rise up against, or outsmart foreign invaders or rulers. An example of this is the vodka Drzymalowka, named after a man named Michal Dryzmala, who evaded Prussian zoning laws on a technicality and garnered wides pread fame. According to one expert, “In the dying days of occupying empires, vodka bottles and advertisements were able to act as crypto-patriotic declarations of Polishmess.”.[7] It is no wonder, then, that vodka seems to represent Eastern European nations, even to people in the West who have never traveled to them. Footnotes [1] "1/12/15." Lecture, Zoom: A History of Everything from University of Michigan , Ann Arbor [2] "1/21/15." Lecture, Zoom: A History of Everything from University of Michigan , Ann Arbor [3] Mann, Charles C. "How the Potato Changed the World." Smithsonianmag.com. November 1, 2011. Accessed April 2, 2015. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-potato-changed-the-world-108470605/?no-ist. [4]"2/25/15." Lecture, Zoom: A History of Everything from University of Michigan , Ann Arbor [5] Mann, Charles C. “How the Potato Changed the World” [6] Simpson, Scott. “History and Mythology of Polish Vodka: 1270-2007.” Food and History 8, no. 1/2010 (2011): 121-48. Accessed March 15, 2015. Brepolis.metapress.com. [7] Simpson, Scott. "History and Mythology of Polish Vodka" |