this post was submitted on 08 Nov 2023
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Today I Learned (TIL)

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You learn something new every day; what did you learn today?

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[–] [email protected] 74 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The same story is told about German emperor Friedrich. I doubt both versions.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Loool same story here in Greece about the first head of state of indipendent Greece (Ioannis Kapodistrias). What was going on 200years ago?

[–] [email protected] 27 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Petty potato pilfering.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I never heard about that version, but the Parmentier one is quite well known.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Funny, other way around for me.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I guess it depends on which country you’re from :P

[–] NOT_RICK 41 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

The Colombian exchange must have been such a wild time. Imagine having access to half a world of new stuff with ignorance of invasive organisms

[–] shalafi 37 points 1 year ago (2 children)

In retrospect it's funny that anyone needed to be convinced of the value, because potatoes pack a lot of bang for the buck regarding calories. Grab a sack of any given variety and quintuple it in just a couple of months. And then do it again. Forever.

If you haven't tried growing them, it's easy and fun. Make a loose pile of dirt in a sunny spot, chunk potatoes pieces in it, wait, receive more.

[–] agent_flounder 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My first try did not go well lol. Maybe next year.

But anyway, they're awesome. Full of nutrients and calories and they can keep for a long time if done properly.

And so many things you can cook up with them.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It gets even harder the more years you grow them, since at some point the potato beetles are going to find you and start setting up shop

[–] valkyre09 14 points 1 year ago

What a tragic fucking end to the Martian that would have been

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Do you grow cassava and taro?

People who grow up steeped in tradition can take a little extra convincing to incorporate new things into their lives.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Also the man behind the french dish, hachis parmentier. A basic version of the shepherd's pie. "Hachis" pronounced "ha-shi" meaning the ingredients were "hachés" or minced.

[–] Zeshade 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

It's pronounced more like "a-shi". Obviously we don't pronounced the first "h".

[–] Buck 4 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] Zeshade 1 points 1 year ago

That's good to know!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Aren't potato fruits highly toxic? Might have given the passerby the wrong idea on which part of the plant to eat.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

People were hesitant to eat them (and tomatoes) at first due to both being family of the nightshade family, which are generally toxic.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I was referring to the fruits that grow off of the potato plant, they look a lot like tomatoes but IIRC only the root is edible.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Wild! Such an interesting psychological test at the same time!

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This is actually where the word perimeter comes from.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

early 15c., perimetre, "circumference, outer boundary, or border of a figure or surface," from Latin perimetros, from Greek perimetron "circumference.

Not really

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

It is often misattributed to ancient linguistic roots, yet its true origins are far more recent, tied to the mystique of guarded plots. This term evolved to embody a boundary that incites curiosity and the allure of the forbidden. More than a measure, it's a testament to the narratives that shape our language.