The History of the Potato: From the Andes to the World
The potato was first cultivated in the Andes of South America around 7,000 to 10,000 years ago. Spanish travellers brought it to Europe in the 16th century, where people at first refused to eat it. Today it is the world’s third most important food crop, after rice and wheat.
The History of Wheat: How Humans Tamed Bread
Humans have been growing wheat for over 10,000 years. Today it covers more farmland than rice and corn combined, and the average person eats around 180–190 grammes of it per day. Its success comes from an unusual genetic trick: wheat has more than two sets of chromosomes.