I went on a walk today with my Swedish class and was happy we stopped at the statue of Jonas Alströmer downtown by Lilla Torget. I have been wanting to take a better look at the statue ever since I heard Alströmer is known as the Potato King (Potatiskungen) of Sweden. Apparently he popularized potato farming (and I suppose eating) in the early 1700's, when the majority of Swedes were very poor and, presto change-o, became the Potato King. He also got everyone calling the tasty tubers "potatis" instead of "jordäpplen" (earth apples -- which is what the Germans still call them), so I figure he had a good sense of humor too, because "potatis" is just funny to say.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The Potato King
I went on a walk today with my Swedish class and was happy we stopped at the statue of Jonas Alströmer downtown by Lilla Torget. I have been wanting to take a better look at the statue ever since I heard Alströmer is known as the Potato King (Potatiskungen) of Sweden. Apparently he popularized potato farming (and I suppose eating) in the early 1700's, when the majority of Swedes were very poor and, presto change-o, became the Potato King. He also got everyone calling the tasty tubers "potatis" instead of "jordäpplen" (earth apples -- which is what the Germans still call them), so I figure he had a good sense of humor too, because "potatis" is just funny to say.
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2 comments:
The Potato King made me think of that part in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, when he pretends to be Abe Froman, the Sausage King of Chicago. I'd like to be the Bacon Queen if at all possible. :)
Hi Nevada,
love your blog that I sometimes visit during lunch break. Since I saw your note that you appreciate comments I wanted to leave one. Well, the one thing that caught my eye is that we usually say "Kartoffel" in German and hardly anyone uses "Erdaepfel". I think this was due to the French, anyways, with their "pommes de terre" from where we of course have the German "Pommes" for French fries.
Anyways, wish I could write!
BTW, in Germany Friedrich the Great is credited with forcing the potato on the Prussian farmers, if I remember my history correctly.
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