FrenchFries"Littlefry,whomadethee?"Inthebeginningwasthepotato.HowitfounditswayfromtheSouthAmericanhighlandsintothoselittlesacksofMcDonald'sfriesisalong,adventuroustale,involvingConquistadors,MarieAntoinette,andThomasJefferson.Millionaireshavebeenmadeandmillionsmorehavediedfromdependenceonthatsimple,innocentpotato.Here,then,isthestoryofthespud,whichreacheditscrowningachievementonlyonceithadbeenpairedwithoil.ThepotatoseemstoustodaytobesuchastaplefoodthatitishardtobelievethatithasonlybeenacceptedasediblebymostoftheWesternworldforthepast200years.Ourstorybeginsthousandsofyearsago,inSouthAmerica—Peru,Ecuador,andtheNorthernpartofChile,tobeexact—wheretheAndeanIncasfirstdiscoveredpotatoesgrowingwildinthehighlands,andwerecultivatingthemasearlyas750BC.Aswellasbeingtheirstaplesourceoffood,theIncasalsousedpotatoesfortellingtime,treatingillnessandinjury,anddivination.Theyworshippedpotatodeities,andwhenpotatocropsfailed,thenosesandlipsofafewunluckyIncaswouldbemutilatedinceremoniesdesignedtoappeasethepotatogods.AlthoughtheIncasdidmanythingswiththeirpotatoes,theydidnotfrythem.Instead,theirmostpopularpotatodishinvolvedlayingthemoutinthesunforaperiodofweeks,thentramplingonthemwiththeirbarefeettogetalloftheliquidsout.Yummy.Potatoeswereawell-keptIncansecretforthousandsofyears,asweretheIncasthemselves,until,intheearlydecadesofthesixteenthcentury,theSpanishconqueredtheIncanempireandbroughtsomeofthestrangelittletubersbacktoSpainwiththem.TheSpaniards,however,werenottookeenonconsumingwhattheycalledan"ediblestone."Nevertheless,theinvadingsoldiersinSouthAmericausedthevegetableasemergencyprovisions,anditwastherethattheEnglishwereintroducedtothecharmingspud.In1596,EnglishmanSirFrancisDrake,settingsailforEnglandafterhavingsuccessfullybattledtheSpanishintheCaribbean,grabbedupsomepotatoesforthetrip,andmadeastopoverinVirginiatopickupsomehomesickBritishcolonialists.Oneofthesepassengerstookasampleofthisintriguingplanttohishorticulturistfriend,JohnGerard.Gerardmista