Potato-based recipes are now ever-present on our menus, but the spread of these tubers in Europe is relatively recent. Here are some surprising recipes with potatoes that were trendy in centuries gone-by.

Potatoes arrived in Europe around the mid-1500s and were initially used as ornamental plants. They only really became part of European diets from the mid-1700s, partly due to famines, which led to their widespread cultivation and an appreciation of their versatility. Also known in the 1800s in Italy as ‘pomi di terra’, we find them in various recipes from around that time, some of which are ancient versions of now well-known recipes, while others are peculiar dishes that have fallen out of use. Here are some of them.

Potato pudding
From the “Menestrina” cookbook (Aldo Bertoluzza, 18th Century Trentino Cuisine, in De Coquina, vol. II, U.C.T., Trento 1990), this recipe dates back to the early decades of the 1800s. The pudding was made with mashed boiled potatoes to get a thick, creamy mixture, which was then mixed with sugar, lemon, eggs and milk, and cooked for 30 minutes.

Stuffed potatoes
From “Home cooking for people who love to combine flavour and savings, with five useful sections on fruit, wine, ice cream, sweet liqueurs and making desserts” (Anonymous, Palermo, 1835, Anastatic reprint, Editori del Sole, Caltanissetta, 2003), this recipe is for potatoes stuffed with rice cooked in broth, egg yolk, parmesan and pepper. Once the filling had been added, they were rolled in flour, fried and then seasoned with tomato sauce or chickpea purée.

English-style potato lattata
A real classic dish: mashed potatoes. Also known in Italian by its ancient name of ‘lattata’, it was sometimes made by adding sugar as well, alongside cream, butter and salt, in order to minimise the sharp or sour notes.

Mini potato baskets
From “The king of cooks” by Giovanni Nelli from 1863, this is a simple, rich vegetarian recipe. The potatoes were first cut in half and the inside was hollowed out. They were then cooked in white stock and butter and, once cooked, they were drained and stuffed with peas, asparagus, Brussels sprouts and green beans.

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