The potato is one of the series of roots that can be cooked into edible food. Roots have always been of less interest to civilised societies because they're so wet and heavy. For anyone who lives in a settled society with cities, root eating is a sign of basically being more like animals. The poor of Europe had to be bludgeoned into adopting the potato in the 17th and 18th century.
Rachel Laudan, visiting scholar at the University of Texas and author of Cuisine and Empire, talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the history of food. Topics covered include the importance of grain, the spread of various styles of cooking, why French cooking has elite status, and the reach of McDonald's. The conversation concludes with a discussion of the appeal of local food and other recent food passions.