My Father's Instant Mashed Potatoes
11 days ago
- #food-culture
- #consumerism
- #history
- The author recounts their childhood dislike for mashed potatoes, which they found repulsive due to texture and taste, contrasting with their father's love for them.
- A transformative experience at a restaurant led the author to realize that real mashed potatoes are delicious, unlike the instant version their father ate at home.
- The history of potatoes is explored, from their domestication in the Andes to their spread across the world, highlighting their cultural and nutritional significance.
- The impact of the Irish Potato Famine is discussed, showing how it shaped Irish emigration and the author's own family history with potatoes.
- The development of instant mashed potatoes is detailed, from WWII military rations to post-war convenience foods, and how they differ from traditional mashed potatoes.
- The author critiques the 'IMPish' pattern in modern society, where authentic experiences are replaced by convenient but inferior substitutes across various domains.
- A call to recognize and preserve the 'real' in culture and cuisine, distinguishing between authentic traditions and their modern, often less satisfying, imitations.