The Daily Spud.
Dispatches from the Spudvolution. Investigations, experiments, propaganda. 100% factual within reason.
France Banned the Potato for 24 Years, Citing Leprosy, Lumps, and the Bible
From 1748 to 1772, the potato was illegal in France. The official 1748 decree cited fears it would 'inflame the humours' and cause leprosy.
Read → 4 min readPrussia Issued a Royal Decree Mandating Potato Cultivation. Its Author Is Remembered as 'The Potato King.'
In 1756, Frederick the Great signed the Kartoffelbefehl — a royal order requiring Prussians to cultivate potatoes. Visitors still leave potatoes on his grave.
Read → 3 min readSitting Vice President Spelled Potato 'Potatoe' in 1992, Working From a School Cue Card That Had Also Spelled It Wrong
On June 15, 1992, VP Dan Quayle corrected 12-year-old William Figueroa's correct spelling of 'potato' to 'potatoe.' The cue card was wrong. Quayle later called it 'a defining moment of the worst kind imaginable.'
Read → 3 min readAre Potatoes Actually Smarter Than Us? A Totally Unbiased Investigation
For centuries, potatoes have been dismissed as simple, starchy root vegetables, existing only to be fried, mashed, or smothered in cheese. But what if we've been underestimating them?
Read → 3 min readCan You Use a Potato as a Dating Strategy? We Tried.
Can a potato improve your dating life? We put it to the test. From holding a spud in public to using potato-themed pickup lines, our experiment reveals whether starch is the ultimate secret to romance. Spoiler: it's weirdly effective.
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