This episode dives into the surprising history of how potatoes became a staple of French cuisine, including the legendary staged “potato heist” that helped convince a skeptical public to finally eat them. We explore the clever marketing strategies behind Antoine-Augustin Parmentier’s campaign, from guarded potato fields at Versailles to royal endorsements designed to transform a distrusted crop into a national ingredient.

Along the way, we unpack how food myths, political messaging, and cultural perception shape what people are willing to eat. From famine-era food policy to the social psychology behind culinary trends, this conversation reveals how something as ordinary as the potato became central to French food culture.

If you are interested in French culinary history, food myths, agricultural politics, or the surprising stories behind everyday ingredients, this episode offers a fascinating look at how the potato changed the way France eats.

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Potatoes are one of the most iconic ingredients in French cuisine today. But for centuries, the French refused to eat them.

In this episode of Fishwives of Paris, Emily Monaco and Caroline Fazeli uncover the strange and fascinating story of how the humble potato went from feared outsider to beloved staple of French cooking. Once thought to cause leprosy and plague, potatoes were even banned in France for a period of time before a determined pharmacist named Antoine-Augustin Parmentier began campaigning to change public opinion.

Through a mix of clever marketing, royal influence, and a staged “potato heist” at Versailles, Parmentier helped transform how the French viewed this Peruvian import. Along the way, Emily and Caroline explore how potatoes traveled from South America to Europe, why the French were so suspicious of them, and how they eventually became the foundation of classic dishes like pommes puree, gratin dauphinois, and hachis Parmentier.

This episode reveals how culinary myths are created, how food traditions evolve, and how one clever campaign helped change the course of French cuisine.

Places Mentioned in This Episode:

Père Lachaise Cemetery (Paris)

This famous Paris cemetery is the final resting place of Antoine-Augustin Parmentier. Visitors sometimes leave potatoes on his grave as a playful tribute to the man who helped introduce them to French cuisine.

Versailles (Chateau de Versailles)

Parmentier famously planted potato fields near Versailles and staged a fake theft of the crop to spark curiosity and convince the public that potatoes were valuable.

Dishes Mentioned

• pommes puree (buttery mashed potatoes)
• gratin dauphinois
• hachis Parmentier (French-style shepherd’s pie)
• French fries (possibly introduced to American diplomats at one of Parmentier’s potato banquets)

🎧 Fishwives of Paris

Hosted by Caroline Fazeli and Emily Monaco

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