In 1786, King Louis XVI supported Antoine Parmentier in an incredible project: that of planting potatoes in Paris. Discover this story in this bonus episode of "At the heart of history".
Listening to the story dedicated to the incredible history of the potato, you may have wanted to know more about how Antoine Parmentier popularized this tuber in France. In this bonus episode of "At the heart of history", the history specialist Jean des Cars tells you the story of Antoine Parmentier and the parmentieres.
Before the Revolution, King Louis XVI supported Antoine Parmentier in an incredible project. The idea of this apothecary (today, we would say pharmacist) was that in the event of famine, the potato, which he had carefully studied, could replace bread. Did you know that this vegetable had a bad reputation at the time? He was accused of giving leprosy as well as impoverishing the land where it was planted!
In 1785, Louis XVI, very worried about the bad harvests, intervened personally to defend the ideas of Parmentier. For this scientist, "plants can supplement, in times of scarcity, those which are commonly used for the food of men". In other words, the potato could easily replace wheat and corn. But out of jealousy and ignorance, many are wary of Parmentier.
A boutonniere potato flower
The king understood that the apothecary was right. In 1786, he allowed him to plant potatoes on the Sablons field, in the village of Neuilly, on the road from Versailles to Paris. To excite curiosity, Parmentier had guards placed around his field. But it is a trick: they are ordered not to stop the thieves! They will make him the best advertisement! The following year, August 24, the field was covered with flowers. It is the eve of Saint-Louis. Antoine Parmentier offers a bouquet of these strange flowers to the king and the queen. And he said to them: "If a tenth of the territory of France is planted with potatoes, that's ready-made bread".
Grateful, Louis XVI wore potato flowers in his buttonhole. The courtiers want to do the same and are ready to pay ten louis for a single flower! A fortune !
The Parmentière
Parmentier renews its experience of Sablons in the plain of the village of Grenelle. And on October 21, 1787, at the Invalides, he organized a dinner to launch this vegetable which still does not have a good reputation. Today, the memory of Parmentier is present in Neuilly. Did you know that this Hauts-de-Seine commune has three potato flowers in its arms? And did you know that the potato was first called parmentière? But this use did not last. Now we just give the name of this benefactor of humanity to a minced meat covered with a thick blanket of mash, the minced Parmentier.
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"At the heart of history" is a Europe 1 Studio podcast
Author and presentation: Jean des Cars
Project manager: Adèle Ponticelli
Realization: Guillaume Vasseau
Diffusion and edition: Clémence Olivier
Graphics: Europe 1 Studio
Direction Europe 1 Studio: Claire Hazan