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One of the Oldest Spuds In the World Is Poised For a Comeback
Researchers and activists aim to revive this nutrient-dense potato in the Four Corners region
A few years ago, starch granules from a dime-sized potato were found on 10,000-year-old stone tools at an archaeological site in Escalante, Utah. Researchers say the speckled brown spud, scientifically known as Solanum jamesii, is the earliest documented potato to be consumed in North America. It also could be the first example of potato domestication, maybe even predating the Andean potato, which would make it the oldest domesticated spud in the world.
There’s now an effort underway to bring the so-called Four Corners Potato back to its place of prominence. Cynthia Wilson, director of the Traditional Foods Program for Utah Diné Bikéyah, a Native American-led nonprofit, is working with potato researchers to restore the tuber’s widespread cultivation among indigenous tribes.
At the organization’s second annual Indigenous Dinner in October 2018, Wilson snapped photos of chefs serving the Four Corners potato alongside smoked river trout, pinyon, wild onion, and sweet corn puree to tribal members whose ancestors survived off the spuds for centuries before the Spanish rode up from Mexico.
“It’s not just the nutritional benefits of this pre-contact food that we’re trying to revitalize. It’s also the connection to just being out on the landscape,” said Wilson, who was raised in a traditional Diné (Navajo) family in nearby Monument Valley.
Wilson’s desire to help her own Navajo Nation address food challenges — such as food deserts and high rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease — led her to pursue a master’s degree in nutrition at the University of Utah. She linked up with the potato researchers soon after she came on board at Utah Diné Bikéyah. She felt that reclaiming the potato would further her mission of restoring a healthier, traditional diet to Native communities.
From The Sioux Chef’s bison wild rice bowls to the chewy acorn bread at Cafe Ohlone in Berkeley, California, traditional ingredients and cooking methods are in the midst of a revival. The Four Corners potato — which started getting displaced soon after Mormon pioneers arrived…
