Episode 103: Potatoes for Saint Patrick

Medieval manuscript image of Saint Patrick standing on a snake

St Patrick standing on a snake in Purgatory: England, 1451 (London, British Library, MS Royal 17 B XLIII, f 132v)

Two cocktails sitting on a bar. One is amber coloured, in a martini glass. The other is pale green, in a coupe glass rimmed with light coloured metal, with a round slice of cucumber as garnish on the rim of the glass.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! In this episode we talk about the saint’s history, then dig into the potato — its etymology, its history, and how it’s changed the world. With some tangents about batteries, famines, and travel in the Roman world.