Potato

When people think about a potato, they usually think about all the different ways they could eat that potato. It's true, there are many ways to eat a potato, but have you ever thought about where the potato came from? Most people would have to answer this question with a "no", probably because most people don't care about the history of a potato. However, the origin of the potato is a lot more interesting than most would think. From where the potato first grew to the way its popularity grew is all interesting stuff. 

Any region with poor soil and fluctuating temperatures are not usually the best for growing food. However, the potato is durable enough to have evolved in the thin air of the Andes Mountains in South America. The potato was first discovered by pre-Columbian farmers who cultivated the potato about 7,000 years ago. The potato had a good nutritional value, good storage quality, and was very rugged. Even with all the good qualities of the potato, it was not a very popular food. It was looked at as food for the underclasses, and was typically served as food for patients in hospitals. About 1780, the potato gained popularity in Ireland. Due to its huge nutritional value, the potato had a huge population explosion in the early 1800's. 

http://www.indepthinfo.com/potato/history.shtml

http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/famine/index.html