Antoine-Augustin Parmentier
Encyclopedia
Antoine-Augustin Parmentier (Montdidier
August 12, 1737 – December 13, 1813) is remembered as a vocal promoter of the potato
as a food source (for humans) in France and throughout Europe. However, this was not his only contribution to nutrition and health; he was responsible for the first mandatory smallpox
vaccination campaign (under Napoleon starting in 1805, when he was Inspector-General of the Health Service), he was a pioneer in the extraction of sugar
from sugar beet
s, he founded a school of breadmaking, and he studied methods of conserving food, including refrigeration.
While serving as an army pharmacist for France in the Seven Years' War
, he was captured by the Prussia
ns, and in prison in Prussia
was faced with eating potatoes, known to the French only as hog feed. The potato had been introduced to Europe as early as 1640, but (outside of Ireland) was usually used for animal feed. King Frederick II of Prussia
had required peasants to cultivate the plants under severe penalties and had provided them cuttings. In 1748 the French Parliament had actually forbidden the cultivation of the potato (on the ground that it was thought to cause leprosy among other things), and this law remained on the books in Parmentier's time.
From his return to Paris in 1763 he pursued his pioneering studies in nutritional chemistry. His prison experience came to mind in 1772 when he proposed (in a contest sponsored by the Academy of Besançon
) use of the potato as a source of nourishment for dysenteric patients. He won the prize on behalf of the potato in 1773.
Thanks largely to Parmentier's efforts, the Paris Faculty of Medicine declared potatoes edible in 1772. Still, resistance continued, and Parmentier was prevented from using his test garden at the Invalides hospital
, where he was pharmacist, by the religious community that owned the land, whose complaints resulted in the suppression of Parmentier's post at the Invalides.
Parmentier therefore began a series of publicity stunts for which he remains notable today, hosting dinners at which potato dishes featured prominently and guests included luminaries such as Benjamin Franklin
and Antoine Lavoisier
, giving bouquets of potato blossoms to the King and Queen, and surrounding his potato patch at Sablons with armed guards to suggest valuable goods — then instructed them to accept any and all bribes from civilians and withdrawing them at night so the greedy crowd could "steal" the potatoes. (These 54 arpent
s of impoverished ground near Neuilly
, west of Paris, had been allotted him by order of Louis XVI in 1787.)
The first step in the acceptance of the potato in French society was a year of bad harvests, 1785, when the scorned potatoes staved off famine in the north of France. The final step may have been the siege of the first Paris Commune
in 1795, during which potatoes were grown on a large scale, even in the Tuileries Gardens, to reduce the famine caused by the siege.
Parmentier's agronomic
interests covered a wide range of concerns, where he saw improved techniques would improve the human lot: he published his observations touching bread-baking, cheese-making, grain storage, cornmeal (maize) and chestnut flour, mushroom culture, mineral waters, wine-making, improved sea biscuit and a host of others of interest to the Physiocrats.
Parmentier is buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, and his name is given to a long avenue in the 10th and 11th arrondissements (and a station on line 3 of the Paris Métro
). At Montdidier, his bronze statue surveys Place Parmentier from its high socle
, while below in full marble relief, seed potatoes are distributed to a grateful peasant.
is very similar to cottage or shepherd's pie
: consisting typically of a mixture of skinless mashed potato
with finely ground meat, cooked before grinding. The ground meat can be mixed throughout the mashed potato or kept as a distinct layer in the middle. Common additional ingredients and seasonings include salt, pepper, chopped onions, chopped garlic, and a generous helping of butter. The whole dish is baked briefly at high temperature to form a golden brown crust on the top.
Two dishes are named after Parmentier; some historians claim any dish containing potatoes can be called "Parmentier", but the truth is all potato dishes have a different name. Pommes Parmentier is 1 cm diced cubed potatoes fried in butter (bacon, onions garlic or herbs can be added), the second dish named after the man who hightened the culinary interest of potatoes is potage Parmentier, a leek and potato soup (pureed). Unpureed, the soup is referred to as potage parisien.
Montdidier, Somme
Montdidier is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Montdidier is situated on the D935 road, some 30 km southeast of Amiens, in the region known as the ‘Santerre’.-Population:-History:...
August 12, 1737 – December 13, 1813) is remembered as a vocal promoter of the potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
as a food source (for humans) in France and throughout Europe. However, this was not his only contribution to nutrition and health; he was responsible for the first mandatory smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
vaccination campaign (under Napoleon starting in 1805, when he was Inspector-General of the Health Service), he was a pioneer in the extraction of sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
from sugar beet
Sugar beet
Sugar beet, a cultivated plant of Beta vulgaris, is a plant whose tuber contains a high concentration of sucrose. It is grown commercially for sugar production. Sugar beets and other B...
s, he founded a school of breadmaking, and he studied methods of conserving food, including refrigeration.
While serving as an army pharmacist for France in the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
, he was captured by the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
ns, and in prison in Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
was faced with eating potatoes, known to the French only as hog feed. The potato had been introduced to Europe as early as 1640, but (outside of Ireland) was usually used for animal feed. King Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II was a King in Prussia and a King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was also Elector of Brandenburg. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...
had required peasants to cultivate the plants under severe penalties and had provided them cuttings. In 1748 the French Parliament had actually forbidden the cultivation of the potato (on the ground that it was thought to cause leprosy among other things), and this law remained on the books in Parmentier's time.
From his return to Paris in 1763 he pursued his pioneering studies in nutritional chemistry. His prison experience came to mind in 1772 when he proposed (in a contest sponsored by the Academy of Besançon
Besançon
Besançon , is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It had a population of about 237,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2008...
) use of the potato as a source of nourishment for dysenteric patients. He won the prize on behalf of the potato in 1773.
Thanks largely to Parmentier's efforts, the Paris Faculty of Medicine declared potatoes edible in 1772. Still, resistance continued, and Parmentier was prevented from using his test garden at the Invalides hospital
Les Invalides
Les Invalides , officially known as L'Hôtel national des Invalides , is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans, the building's...
, where he was pharmacist, by the religious community that owned the land, whose complaints resulted in the suppression of Parmentier's post at the Invalides.
Parmentier therefore began a series of publicity stunts for which he remains notable today, hosting dinners at which potato dishes featured prominently and guests included luminaries such as Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
and Antoine Lavoisier
Antoine Lavoisier
Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier , the "father of modern chemistry", was a French nobleman prominent in the histories of chemistry and biology...
, giving bouquets of potato blossoms to the King and Queen, and surrounding his potato patch at Sablons with armed guards to suggest valuable goods — then instructed them to accept any and all bribes from civilians and withdrawing them at night so the greedy crowd could "steal" the potatoes. (These 54 arpent
Arpent
An arpent is a unit of length and a unit of area. It is a pre-metric French unit based on the Roman actus. It is used in Quebec as well as in some areas of the United States that were part of French Louisiana.-Unit of length:...
s of impoverished ground near Neuilly
Neuilly-sur-Seine
Neuilly-sur-Seine is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.Although Neuilly is technically a suburb of Paris, it is immediately adjacent to the city and directly extends it. The area is composed of mostly wealthy, select residential...
, west of Paris, had been allotted him by order of Louis XVI in 1787.)
The first step in the acceptance of the potato in French society was a year of bad harvests, 1785, when the scorned potatoes staved off famine in the north of France. The final step may have been the siege of the first Paris Commune
Paris Commune (French Revolution)
The Paris Commune during the French Revolution was the government of Paris from 1789 until 1795. Established in the Hôtel de Ville just after the storming of the Bastille, the Commune became insurrectionary in the summer of 1792, essentially refusing to take orders from the central French...
in 1795, during which potatoes were grown on a large scale, even in the Tuileries Gardens, to reduce the famine caused by the siege.
Parmentier's agronomic
Agronomy
Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants for food, fuel, feed, fiber, and reclamation. Agronomy encompasses work in the areas of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and soil science. Agronomy is the application of a combination of sciences like biology,...
interests covered a wide range of concerns, where he saw improved techniques would improve the human lot: he published his observations touching bread-baking, cheese-making, grain storage, cornmeal (maize) and chestnut flour, mushroom culture, mineral waters, wine-making, improved sea biscuit and a host of others of interest to the Physiocrats.
Parmentier is buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, and his name is given to a long avenue in the 10th and 11th arrondissements (and a station on line 3 of the Paris Métro
Paris Métro
The Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ...
). At Montdidier, his bronze statue surveys Place Parmentier from its high socle
Socle (architecture)
In architecture, a socle is a short plinth used to support a pedestal, sculpture or column. In the field of archaeology, this term is used to refer to a wall base, frequently of stone, that supports the upper part of the wall, which is made of a different material, frequently mud brick...
, while below in full marble relief, seed potatoes are distributed to a grateful peasant.
Dishes named after Antoine-Augustin Parmentier
Any dish whose name includes the description "Parmentier" will contain potatoes (especially mashed or boiled) as a major ingredient (e.g., potage Parmentier, brandade de morue Parmentier). The popular dish hachis ParmentierHachis Parmentier
In haute cuisine, hachis Parmentier is a dish made with mashed, baked potato, combined with diced meat and sauce lyonnaise and served in the potato shells...
is very similar to cottage or shepherd's pie
Cottage pie
Cottage pie or shepherd's pie is a meat pie with a crust of mashed potato.The term cottage pie is known to have been in use in 1791, when the potato was being introduced as an edible crop affordable for the poor Cottage pie or shepherd's pie is a meat pie with a crust of mashed potato.The term...
: consisting typically of a mixture of skinless mashed potato
Mashed potato
Mashed potato is made by mashing freshly boiled potatoes with a ricer, fork, potato masher, food mill, or whipping them with a hand beater. Dehydrated and frozen mashed potatoes are available in many places...
with finely ground meat, cooked before grinding. The ground meat can be mixed throughout the mashed potato or kept as a distinct layer in the middle. Common additional ingredients and seasonings include salt, pepper, chopped onions, chopped garlic, and a generous helping of butter. The whole dish is baked briefly at high temperature to form a golden brown crust on the top.
Two dishes are named after Parmentier; some historians claim any dish containing potatoes can be called "Parmentier", but the truth is all potato dishes have a different name. Pommes Parmentier is 1 cm diced cubed potatoes fried in butter (bacon, onions garlic or herbs can be added), the second dish named after the man who hightened the culinary interest of potatoes is potage Parmentier, a leek and potato soup (pureed). Unpureed, the soup is referred to as potage parisien.
Sources
- L'Histoire en-ligne: Antoine-Augustin Parmentier
- L'Encyclopédie de l'Agora: Antoine-Augustin_Parmentier
- Catholic Encyclopedia: "Antoine-Augustin Parmentier"
- Cimetière Père Lachaise: Antoine-Augustin Parmentier