Before Selective Breeding: Fruits and Vegetables That Look Out of This World

Potato

© stu_spivack / Flickr, © CC BY-SA 2.0

Potatoes were cultivated by the Incas as early as 400 BCE. However, they looked quite different back then: the tubers were crooked, small, and elongated (there’s even an engraving showing what potatoes looked like before selective breeding). As for how potatoes made their way to Europe, you’re probably familiar with the story: the vegetable was brought to Spain and Britain toward the end of the 16th century. Initially, potatoes were not highly regarded and were mostly used to feed livestock or the starving population.