The Adventures of The Humble Aloo
The Adventures of Aloo: How the Humble Potato Took Over the World
The story originates in the mountains of the Andes. Several years back, deep within the soil of the Andes Mountains, a family of tiny tubers used to live secretly. The family later gained popularity and was known as the Potato family. The family remained humble yet mischievous. It was a down-to-earth family waiting underground, with some big adventurous dreams in their mind.
The youngest member of the family was a brave little spud named Aloo. Aloo’s dream was something bigger and better than his family, and he used to say, “One day, I’ll be the most famous food in the world! I will be the darling of the food lovers.”
The other members of the family used to laugh at him. “You? A dull, dirty root? Stick to the soil, kid.” But Aloo never allowed his young mind, to get affected by their words and waited patiently for the right time.
Aloo’s Baby Day Out: The New Beginning
Aloo was adamant about creating a history and had no intention of staying underground forever. It was a stormy night but a new sunrise in Aloo’s life. The rain soaked the soil of the mountains and loosened it. Aloo moved his tiny steps and tumbled down the hillside. He kept rolling until he landed into the basket to make its place. That basket belonged to one wandering Inca farmer named Tupa.
The first look at Aloo made Tupa fall in love with it. “What is this funny little cute thing?” he kept observing and somehow gave Tupa the feel that it was a newly found veggie for him. “ What’s your name, my dear friend?” Tupa asked out of curiosity. With a bright smile, Aloo responded, “ Hello, I am Aloo from the secret underworld of the Andes Mountains.” Tupa was amazed and wished to try it for his lunch, and cooked Aloo over a fire. Slowly, he peeled the brown coat of Aloo and took the first bite with a curiosity about what the taste would be. Ah! His eyes lit up.
“This is delicious! Aloo, my friend, you taste like magic!”
And that was the beginning of Aloo’s journey, towards stardom. In no time, he attained celebrity status in the Veggie society. The people of the Inca learned about the magical taste of Aloo from Tumpa and started cultivating more Aloo in their fields. Now, that little potato has become a local sensation. But Aloo’s dream was much bigger than just being an Inca’s popular veggie. He knew there was something bigger waiting for him. “I must see the world!” he thought.
A Royal Encounter That helped Aloo win European hearts
Several years passed, and the Spanish Conquistadors reached South America. There was a man named Gonzalo in the Spanish Conquistador. One day, he stumbled upon Aloo’s family. Looking at the golden cream-colored skin of Aloo, he mistook it as gold lumps. He packed a few potatoes in his ship, to take them with him back to Spain. Reaching a new nation Aloo felt so rejuvenated and happy.
Gonzalo realized that it was not Gold, but something that could make a place in the royal dishes. He rolled Aloos into the palace kitchen. There Aloo came face-to-face with the king’s chef. It was the first meeting of Aloo with the chef, and he was confused but curious. With a confused mind, the chef decided to boil Aloo and taste him before serving at the Royal table. He yelled:
“¡Dios mío! This is better than bread!”
In no time, Aloo became the talk of the European food world. Nobles enjoyed him at grand feasts. The middle class and poor people tried their luck cultivating potatoes in their tiny gardens. But Aloo finally faced a shock in Europe as not everyone was impressed with him. Many people said it looked like a strange rock and were very suspicious of its appearance. They thought that one needs to think carefully before they eat Aloo. “Why would anyone eat something that grows underground?!” they whispered in a curious voice. But will Aloo finally stop dreaming?
Aloo’s Worldwide Tour
Now Aloo understood it was not an end, and he must prove himself by making a global presence. He was not ready to give up. He started his world tour, and his persona spread magic wherever he traveled.
Aloo reached Ireland, and the farmers out there adopted him fast. The farmers attempted to cultivate it in harsh weather, and it grew well even in that conditions. “This spud is a gift!” the farmed jumped in joy.
Ireland conquered! The next destination is Italy.
In Italy, Aloo thought to make its appearance, in disguise for a change. He slipped into kitchens as gnocchi. Aha ! he managed to charm the pasta lovers too.
Mission France!
In France, he appeared with a twist. He adorned a hat of butter with the flavor of garlic. In France, Aloo transformed to make an entry into Pommes de Terre, a French dish. It gave a unique yet refined taste that even the king couldn’t resist, and it was love at first sight with Aloo.
There was none to miss out. The British boiled Aloo and tossed it with fish. The Fish and Chips, a dish introduced and turned into a national treasure. Aloo was amazed to see the love for him “See? Everyone loves me!” he said with a killer smile.
Aloo’s journey continued… North America
Aloo sailed across the Atlantic to North America. Over here, the people wished to try preparing with only Aloo. They fried him after cutting him into slick and slim sizes. The crispy French Fries dish was born. People went mad in love with Aloo. Aloo now become the reason for the sudden spread of Fast-food restaurants everywhere. Aloo found love in the hands of millions of people, from kids to presidents.
“I’ve finally made it!” Aloo declared, basking in the glow of his success.
Aloo’s emotional setback
Aloo had no idea about the road to success. It was not that easy and need to pass several hurdles. The first negative feedback disheartened him. One day, when he was present in a snack packet, Aloo overheard some adults talking. They were saying, “Potatoes are bad for health!” There are rumors about excess carbs and health problems associated with consuming Aloo. Aloo felt horrified, heartbroken, and depressed.
Aloo had no idea about the road to success. It was not that easy and need to pass several hurdles. The first negative feedback disheartened him. One day, when he was present in a snack packet, Aloo overheard some adults talking. They were saying, “Potatoes are bad for health!” There are rumors about excess carbs and health problems associated with consuming Aloo. Aloo felt horrified, heartbroken, and depressed.
“They’re turning on me! After everything I’ve done for them to make them happy by satisfying their tastebuds?”
Feeling betrayed, Aloo decided to retire. He was on the verge of giving up, and suddenly saw a group of young children walk by, munching the aloo chips and enjoying it.
“We love you, Aloo!” they cheered. “You’re the best snack ever!”
Aloo again found the reason to continue the journey. “The little ones still love me. They just can’t resist my charm. I will continue making them happy as they made me believe in myself again.”
Aloo’s Legacy continued – Aloo spread his wings.
Aloo decided to make its appearance in every form and continued his journey in the food world. Aloo made its place in mashed potatoes to fries, from aloo paratha in India to patatas bravas in Spain. Aloo turned out to be a beloved ingredient of every cuisine. He understood that he wasn’t always perfect, and couldn’t impress everyone because people have their personal choices. All he could do was give his best in every dish he was part of to win hearts of maximum. He had one thing that no other food could boast:
“I can be anything! Breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a midnight snack.”
And that’s how Aloo, the humble, soft, and sometimes crispy potato, kept rolling into kitchens and hearts across the globe.
Even today, Aloo keeps narrating the story of his journey from the Andes Mountains across the globe to the new batch of potatoes growing in the field. It inspired the young to deliver their best to the culinary world. Aloo smiles proudly and says, “The world believes that they discovered me, but the reality is different—because it was me who discovered them!”
And with a wink, he adds, “Now, who’s up for some fries?”
This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan.
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