Potatoes

Spain, India, and Lebanon

The similarity between the words for potatoes in India, Spain, and Lebanon – ‘patata’ and ‘batata’ – really caught my interest. I started wondering how these different places could share the same word, and that curiosity led me to explore the culinary links between them.

The term ‘patata’ comes from the Spanish for potato, derived from a blend of the Taino word ‘batata’ (sweet potato) and the Quechua word ‘papa’ (potato). Spanish explorers introduced potatoes to Europe from the Americas in the 16th century, and the term spread to various languages due to trade, cultural exchanges, and colonial influence. In Lebanese Arabic, ‘batata’ is used for potatoes, while in some Indian languages, the term has been borrowed due to the historical Portuguese presence.