| Summary: | For those who study the history of food, there are at least three reasons which give a better understanding of how the situation in Ireland evolved. Firstly, food in Ireland was different from the beginning of the modern period. Whereas in most of Europe cereals – or rather daily bread – was the staple food, in Ireland this was not the case. Cereals were merely a supplement in the form of gruel or flatbread. Secondly, when eating habits began to change, principally in the 17th century, this was not marked by increased use of cereals, but by the predominant role of the potato, at least for the majority of the population. Finally, and not least, this change in eating habits led to a devastating catastrophe, the Great Famine of 1846-1847. For the purposes of comparison, the changes in the Scottish Highlands are equally interesting, but on the whole less significant than what happened in Ireland.
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