Do an internet search for potato salad and you will find a never ending list of whose potato salad is the best. Each one having variations of another recipe’s ingredients.

Most have a mayonnaise base, with or without mustard, some have egg and some do not, one may include vinegar where others use pickles and others have celery, onions or other regional favorite ingredient.

This recipe is not what I grew up with, I am hearing the groans of family members now. The recipe I grew up with uses russet potatoes boiled, then peeled and cooled. The potatoes are mixed with hard boiled eggs mashed into the mayonnaise base with minced onions and seasoned with salt and black pepper.

I wouldn’t turn this down anyday, believe me. It may be on the simpler side of what many of you make or are accustomed to but when you grow up with something it is hard to deviate.

This recipe has a mix of different ingredients that give a nice balance so it isn’t over powering on any one ingredient.

Origin of the Potato Salad

Before we venture down the road of where potato salad comes from, let’s talk about how the potato made its way to Europe. If you have read the blog post and recipe for the Southwest Sweet Potato Salad then you know that Christopher Columbus introduced the sweet potato to Europe.

Well, similar to the Sweet Potato, regular potatoes were brought back to Europe from Peru by Spanish Conquistadors. Potatoes were a cheap way to feed the poor in Spain in the 16th century.

Before the Famine

Sir Walter Raleigh is credited for introducing the potato to England and Ireland during the same time period. Since the potatoes were cheap to grow and they could be held in the ground for a long period of time, the Irish would use this to feed their families.

The English landowners would take the other crops they would grow as rent on their property. Leaving the Irish with potatoes to live on.

Spreading Across Europe & Asia

Over time the potato spread to the other countries in Europe and into Asia. Every country seems to have their own variation on potato salad. In Spain they have Ensaladilla Rusa, potatoes, olives, tuna, peas, egg, carrots and roasted peppers and mayonnaise and depending on the region could have up to 6 other ingredients.

Germany

Germany has the German Potato Salad which is typically served warm. German potato salad can include potatoes, bacon, vinegar, beef stock, and German mustard but no mayonnaise.

Scandinavia

Scandinavians have their own versions depending on what country you are from. Many have sour cream or creme fraiche, capers and dill. Some may have mayonnaise but most have a mustard of one kind or another.

Russia

Russia has a version of potato salad that includes, potatoes, eggs, ham, peas, carrots, onions, pickles and celery. I also found another potato salad with beets.

France

The French have a variety of potato salads, many do not include mayonnaise and the ingredients can vary. A famous salad from france is Salade Niçoise, which is a composed instead of tossed salad made with red potatoes with tuna, boiled egg, olives, green beans with a lemon dijon vinaigrette.

Ireland

Ireland has the Colcannon potato salad. A smashed warm potato dish with shallots or leeks, cabbage or kale, crisp bacon and cream. Another potato salad variation here is a mayonnaise based salad that can include many of the same ingredients as found in other European countries.

Who Added Mayonnaise?

It seems to be unclear who added the mayonnaise first around the world but one thing is clear, potatoes have been a staple for many countries to feed their people. Considering Spain almost immediately adopted the potato to feed the poor and Ireland following close behind with being a main source of food for the poorer farm families.

The Great Potato Famine

The dependence on potatoes in Ireland as a main source of food was one of the reasons for The Great Famine in Ireland from 1845-1852. It was caused by a plant disease that spread through the potato crops in Ireland and eventually spread over to Europe causing permanent effects on crops. Non Irish Europeans dubbed it the Irish Potato Famine.

Family Traditions

Knowing my family’s heritage, I would have to venture a guess that the potato salad I grew up on was adapted over the years from a combination of Scandinavian and Irish variations simplified over the years.

Give This Recipe A Try!

Next time you are at a bbq or potluck and there are different types of potato salad there, consider how migration of refugees and immigrants over thousands of years has shaped the way food is in your part of the country.

We all have our favorites but give other variations a try, you may be pleasantly surprised. Enjoy!