"Native to the New World, the potato was domesticated by Andean farmers, probably in the Lake Titicaca basin, almost as early as grain crops were cultivated in the Near East. Full of essential vitamins and energy-giving starch, the potato has proved a valuable world resource. Curious Spaniards took the potato back to Europe, from whence it spread worldwide. Today, the largest potato producer is China, with India not far behind. To tell the potato's story, Lang has done fieldwork in South America, Asia, and Africa."--Jacket.

Functional Properties of Food Components reviews the roles and functions of specific components in foods. It addresses three main questions: What in the biochemical make-up of food components makes them ""tick"" in the production of desirable and acceptable foods? Why do those components/entities perform the way they do and, often, why do they fail to perform as expected? Which functions continue to be elusive and require more searching and probing? The book is organized into three parts. Part I discusses specific food components such as water, carbohydrates, corn sweeteners and wheat carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and enzymes. Part II deals with food additives and foods of the future; and reviews the role of components in four well-established foods: dairy, wheat flour, malt, and soybean products. Part III presents the available information and documentation on food components. This book is intended for the undergraduate with a background in the general biochemistry of natural materials, but is also interested in specific information on the function of those components in foods. It is also meant for the food scientist or technologist who is familiar with food formulation and production, and for any other interested reader with an appropriate background, whether managerial or scientific.