Generations of Germans believe Frederick the Great brought the beloved potato to Germany. The legend is this: King Frederick ...

POTSDAM, Germany (AP) — Generations of Germans believe Frederick the Great brought the beloved potato to Germany.

Frederick's great-grandfather, Elector Frederick William, introduced it to the Brandenburg area of Prussia in the 1650s, but only because he liked the aesthetics of the plant's leafy greens.

Frederick's great-grandfather, Elector Frederick William, introduced it to the Brandenburg area of Prussia in the 1650s, but only because he liked the aesthetics of the plant's leafy greens.

Tourists leave potatoes on Frederick the Great's grave. They're perpetuating a German myth Generations of Germans believe Frederick the Great brought the beloved potato to Germany.

Frederick’s great-grandfather, Elector Frederick William, introduced it to the Brandenburg area of Prussia in the 1650s, but only because he liked the aesthetics of the plant’s leafy greens.

Generations of Germans believe Frederick the Great brought the beloved potato to Germany.