While Parmentier pushed the hand of fate, the success of his interventions were helped along by the fact that in the late 1700’s France was looking for a replacement for wheat and that the lowly potato had saved a number of lives during a famine in the north of France. As stated in this space previously, the intersection of trends and events is fertile ground for the genesis of new trends. Intersecting trends can help explain the current interest and popularity of fermented foods such as kimchi, kombucha, and kefir.
One of these trends is the continued rise in interest for superfoods (natural foods of which the benefits go beyond simple sustenance).
The second is our evolving tastes meaning people are seeking new and novel sensations. With their distinct tastes and purported positive impact on gut health, fermented foods fit nicely into the aforementioned trends.