In other parts of Europe, people did not want to change their old food habits Some preferred to die of hunger rather then eat potatoes In 1774, King Frederick of Germany wanted to stop his people from dying of hunger He understood that potatoes were a good food, so he told the people to plant and eat potatoes or else his men would cut off their noses. The people were not happy, but they had no choice and so started to eat potatoes Today people in this part of Germany eat more potatoes then any other nationality. Each person eats about 370 pounds of potatoes every year!