조선 후기 감자의 전래와 전파

Abstract

Potatoes were originally introduced from China to North Hamgyeong and the westerncoast of Chungcheong provinces in the early nineteenth century. When potatoes were introduced,it was local peasants who first received and spread them, and they did not knowwhat this crop was to be called. A similar vegetable they were familiar with at the time wassweet potatoes, called Gamjyeo(甘藷) in the region, which they took to be the name of thenew crop. The names which intellectual elites used in general were 北甘藷, or a shortenedone, 北藷, referring to Chinese sweet potato. The first colloquial name of potatoes commonto local peasants in the northern Hamgyeong region was Gamjae, originated from Gamjyeo. As they had not seen sweet potatoes in person but heard the name of the crop, they did notdistinguish between potatoes and sweet potatoes by calling both Gamjae. While the cropspread within South Hamgyeong province, its name became Gamja. The name remained unchangedafterwards. Although there is little to say about how potatoes spread around Koreain specific ways, the fact that all different names referring to potatoes in other provinces werebased upon Gamjae and Gamja in the north and south Hamgyeong regions respectivelymakes it possible to give a broad picture of the spread of the crop around the whole countryvia the transportation network. Additionally, in some areas, such as the west coast of Jeollaand Chuncheong provinces, Chinese potatoes were introduced by a German missionary,Gutzlaff, in summer 1832. They were distinctively called Hajigamja.