Who was Eva Ekeblad? Google Doodle thanks Swedish scientist for potato flour and vodka
EVA EKEBLAD, the Swedish countess and scientist, has been honoured with a special Google Doodle on what would have been her 293rd birthday.
Eva Ekeblad and potatoes
Eva Ekeblad pioneered the use of potatoes in alcohol making
Born in Sweden on July 10, 1724, Ekeblad was a pioneering scientist whose discoveries paved the way for gluten-free baking, vodka and modern cosmetics.
At age 24 she discovered a method of cooking, crushing and drying potatoes to create flour, and then distilled to make alcohol, sparking a craze for potato-based vodka across northern Europe.
While the humble vegetable is today considered a culinary staple, in 18th century Sweden they were a relatively new foodstuff, reserved for animals and considered inedible for humans.
Ekelbad had heard that potatoes had been used to create alcohol in Germany, and grew her own to experiment on them.
Her work helped solve a food crisis in Sweden, as it came at a time when the country had a huge shortage of cereals such as oats and barley.
It also contributed to a surge in alcohol consumption and helped the potato on its way to becoming a common kitchen essential.
As a result of her work, Ekeblad became the first woman to be admitted to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
But in 1751, her membership was downgraded to an honorary one due to archaic bylaws on gender.
Undeterred, and despite having seven children to care for, Ekeblad continued innovating.
Google has honoured Ekeblad with a special Doodle
How to make vodka out of POTATOES
In 1752 she reported a way to replace lead and other dangerous ingredients in cosmetics with potato flour, and discovering a method of bleaching cotton with soap.
After the death of her husband Count Claes Claesson Ekeblad in 1771, Ekeblad retired to her countryside estates.
She returned to Stockholm in 1778, when she witnessed the birth of the future King Gustav IV Adolf.
Ekeblad remained in the capital for two years, during which time she was celebrated and offered positions in the royal household, all of which she declined.
After falling ill she retreated to the country, spending her final years in Mariedal Castle until her death in 1786.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences would not elect another woman to its ranks until 1951 – 203 years after Ekeblad was admitted.
In 2015 it elected its first female president, the esteemed organic chemist Professor Christina Moberg.