The most common in you three meals and the least discussed vegetable is potato. A recent article on potatoes by Laurie Wilkening was a revelation on the history of potatoes. Laura has presented a good discussion on potatoes based on her survey about the amount of potatoes consumed in every household, favorite potato delicacies in every household and the origin of potatoes.
Laurie’s research shows that potato is the world’s second most popular staple food and is grown in all 50 U.S. states and in about 125 countries worldwide. Average potato consumption per person goes to 124 pounds. More than 4.5 billion pounds of French fries are sold in America annually, with the average American eating more than 16 pounds each year. Tater Tots, developed at the Idaho Frozen Foods Co. in the 1950s, sell almost 75 million pounds each year. Another piece of information Laurie, look out for Idaho potatoes at the Idaho Frozen Foods, as potatoes are principally grown in Idaho, that country’s principal potato-growing region. The term also occurs generically for other potatoes grown in Idaho.
The term potato has come from the Spanish word “patata” (the original Quechua word for “papa”). Though potato originated in Andes, it eas introduced to Europe by the Spaniards.Potato was initially treated with disgust but during the wartime it proved to be an useful crop. From Europe it came to England and Ireland, by 1650 potato became the staple food in Ireland. There are several varieties of potatoes in North America, Britain and France. In North America the potatoes range from the large Burbank potato to the small Yellow Finn potato and colors varies from the Red Gold to the German Butterball. In Britain potatoes are produced on the basis of their usage in cooking, form roasting, boiling, salad potatoes, to the pink apples and the Golden Wonder for frying.
While potatoes are used for frying, boiling, roasting in varied dishes, it is also a stain remover. This vegetable is the most common vegetable in Indian cuisine, which is curried, fried, stuffed, or paired with other vegetables. Mashed potatoes is the major ingredient in the traditional British dishes like shepherd’s pie, bubble and squeak, and the ‘tatties’ which accompany haggis.
Potato is open to modifications and many times, it has saved many dishes from getting a bad name to its cook. I love potatoes in stews and pork chowder, and love it mashed with loads of cream and herb seasonings. Though potato is rich in carbs, every one would agree that it is an important part of every man’s meal.
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