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= Potato =
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Introduction
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The potato is a root vegetable native to the Americas, a starchy tuber
of the plant 'Solanum tuberosum', and the plant itself is a perennial
in the nightshade family, Solanaceae.
Wild potato species, originating in modern-day Peru, can be found
throughout the Americas, from the United States to southern Chile. The
potato was originally believed to have been domesticated by indigenous
peoples of the Americas independently in multiple locations, but later
genetic testing of the wide variety of cultivars and wild species
traced a single origin for potatoes. In the area of present-day
southern Peru and extreme northwestern Bolivia, from a species in the
'Solanum brevicaule' complex, potatoes were domesticated approximately
7,000-10,000 years ago. In the Andes region of South America, where
the species is indigenous, some close relatives of the potato are
cultivated.
Potatoes were introduced to Europe from the Americas in the second
half of the 16th century by the Spanish. Today they are a staple food
in many parts of the world and an integral part of much of the world's
food supply. As of 2014, potatoes were the world's fourth-largest food
crop after maize (corn), wheat, and rice.
Following millennia of selective breeding, there are now over 5,000
different types of potatoes. Over 99% of presently cultivated potatoes
worldwide descended from varieties that originated in the lowlands of
south-central Chile.
The importance of the potato as a food source and culinary ingredient
varies by region and is still changing. It remains an essential crop
in Europe, especially Northern and Eastern Europe, where per capita
production is still the highest in the world, while the most rapid
expansion in production over the past few decades has occurred in
southern and eastern Asia, with China and India leading the world in
overall production as of 2018.
Like the tomato, the potato is a nightshade in the genus 'Solanum',
and the vegetative and fruiting parts of the potato contain the toxin
solanine which is dangerous for human consumption. Normal potato
tubers that have been grown and stored properly produce glycoalkaloids
in amounts small enough to be negligible to human health, but if green
sections of the plant (namely sprouts and skins) are exposed to light,
the tuber can accumulate a high enough concentration of glycoalkaloids
to affect human health.
Etymology
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The English word 'potato' comes from Spanish (the name used in
Spain). The Royal Spanish Academy says the Spanish word is a hybrid of
the Taíno ('sweet potato') and the Quechua ('potato'). The name
originally referred to the sweet potato although the two plants are
not closely related. The 16th-century English herbalist John Gerard
referred to sweet potatoes as 'common potatoes', and used the terms
'bastard potatoes' and 'Virginia potatoes' for the species we now call
potato. In many of the chronicles detailing agriculture and plants,
no distinction is made between the two. Potatoes are occasionally
referred to as 'Irish potatoes' or 'white potatoes' in the United
States, to distinguish them from sweet potatoes.
The name 'spud' for a small potato comes from the digging of soil (or
a hole) prior to the planting of potatoes. The word has an unknown
origin and was originally () used as a term for a short knife or
dagger, probably related to the Latin a word root meaning "sword";
compare Spanish , English "spade", and 'spadroon'. It subsequently
transferred over to a variety of digging tools. Around 1845, the name
transferred to the tuber itself, the first record of this usage being
in New Zealand English. The origin of the word 'spud' has erroneously
been attributed to an 18th-century activist group dedicated to keeping
the potato out of Britain, calling itself The Society for the
Prevention of Unwholesome Diet (S.P.U.D.). It was Mario Pei's 1949
'The Story of Language' that can be blamed for the word's false
origin. Pei writes, "the potato, for its part, was in disrepute some
centuries ago. Some Englishmen who did not fancy potatoes formed a
Society for the Prevention of Unwholesome Diet. The initials of the
main words in this title gave rise to spud." Like most other pre-20th
century acronymic origins, this is false, and there is no evidence
that a Society for the Prevention of Unwholesome Diet ever existed.
Characteristics
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|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QDrqL2J-AiYC&pg=PA209
|isbn=978-1-4020-4975-0|page=209}} Potatoes are mostly
cross-pollinated by insects such as bumblebees, which carry pollen
from other potato plants, though a substantial amount of
self-fertilizing occurs as well. Tubers form in response to decreasing
day length, although this tendency has been minimized in commercial
varieties.
After flowering, potato plants produce small green fruits that
resemble green cherry tomatoes, each containing about 300 seeds. Like
all parts of the plant except the tubers, the fruit contain the toxic
alkaloid solanine and are therefore unsuitable for consumption. All
new potato varieties are grown from seeds, also called "true potato
seed", "TPS" or "botanical seed" to distinguish it from seed tubers.
New varieties grown from seed can be propagated vegetatively by
planting tubers, pieces of tubers cut to include at least one or two
eyes, or cuttings, a practice used in greenhouses for the production
of healthy seed tubers. Plants propagated from tubers are clones of
the parent, whereas those propagated from seed produce a range of
different varieties.
Genetics
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There are about 5,000 potato varieties worldwide. Three thousand of
them are found in the Andes alone, mainly in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador,
Chile, and Colombia. They belong to eight or nine species, depending
on the taxonomic school. Apart from the 5,000 cultivated varieties,
there are about 200 wild species and subspecies, many of which can be
cross-bred with cultivated varieties. Cross-breeding has been done
repeatedly to transfer resistances to certain pests and diseases from
the gene pool of wild species to the gene pool of cultivated potato
species. Genetically modified varieties have met public resistance in
the United States and in the European Union. Russet potatoes
The major species grown worldwide is 'Solanum tuberosum' (a tetraploid
with 48 chromosomes), and modern varieties of this species are the
most widely cultivated. There are also four diploid species (with 24
chromosomes): 'S. stenotomum', 'S. phureja', 'S. goniocalyx', and 'S.
ajanhuiri'. There are two triploid species (with 36 chromosomes): 'S.
chaucha' and 'S. juzepczukii'. There is one pentaploid cultivated
species (with 60 chromosomes): 'S. curtilobum'. There are two major
subspecies of 'Solanum tuberosum': 'andigena', or Andean; and
'tuberosum', or Chilean. The Andean potato is adapted to the short-day
conditions prevalent in the mountainous equatorial and tropical
regions where it originated; the Chilean potato, however, native to
the Chiloé Archipelago, is adapted to the long-day conditions
prevalent in the higher latitude region of southern Chile. Organically
grown [[Russet Burbanks]]The International Potato Center, based in
Lima, Peru, holds an ISO-accredited collection of potato germplasm.
The international Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium announced in
2009 that they had achieved a draft sequence of the potato genome. The
potato genome contains 12 chromosomes and 860 million base pairs,
making it a medium-sized plant genome. More than 99 percent of all
current varieties of potatoes currently grown are direct descendants
of a subspecies that once grew in the lowlands of south-central Chile.
Nonetheless, genetic testing of the wide variety of cultivars and wild
species affirms that all potato subspecies derive from a single origin
in the area of present-day southern Peru and extreme Northwestern
Bolivia (from a species in the 'Solanum brevicaule' complex). The wild
Crop Wild Relatives Prebreeding project encourages the use of wild
relatives in breeding programs. Enriching and preserving the gene bank
collection to make potatoes adaptive to diverse environmental
conditions is seen as a pressing issue due to climate change.
Most modern potatoes grown in North America arrived through European
settlement and not independently from the South American sources,
although at least one wild potato species, 'Solanum fendleri',
naturally ranges from Peru into Texas, where it is used in breeding
for resistance to a nematode species that attacks cultivated potatoes.
A secondary center of genetic variability of the potato is Mexico,
where important wild species that have been used extensively in modern
breeding are found, such as the hexaploid 'Solanum demissum', as a
source of resistance to the devastating late blight disease. Another
relative native to this region, 'Solanum bulbocastanum', has been used
to genetically engineer the potato to resist potato blight.
Potatoes yield abundantly with little effort, and adapt readily to
diverse climates as long as the climate is cool and moist enough for
the plants to gather sufficient water from the soil to form the
starchy tubers. Potatoes do not keep very well in storage and are
vulnerable to moulds that feed on the stored tubers and quickly turn
them rotten, whereas crops such as grain can be stored for several
years with a low risk of rot. The food energy yield of potatoesabout
9.2 e6kcal/acre is higher than that of maize (7.5 e6kcal/acre), rice
(7.4 e6kcal/acre), wheat (3 e6kcal/acre), or soybeans (2.8
e6kcal/acre).
Varieties
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For culinary purposes, varieties are often differentiated by their
waxiness: floury or mealy 'baking' potatoes have more starch (20-22%)
than waxy 'boiling' potatoes (16-18%). The distinction may also arise
from variation in the comparative ratio of two different potato starch
compounds: amylose and amylopectin. Amylose, a long-chain molecule,
diffuses from the starch granule when cooked in water, and lends
itself to dishes where the potato is mashed. Varieties that contain a
slightly higher amylopectin content, which is a highly branched
molecule, help the potato retain its shape after being boiled in
water. Potatoes that are good for making potato chips or potato crisps
are sometimes called "chipping potatoes", which means they meet the
basic requirements of similar varietal characteristics, being firm,
fairly clean, and fairly well-shaped.
The European Cultivated Potato Database (ECPD) is an online
collaborative database of potato variety descriptions that is updated
and maintained by the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency within the
framework of the European Cooperative Programme for Crop Genetic
Resources Networks (ECP/GR)—which is run by the International Plant
Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI).
Genetically engineered potatoes
=================================
Genetic research has produced several genetically modified varieties.
'New Leaf', owned by Monsanto Company, incorporates genes from
'Bacillus thuringiensis', which confers resistance to the Colorado
potato beetle; 'New Leaf Plus' and 'New Leaf Y', approved by US
regulatory agencies during the 1990s, also include resistance to
viruses. McDonald's, Burger King, Frito-Lay, and Procter & Gamble
announced they would not use genetically modified potatoes, and
Monsanto published its intent to discontinue the line in March 2001.
Waxy potato varieties produce two main kinds of potato starch, amylose
and amylopectin, the latter of which is most industrially useful. BASF
developed the Amflora potato, which was modified to express antisense
RNA to inactivate the gene for granule bound starch synthase, an
enzyme which catalyzes the formation of amylose. Amflora potatoes
therefore produce starch consisting almost entirely of amylopectin,
and are thus more useful for the starch industry. In 2010, the
European Commission cleared the way for 'Amflora' to be grown in the
European Union for industrial purposes only—not for food.
Nevertheless, under EU rules, individual countries have the right to
decide whether they will allow this potato to be grown on their
territory. Commercial planting of 'Amflora' was expected in the Czech
Republic and Germany in the spring of 2010, and Sweden and the
Netherlands in subsequent years. Another GM potato variety developed
by BASF is 'Fortuna' which was made resistant to late blight by adding
two resistance genes, blb1 and blb2, which originate from the Mexican
wild potato Solanum bulbocastanum. In October 2011 BASF requested
cultivation and marketing approval as a feed and food from the EFSA.
In 2012, GMO development in Europe was stopped by BASF.
In November 2014, the USDA approved a genetically modified potato
developed by J.R. Simplot Company, which contains genetic
modifications that prevent bruising and produce less acrylamide when
fried than conventional potatoes; the modifications do not cause new
proteins to be made, but rather prevent proteins from being made via
RNA interference.
History
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The potato was first domesticated in the region of modern-day southern
Peru and northwestern Bolivia between 8000 and 5000 BC. It has since
spread around the world and become a staple crop in many countries.
The earliest archaeologically verified potato tuber remains have been
found at the coastal site of Ancon (central Peru), dating to 2500 BC.
The most widely cultivated variety, 'Solanum tuberosum tuberosum', is
indigenous to the Chiloé Archipelago, and has been cultivated by the
local indigenous people since before the Spanish conquest.
According to conservative estimates, the introduction of the potato
was responsible for a quarter of the growth in Old World population
and urbanization between 1700 and 1900. In the Altiplano, potatoes
provided the principal energy source for the Inca civilization, its
predecessors, and its Spanish successor. Following the Spanish
conquest of the Inca Empire, the Spanish introduced the potato to
Europe in the second half of the 16th century, part of the Columbian
exchange. The staple was subsequently conveyed by European mariners to
territories and ports throughout the world. The potato was slow to be
adopted by European farmers, but soon enough it became an important
food staple and field crop that played a major role in the European
19th century population boom. However, lack of genetic diversity, due
to the very limited number of varieties initially introduced, left the
crop vulnerable to disease. In 1845, a plant disease known as late
blight, caused by the fungus-like oomycete 'Phytophthora infestans',
spread rapidly through the poorer communities of western Ireland as
well as parts of the Scottish Highlands, resulting in the crop
failures that led to the Great Irish Famine. Thousands of varieties
still persist in the Andes however, where over 100 cultivars might be
found in a single valley, and a dozen or more might be maintained by a
single agricultural household.
Production
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colspan=2|Potato production - 2018
Country Production (millions of tonnes)
98.3
48.5
22.5
22.5
20.6
| **World** || **368.2**
|Source: FAOSTAT of the United Nations
In 2018, world production of potatoes was 368 million tonnes, led by
China with 27% of the total (table). Other major producers were India,
Russia, Ukraine and the United States. It remains an essential crop in
Europe (especially northern and eastern Europe), where per capita
production is still the highest in the world, but the most rapid
expansion over the past few decades has occurred in southern and
eastern Asia.
Nutrition
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A raw potato is 79% water, 17% carbohydrates (88% is starch), 2%
protein, and contains negligible fat (see table). In a 100 g portion,
raw potato provides 322 kJ of food energy and is a rich source of
vitamin B6 and vitamin C (23% and 24% of the Daily Value,
respectively), with no other vitamins or minerals in significant
amount (see table). The potato is rarely eaten raw because raw potato
starch is poorly digested by humans. When a potato is baked, its
contents of vitamin B6 and vitamin C decline notably, while there is
little significant change in the amount of other nutrients.
Potatoes are often broadly classified as having a high glycemic index
(GI) and so are often excluded from the diets of individuals trying to
follow a low-GI diet. The GI of potatoes can vary considerably
depending on the cultivar or cultivar category (such as "red", russet,
"white", or King Edward), growing conditions and storage, preparation
methods (by cooking method, whether it is eaten hot or cold, whether
it is mashed or cubed or consumed whole), and accompanying foods
consumed (especially the addition of various high-fat or high-protein
toppings). In particular, consuming reheated or cooled potatoes that
were previously cooked may yield a lower GI effect.
In the UK, potatoes are not considered by the National Health Service
(NHS) as counting or contributing towards the recommended daily five
portions of fruit and vegetables, the 5-A-Day program.
Comparison to other staple foods
==================================
This table shows the nutrient content of potatoes next to other major
staple foods, each one measured in its respective raw state, even
though staple foods are not commonly eaten raw and are usually
sprouted or cooked before eating. In sprouted and cooked form, the
relative nutritional and anti-nutritional contents of each of these
grains (or other foods) may be different from the values in this
table. Each nutrient (every row) has the highest number highlighted to
show the staple food with the greatest amount in a 100-gram raw
portion.
Toxicity
==========
Potatoes contain toxic compounds known as glycoalkaloids, of which the
most prevalent are solanine and chaconine. Solanine is found in other
plants in the same family, Solanaceae, which includes such plants as
deadly nightshade ('Atropa belladonna'), henbane ('Hyoscyamus niger')
and tobacco ('Nicotiana spp.'), as well as the food plants eggplant
and tomato. These compounds, which protect the potato plant from its
predators, are generally concentrated in its leaves, flowers, sprouts,
and fruits (in contrast to the tubers). In a summary of several
studies, the glycoalkaloid content was highest in the flowers and
sprouts and lowest in the tuber flesh. (The glycoalkaloid content was,
in order from highest to lowest: flowers, sprouts, leaves, skin,
roots, berries, peel [skin plus outer cortex of tuber flesh], stems,
and tuber flesh).
Exposure to light, physical damage, and age increase glycoalkaloid
content within the tuber. Cooking at high temperatures—over 170
°C—partly destroys these compounds. The concentration of
glycoalkaloids in wild potatoes is sufficient to produce toxic effects
in humans. Glycoalkaloid poisoning may cause headaches, diarrhea,
cramps, and, in severe cases, coma and death. However, poisoning from
cultivated potato varieties is very rare. Light exposure causes
greening from chlorophyll synthesis, giving a visual clue as to which
areas of the tuber may have become more toxic. However, this does not
provide a definitive guide, as greening and glycoalkaloid accumulation
can occur independently of each other.
Different potato varieties contain different levels of glycoalkaloids.
The Lenape variety was released in 1967 but was withdrawn in 1970 as
it contained high levels of glycoalkaloids. Since then, breeders
developing new varieties test for this, and sometimes have to discard
an otherwise promising cultivar. Breeders try to keep glycoalkaloid
levels below 200 mg/kg (200 ppmw). However, when these commercial
varieties turn green, they can still approach solanine concentrations
of 1000 mg/kg (1000 ppmw). In normal potatoes, analysis has shown
solanine levels may be as little as 3.5% of the breeders' maximum,
with 7-187 mg/kg being found. While a normal potato tuber has 12-20
mg/kg of glycoalkaloid content, a green potato tuber contains 250-280
mg/kg and its skin has 1500-2200 mg/kg.
Seed potatoes
===============
Potatoes are generally grown from 'seed potatoes,' tubers specifically
grown to be free from disease and to provide consistent and healthy
plants. To be disease free, the areas where seed potatoes are grown
are selected with care. In the US, this restricts production of seed
potatoes to only 15 states out of all 50 states where potatoes are
grown. These locations are selected for their cold, hard winters that
kill pests and summers with long sunshine hours for optimum growth. In
the UK, most seed potatoes originate in Scotland, in areas where
westerly winds reduce aphid attack and the spread of potato virus
pathogens.
Phases of growth
==================
Potato growth can be divided into five phases. During the first phase,
sprouts emerge from the seed potatoes and root growth begins. During
the second, photosynthesis begins as the plant develops leaves and
branches above-ground and stolons develop from lower leaf axils on the
below-ground stem. In the third phase the tips of the stolons swell
forming new tubers and the shoots continue to grow and flowers
typically develop soon after. Tuber bulking occurs during the fourth
phase, when the plant begins investing the majority of its resources
in its newly formed tubers. At this phase, several factors are
critical to a good yield: optimal soil moisture and temperature, soil
nutrient availability and balance, and resistance to pest attacks. The
fifth phase is the maturation of the tubers: the plant canopy dies
back, the tuber skins harden, and the sugars in the tubers convert to
starches.
Challenges
============
Correct potato husbandry can be an arduous task in some circumstances.
Good ground preparation, harrowing, plowing, and rolling are always
needed, along with a little grace from the weather and a good source
of water. Three successive plowings, with associated harrowing and
rolling, are desirable before planting. Eliminating all root-weeds is
desirable in potato cultivation. In general, the potatoes themselves
are grown from the eyes of another potato and not from seed. Home
gardeners often plant a piece of potato with two or three eyes in a
hill of mounded soil. Commercial growers plant potatoes as a row crop
using seed tubers, young plants or microtubers and may mound the
entire row. Seed potato crops are rogued in some countries to
eliminate diseased plants or those of a different variety from the
seed crop.
Potatoes are sensitive to heavy frosts, which damage them in the
ground. Even cold weather makes potatoes more susceptible to bruising
and possibly later rotting, which can quickly ruin a large stored
crop.
Pests
=======
The historically significant 'Phytophthora infestans' (late blight)
remains an ongoing problem in Europe and the United States. Other
potato diseases include 'Rhizoctonia', 'Sclerotinia', black leg,
powdery mildew, powdery scab and leafroll virus.A potato ruined by
[[late blight]]Insects that commonly transmit potato diseases or
damage the plants include the Colorado potato beetle, the potato tuber
moth, the green peach aphid ('Myzus persicae'), the potato aphid, beet
leafhoppers, thrips, and mites. The potato cyst nematode is a
microscopic worm that thrives on the roots, thus causing the potato
plants to wilt. Since its eggs can survive in the soil for several
years, crop rotation is recommended.
During the crop year 2008, many of the certified organic potatoes
produced in the United Kingdom and certified by the Soil Association
as organic were sprayed with a copper pesticide to control potato
blight ('Phytophthora infestans'). According to the Soil Association,
the total copper that can be applied to organic land is 6 kg/ha/year.
According to an Environmental Working Group analysis of USDA and FDA
pesticide residue tests performed from 2000 through 2008, 84% of the
2,216 tested potato samples contained detectable traces of at least
one pesticide. A total of 36 unique pesticides were detected on
potatoes over the 2,216 samples, though no individual sample contained
more than 6 unique pesticide traces, and the average was 1.29
detectable unique pesticide traces per sample. The average quantity of
all pesticide traces found in the 2,216 samples was 1.602 ppm. While
this was a very low value of pesticide residue, it was the highest
amongst the 50 vegetables analyzed.
Harvest
=========
At harvest time, gardeners usually dig up potatoes with a
long-handled, three-prong "grape" (or graip), i.e., a spading fork, or
a potato hook, which is similar to the graip but with tines at a 90°
angle to the handle. In larger plots, the plow is the fastest
implement for unearthing potatoes. Commercial harvesting is typically
done with large potato harvesters, which scoop up the plant and
surrounding earth. This is transported up an apron chain consisting of
steel links several feet wide, which separates some of the dirt. The
chain deposits into an area where further separation occurs. Different
designs use different systems at this point. The most complex designs
use vine choppers and shakers, along with a blower system to separate
the potatoes from the plant. The result is then usually run past
workers who continue to sort out plant material, stones, and rotten
potatoes before the potatoes are continuously delivered to a wagon or
truck. Further inspection and separation occurs when the potatoes are
unloaded from the field vehicles and put into storage.
Immature potatoes may be sold as "creamer potatoes" and are
particularly valued for taste. These are often harvested by the home
gardener or farmer by "grabbling", i.e. pulling out the young tubers
by hand while leaving the plant in place. A creamer potato is a
variety of potato harvested before it matures to keep it small and
tender. It is generally either a Yukon Gold potato or a red potato,
called gold creamers or red creamers respectively, and measures
approximately 1 in in diameter. The skin of creamer potatoes is waxy
and high in moisture content, and the flesh contains a lower level of
starch than other potatoes. Like potatoes in general, they can be
prepared by boiling, baking, frying, and roasting. Slightly older than
creamer potatoes are "new potatoes", which are also prized for their
taste and texture and often come from the same varieties.
Potatoes are usually cured after harvest to improve skin-set. Skin-set
is the process by which the skin of the potato becomes resistant to
skinning damage. Potato tubers may be susceptible to skinning at
harvest and suffer skinning damage during harvest and handling
operations. Curing allows the skin to fully set and any wounds to
heal. Wound-healing prevents infection and water-loss from the tubers
during storage. Curing is normally done at relatively warm
temperatures (50 to) with high humidity and good gas-exchange if at
all possible.
Storage
=========
On the other hand, temperatures below 4 °C convert the starch in
potatoes into sugar, which alters their taste and cooking qualities
and leads to higher acrylamide levels in the cooked product,
especially in deep-fried dishes. The discovery of acrylamides in
starchy foods in 2002 has led to international health concerns. They
are believed to be probable carcinogens and their occurrence in cooked
foods is being studied for potentially influencing health problems.
Under optimum conditions in commercial warehouses, potatoes can be
stored for up to 10-12 months. The commercial storage and retrieval of
potatoes involves several phases: first 'drying' surface moisture;
'wound healing' at 85% to 95% relative humidity and temperatures below
25 °C; a staged 'cooling phase'; a 'holding' phase; and a
'reconditioning' phase, during which the tubers are slowly warmed.
Mechanical ventilation is used at various points during the process to
prevent condensation and the accumulation of carbon dioxide.
When stored in homes unrefrigerated, the shelf life is usually a few
weeks.
If potatoes develop green areas or start to sprout, trimming or
peeling those green-colored parts is inadequate to remove copresent
toxins, and such potatoes are no longer edible.
Yield
=======
The world dedicated 18.6 e6ha to potato cultivation in 2010; the world
average yield was 17.4 t/ha. The United States was the most productive
country, with a nationwide average yield of 44.3 t/ha. United Kingdom
was a close second.
New Zealand farmers have demonstrated some of the best commercial
yields in the world, ranging between 60 and 80 tonnes per hectare,
some reporting yields of 88 tonnes potatoes per hectare.
There is a big gap among various countries between high and low
yields, even with the same variety of potato. Average potato yields in
developed economies ranges between 38-44 tonnes per hectare. China and
India accounted for over a third of world's production in 2010, and
had yields of 14.7 and 19.9 tonnes per hectare respectively. The yield
gap between farms in developing economies and developed economies
represents an opportunity loss of over 400 million tonnes of potato,
or an amount greater than 2010 world potato production. Potato crop
yields are determined by factors such as the crop breed, seed age and
quality, crop management practices and the plant environment.
Improvements in one or more of these yield determinants, and a closure
of the yield gap, can be a major boost to food supply and farmer
incomes in the developing world.
Uses
======================================================================
Potatoes are prepared in many ways: skin-on or peeled, whole or cut
up, with seasonings or without. The only requirement involves cooking
to swell the starch granules. Most potato dishes are served hot but
some are first cooked, then served cold, notably potato salad and
potato chips (crisps). Common dishes are: mashed potatoes, which are
first boiled (usually peeled), and then mashed with milk or yogurt and
butter; whole baked potatoes; boiled or steamed potatoes; French-fried
potatoes or chips; cut into cubes and roasted; scalloped, diced, or
sliced and fried (home fries); grated into small thin strips and fried
(hash browns); grated and formed into dumplings, Rösti or potato
pancakes. Unlike many foods, potatoes can also be easily cooked in a
microwave oven and still retain nearly all of their nutritional value,
provided they are covered in ventilated plastic wrap to prevent
moisture from escaping; this method produces a meal very similar to a
steamed potato, while retaining the appearance of a conventionally
baked potato. Potato chunks also commonly appear as a stew ingredient.
Potatoes are boiled between 10 and 25 minutes, depending on size and
type, to become soft.
Other than for eating
=======================
Potatoes are also used for purposes other than eating by humans, for
example: