Potato

The potato (plural form: potatoes) (Solanum tuberosum) is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, grown for its starchy tuber. Potatoes are the world's most important tuber crop and fourth most important source of food energy (after rice, wheat, and maize): farmers and gardeners grow them world-wide. Growers cultivate thousands of different varieties of potato. The potato originated in the Andes, in the area of present-day Peru. Pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Andean cultures cultivated around 200 different kinds of potatoes.

Cooking

Cooks and chefs can prepare potatoes for eating in numerous ways: either with their skin on or peeled, whole or cut into pieces, and with seasonings or without. The only requirement involves cooking — to break down the starch and make them edible. Most end-consumers eat potatoes hot, but several basic potato recipes involve cooking the potatoes and then eating them cold — potato salad and potato crisps (called "potato chips" in some places, such as the U.S.). One of the most common presentation methods involves mashing potatoes: peeling, boiling, then mashing and mixing with butter, cream, or other seasonings before serving. Mashed potatoes form a major component of several traditional dishes from the British Isles such as shepherd's pie, bubble and squeak, and the 'tatties' which accompany haggis.

Related Topics:
Potato salad - Potato crisp - Mashing potatoes - British Isles - Shepherd's pie - Bubble and squeak - Haggis

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the United States potatoes are one of the most widely consumed crops and thus have a variety of preparation methods and condiments. A popular favorite is eating a baked potato with cheddar cheese on top or sour cream and chives, and in New England "smashed potatoes" (chunkier variation on mashed potatoes where the peel of a russet potato is not removed) is a favorite.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Other presentations or dishes may see potatoes baked whole; boiled; steamed; cut into cubes and roasted; 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; and cut into long, thin pieces and fried or baked (chips, traditionally called "French fries" in the U.S.). Potatoes also serve to make a type of pasta called gnocchi. Potatoes form one of the main ingredients in many soups such as the pseudo-French vichyssoise and Albanian potato and cabbage soup. Potato chunks also commonly appear as a stew ingredient.

Related Topics:
Baked - Boiled - Steamed - Roasted - Rösti - Potato pancake - Chips - Gnocchi - Potato and cabbage soup - Stew

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~