POTATOES
Potatoes are tubers, meaning they are thick, fleshy, underground stems. The buds (called eyes by farmers) are found all over the tuber. Hundreds of varieties of potatoes are grown worldwide, with most limited to Peru. However, in the United States, several closely related varieties of Russets are much more popular than others.
Potatoes are native to South America. They were first cultivated by the Incas in the Peruvian highlands at least 2,000 and possibly up to 8,000 years ago. Now they are a dietary staple for cultures around the world.
The potato is a member of the nightshade family, along with tomatoes and peppers. Potatoes were introduced to Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. However, potatoes did not become popular as a food for another century. People were suspicious of potatoes because many poisonous plants are in the nightshade family. Potatoes eventually became an important dietary staple. For example, the potato became such an important dietary staple in nineteenth century Ireland that when there was a serious potato blight in 1845 and 1851, widespread starvation occurred throughout the country, and many Irish immigrated to the United States. Irish potato crops were vulnerable to disease because there was only one variety of potato, called Lumpers.
Fun facts
The potato is about 80 percent water and 20 percent solids.
The world's largest potato chip was produced by the Pringle's Company in Jackson, Tennessee in 1990. It measured 23feet x 14.5feet.
An 8-ounce baked or boiled potato has only about 150 calories.
Potatoes grow underground, but are actually swollen stems, not roots.
The average American eats about 134 pounds of potatoes per year while Germans eat about twice as much.
In 1974, an Englishman named Eric Jenkins grew 370 pounds of potatoes from one plant.
Thomas Jefferson gets the credit for introducing ‘French fries' to America when he served them at a White House dinner.
Potatoes are available in white, brown, yellow, red and blue varieties.
Nutritions
Stoke
One baked potato with the skin on contains over 900mg of potassium. Potassium rich foods have been confirmed by the FDA to stop strokes.
Potassium also fights high blood pressure.
| Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 1/2 cup chopped |
|
| Amount Per Serving | |
| Calories: 58 | |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat: 0.07g | 0% |
| Cholesterol: 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium: 4mg | 0.17% |
| Total Carbohydrate: 13.1g | 4.37% |
| Dietary Fiber: 1.6 | 0% |
| Sugars: 0.58g | |
| Protein: 1.51g | |
| Vitamin A 0.04% | Vitamin C 24.67% |
| Calcium 0.9% | Iron 3.22% |
Packing:
