Potato Trivia

We see them as a side dish and have had them baked, steamed, mashed and fried. They come to you either as a single item or in a ten pound bag for relatively little money and have saved countries from starvation. The product that is being talked about is the potato, but did you know that there are also interesting facts about the potato that most do not know? The next time you sit down to a meal that includes the potato, impress and amaze your friends with some of these interesting facts:

1. The Oregon Spuds Website (www.oregonspuds.com) states that the Inca Indians of Peru grew potatoes as early as 200 BCE (Before Common Era), but they were nothing like the ones you see in the supermarket. They ranged in size from a small nut to the size of an apple and came in various colors which included red and gold as well as black and blue. Further, the Incas used the potato to measure time as they correlated time with the length of time it took to cook a potato.

2. The people at The Hot Potato (www.hotpotato.com) state that it took an amazing seven Transatlantic crossings before the potato was finally accepted in the Americas and that was in thanks to Benjamin Franklin who was the Ambassador to France and discovered the tuber while he was there.

3. The makers of Pringles and Lays Potato chips both agree that potato chips were invented by accident in 1853. Railroad Magnate Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt complained that his fried potatoes were too thick and had them sent back to the kitchen to be properly prepared. The chef naturally upset as his remarks, sliced potatoes extremely thin and fried them. Those at the restaurant fell in love with the new dish.

4. According to www.oregonspuds.com, the state of Oregon of the United States is the largest potato producing state, averaging 53,000 pounds per acre each year. Further 75% of their potatoes end up as french fries, hash browns and chips while 15% of the product is sent overseas to such places as Japan, Taiwan and Korea.

5. On average, a person will eat 134 pounds of potatoes per year in various forms including chips and french fries (www.hotpotato.com).

6. According to the Food Network, potatoes are the second most consumed food in the world only following closely to milk products, which holds the first place position.

7. One medium size potato is very good for a person according to WebMD, as the potato: (a) has fewer calories than a grapefruit; (b) has more potassium than a banana; (c) has more usable iron than any other vegetable; (d) is high in fiber and loaded with complex carbohydrates; and (e) is a fat free food

8. The potato is a relative to both the tobacco plant and the tomato plant. All three are considered a sub-species of the nightshade, which is deadly (www.hgtv.com).

9. Up to the late 18^th century, people in France believed that the potato caused leprosy (www.webmd.com).

10. French fries were introduced by President Thomas Jefferson and served in the White House. Thanks to Mr. Jefferson, United States potatoes lovers will consumed on average four million french fries per year in all shapes and sizes (www.foodtv.com).