With over a hundred different ways to cook them, it’s very likely that you eat potatoes
in some form every day.
Whether it’s chips, fries, or mixed with dishes, potatoes are a foodie’s best friend
and possibly a health buff’s worst nightmare.
However, potatoes have actually provided sustenance for humans long before people started drenching
them in oil.
In fact, this root crop remains a staple food for many countries.
Despite potatoes’ bad rep for heavy carbs, there’s still a lot more that people don’t
know about them.
Watch on to find out.
Here are 30 potato facts you probably never knew about.
Don't forget to like and subscribe for more neat facts to discover the world, one click at a time!
1. Potatoes came from South America.
People started harvesting potatoes between 8000 and 5000 BC Peru or Bolivia, known as
the Andes back then.
Still, the oldest potato in history dates back to 2500 BC at the Ancon coastal site.
From there, the Inca civilization cultivated it as early as 1800 years ago.
2. Potato comes from the Spanish word “Patata”.
Semantically speaking, the term potato came from the Spanish word ‘patata’ in the 1950s.
This may have also come from the Caribbean ‘batata’ or “sweet potato”.
3. China is the world’s largest potato producer.
Along with India, Germany, Ukraine, Russia, Poland, and the United States, China leads
the world in producing and exporting potatoes.
In the USA alone, all 50 states grow the tuber crop, with Idaho and Washington being the
largest ones.
4. Idaho is known as the Potato State.
The state of Idaho only started growing potatoes in 1836, which is considerably later compared
to other states.
However, Idaho stood out for the russet potato variety first cultivated in 1872.
Since then, Idaho became known for its potato production.
5. Idaho also has a potato museum.
Of course, the “potato state” wouldn’t be complete without its potato museum.
Since 1913, Idaho’s Potato Museum has displayed the history of the root crop that bolsters
its economy.
6. Potato tubers are a part of the nightshade family.
Though it may sound unlikely, potatoes are related to peppers, tomatoes and eggplants
as part of the nightshade family.
7. Potatoes come in many varieties.
That potato you had for dinner is most likely a Sebago or common potato.
Other known types are the Russet Burbank, Pontiac (potatoes with thin, red skin),
Pink Eye, Kipfler, Spunta and Pink Fir Apple.
8. Potatoes contain vitamin B6, potassium, and more.
In its pure form, potatoes aren’t as bad as they seem.
In fact, potatoes are known as a near-perfect food for being rich in vitamins B6, C, E,
and K, along with minerals like potassium, magnesium and phosphorous.
9. The average potato has around 100 calories.
This makes potatoes considerably less calorie-dense than a cup of rice at 225 calories or a cup
of pasta at 115 calories.
10. Potatoes can be good for your health.
The nutrients in potatoes help maintain the stomach, spleen, and intestines.
They could also promote a healthy heart, improve digestion, strengthen the immune system and
maintain body fluid balance.
11. Potatoes only made it into Ireland in the 1500s.
Despite being known as the country’s national vegetable, potatoes were only introduced to
Ireland in 1589.
After the Spanish Conquistadors took Peru, they introduced the Andean’s root crops
to Europe.
From there, Sir Walter Raleigh brought the potato to Ireland.
12. Potatoes can also be used to make alcohol.
You may or may not already know it, but potatoes are regularly used to brew certain types of
alcoholic beverages like Vodka, Akvavit, or Poitín.
13. Potatoes used to be worth gold.
Though you wouldn’t have much luck trading potatoes for gold today, there was a time
when potatoes could be traded directly for gold.
Back in the 1890s, the Alaskan Klondlike gold rush potato had a very high value due to its
essential Vitamin C content.
14. You can eat potatoes with sprouts.
The sprouts on potatoes may look weird or even intimidating, but they’re generally
safe to eat as long as they’re firm to the touch.
If not, it’s best to remove them before cooking your potatoes.
15. Spoiled potatoes usually appear shriveled and wrinkled.
Once a potato shrivels up, it will lose most of its nutritional value.
Depending on the temperature, potatoes usually last for a week until you have to consider
cooking them as soon as possible.
16. You can get poisoned by potatoes.
While we all love a good spud, some parts of it could be fatal - specifically its leaves
and green stems.
These parts of the potato contain toxic solanine which could cause potato plant poisoning.
Generally, it takes up to 10 hours from consumption before symptoms such as abdominal pain, fever,
nausea, headaches, and vomiting appear.
17. Potatoes are best kept in cool, dry places.
You’d have to think twice before popping your potatoes in a fridge.
When stored in a cool, dry place at 45-50 degrees Fahrenheit, you could extend your
potatoes’ shelf life for up to three months.
Higher temperatures could cause sprouting and shriveling of the supply, shortening its
lifespan to only a week.
18. It’s important to include potato skin in its preparation process.
It’s best to boil, steam or bake potatoes in their skins, as most of their nutrients
are in the skin.
Peeling them before cooking could cause the loss of these nutrients.
Soaking peeled potatoes in water is also not recommended as its nutritious contents could
dissolve in water.
19. You should only wash potatoes right before cooking them.
You shouldn’t wash your potatoes before storage since this would only speed up its decay.
Instead, you should save the washing for right before you cook it.
20. Potatoes can grow to a height of 4700 meters.
From sea level, a potato plant could grow up to 15,420 feet.
That’s about as good as a 4,700-meter rise right there!
21. Potatoes have 5000 different varieties worldwide.
At 2,800 varieties, Peru still holds the title for the country with the most potato varieties.
It only makes sense, since the spud originated from Peru.
22. You can survive on potatoes, milk and butter alone.
It seems that people were onto something when they invented mashed potatoes.
According to scientists, you could survive on nothing but potatoes with a fair serving
of milk or butter and still have enough nutrients to stay alive.
23. Over a billion people eat at least 1 potato each day.
It’s safe to say that potato is a well-loved food, considering the fact that over a billion
people eat at least one potato each day.
The average American consumption is at 140 pounds of potatoes per year, while the Germans
consume more than 200 pounds of potatoes annually.
24. Potatoes have broken many records.
Despite the couch potato’s association with lazy bums, this nutritious vegetable has been
setting world records here and there.
It is the fourth most-produced crop, the most consumed food in many countries, and is even
the first vegetable ever grown in space.
25. Potato flowers were big in fashion.
Aside from its edible aspect, potatoes have also influenced royal fashion.
French Queen Marie Antoinette pioneered potato fashion after she received a potato flower
bouquet.
The flower instantly became trendy once she made a public appearance with potato flowers
adorning her clothing.
26. Potatoes have also influenced art.
This unbelievable crop might as well be the celebrity of root crops, since it has appeared
in the masterpieces of world-renowned artists.
You could find references of potatoes in Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor,
Van Gogh’s Potato Eaters, and James Joyce’s Ulysses.
27. There is a blue-violet colored potato.
Though you’ve probably never seen one before, there’s a potato variety that comes in an
indigo color.
The vitelotte noire, or simply vitolette, is a gourmet French potato variety first produced
in the early 19th century.
Because of its remarkable color, it is also called the Chinese truffle.
Aside from its unique color, this variety is known to be a great antioxidant.
28. Potatoes were the first crop grown in space.
Since its space pioneer feat, the potato became a vital part of the goal to feed space voyagers
on long expeditions.
29. The Tomtato is half tomato, half potato.
It may read like a tongue twister, but tomtatoes or pomatoes exist.
A product of grafting, this hybrid helps save garden and field space with little to no effect
on the crop’s quality.
30. The US celebrates National Potato Day on 2 different dates.
Aside from celebrating National Potato Day every August 19th and October 27th, the United
Nations even declared 2008 as the official Year of the Potato.
Whether you’ve noticed it or not, potatoes
have played an important part in our lives historically, culturally, and nutrition-wise.
This only shows that naturally, most food can serve many health benefits.
We should only be mindful of how we prepare and cook them.
If you enjoyed our video, don't forget to like, share and subscribe to our channel for more Facts videos!