Humans have been cultivating potatoes
for 10,000 years.
Beginning in South America in 8000 BC,
potatoes have taken root
in almost every culture on the planet.
A super-versatile vegetable,
potatoes can be found in Belgium's salty, crispy fries;
Indonesia's sweet and spicy sambal goreng kentang;
and Ecuador's fluffy, cheesy llapingacho.
Let's take a look at the crunchiest, cheesiest,
and most delicious potato recipes
from 28 countries around the world.
Chorrillana is quintessential pub food:
crispy, salty fries topped with sweet caramelized onions,
meat like grilled steak, and a perfectly fried egg.
Lore has it that fries were invented
in Belgium in 1680 when a river froze over,
making it impossible to fish,
and innovative cooks fried potatoes instead.
Today, chip shops in Belgium serve thick-cut fries,
crisp and crunchy on the outside,
plump and soft on the inside,
with a slew of savory sauces.
Llapingacho are potato pancakes
spiced with onions, cumin,
and achiote, which has a peppery flavor
and turns the whole dish orange,
then stuffed with queso fresco.
The pancake is panfried until golden brown
with an ultra-crispy exterior
and a creamy, smooth interior.
Crash hot potatoes are a cross between
smashed and loaded potatoes.
Whole potatoes are boiled,
then smushed until flat,
dressed with fresh herbs and grated cheese,
then baked until crispy all around.
Dum aloo means "steam-cooked potatoes,"
though the dish is way more complex
than that name suggests.
An aromatic blend of onions, tomatoes,
ginger, chili, coriander, and other herbs and spices
are blended with yogurt and left to simmer
until it becomes thick and creamy.
Potatoes are cooked in the masala
to soak up all that flavor.
Potato kibbeh can be made a bunch of different ways.
It's one of those recipes grandmas love to pass down.
But at its heart, potato kibbeh is a mix
of mashed potatoes and bulgur wheat
filled with ingredients like mincemeat,
dried fruit, nuts, and caramelized onions.
Potato kibbeh can be layered and baked
or rolled into a football shape and deep-fried.
Batatas a murro means "punched potatoes,"
which alludes to the look of this smashed-potato dish.
Potatoes are boiled, then lightly smashed
and mixed with garlic, herbs, and caramelized onions,
then smothered with cheese and baked
until bubbling and golden brown.
Poutine has been a signature French Canadian dish
since the 1950s, and today you can find it
at dive bars, fast-food chains,
and even fine-dining restaurants.
Potatoes are fresh-cut and deep-fried,
then topped with brown gravy and melty cheese curds.
Kumpir is a super-popular Turkish street food.
A baked potato hot out the oven
is sliced open and mixed with butter and cheese
until the inside is creamy,
then topped with things like
sliced beets, sausage or bacon,
pickled cabbage, or even more cheese.
Khabizgina is a delicious, cheesy, stringy pull-apart bread.
Mashed potatoes are mixed with cheese and butter
and encased in a yeasted dough.
After it's baked, the bread is coated with
even more butter and served piping hot.
Curry potatoes are the perfect, slightly spicy side
to grilled poultry, fish, or beef.
Potatoes are cooked down with ingredients
like tomato paste, cayenne, thyme, coriander,
and turmeric, which turns the whole dish a bright yellow.
The light and fluffy potatoes are bright
and aromatic, with a light kick.
It's up for debate whether potato chips
were actually invented in the States,
but one thing is clear:
Americans love chips more than any country in the world.
With classic American flavors like barbecue,
sour cream and onion, and ranch,
there's a chip flavor for every single occasion.
Pakora are vegetables or other mains
dredged through a batter of gram and rice flour
with bold spices like chili, ginger,
cardamom, and turmeric, then deep-fried.
Aloo, or potato, pakora only takes about
20 minutes to make, which works out,
because once you try this deep-fried fritter,
you won't be able to stop.
Papa rellena translates to "stuffed potato."
A potato-based dough is filled with beef, onions, eggs,
olives, and some traditional herbs and spices,
then rolled into a ball,
dredged through flour, and deep-fried.
The crisp but light exterior gives way
to a savory, meaty stuffing
for the perfect portable app.
Batata harra literally means "spicy potatoes" in Arabic.
Fried or roasted potatoes are tossed
in a spicy, tangy marinade of herbs and spices
like coriander and turmeric
and as much red chili as your taste buds can take.
It can be served plain or in a pita with tomatoes,
pickles, and fresh parsley.
Perkedel are a take on the Dutch meatball, but even better.
Ground beef is mashed together
with potatoes and shallots,
dredged through egg, and deep-fried.
These fritters can be found anywhere from street vendors
all the way up to fine-dining restaurants.
There are countless types of potato salad,
from cold and mayo-based
to room temperature with vinegar.
But in Germany, where it's thought to have been invented,
the dish is served warm with potatoes
dressed in vinegar, sugar, onion,
and fresh herbs for a perfect blend
of sour, sweet, and savory.
Stamppot is one of the oldest staple dishes
in the Netherlands.
It's a heavy dish consisting of mashed potatoes
mixed with a vegetable, most commonly incorporating kale
long before kale was trendy
or even bitter endives.
It's finished off with crisp, caramelized
smoked-sausage slices.
Gromperekichelcher are savory potato fritters.
Grated yellow potato, shallots, garlic,
and fresh parsley are held together
with flour and eggs, then rolled into a ball
and smashed into a pancake before they're deep-fried.
They're often served as a side dish
but are perfect as a snack all on their own
with a little apple compote.
In the Kenyan tribe Kikuyu,
irio just means "food" but often refers to this
go-to simple yet tasty comfort dish.
Corn and peas are mixed into mashed potatoes
until they turn green and yellow.
The final dish is crispy and slightly sweet
and typically served with grilled goat or beef.
Pudding and souse is a go-to lunch
on Saturday afternoons in Barbados.
For the pudding, grated sweet potatoes are mixed
with thyme, marjoram, and Scotch bonnets,
then steamed until tender and aromatic.
It's paired with souse, which are pickled pork trimmings.
Hasselback potatoes were invented in Sweden
in the 1950s and have since become
a staple pub snack around the globe.
A potato is sliced thin,
almost, but not quite, all the way through,
until it looks like an accordion,
then doused with butter or olive oil,
salt, and pepper and a little garlic
and roasted until crispy on the outside
and smooth and creamy on the inside.
Gratin Dauphinois is a centuries-old
rich and creamy side dish.
Thinly sliced potatoes are mixed
with heavy cream and spices like nutmeg,
then topped with sharp cheese
and baked until the potatoes are soft
under a blanket of dark brown and crispy burnt cheese.
A Spanish omelet, or tortilla Española,
isn't the thin, folded egg dish you're likely picturing.
Instead, sliced potatoes and a little onion
are mixed into whisked eggs,
poured into a deep frying pan,
and cooked on each side
until crispy on the outside and plush on the inside.
Served hot or cold, the dish is a favorite
for anything from barbecues to picnics.
Aloo paratha starts with mashed potatoes
that are flavored with spices like ginger,
red chili powder, chaat masala, and garam masala
for a spicy kick.
The potato's encased in whole-wheat dough,
then cooked in a tandoori oven
until the bread is bubbled and blackened.
Despite the name, tattie scones aren't baked goods.
Instead, they're a soft and fluffy addition
to a full Scottish breakfast.
Mashed potatoes are mixed with butter, flour,
and a pinch of salt until a thick dough forms,
then rolled thin and sliced
before the scones are panfried
until golden brown and piping hot.
Seaweed Shaker Fries are sold at McDonald's in Singapore,
but they're often made at home these days too.
Matchstick fries are tossed
in a sweet and salty coating of chili flakes,
sesame seeds, garlic, and nori flakes.
Served as a side dish for breakfast or dinner,
rösti is so simple almost anyone can make it.
Grated potatoes are mixed with
a generous helping of butter,
then smushed flat into a disc shape.
The fritter is baked until crisp on all sides
and served with a little more butter and some fresh herbs.
So, which potato dish do you want to try?
Are there any we missed?
Let us know in the comments below.