Potatoes are awesome. So we thought we’d give all y’all some tater facts.
Potatoes are the world’s fourth-largest food crop, the first crop grown in space in 1995, and were domesticated in the Andes around 8,000 BC.
During the 1800s gold rush, potatoes were sometimes valued for their high nutrition, essentially worth their weight in gold.
Americans eat an average of 110–124 lbs of potatoes per year.
If a potato turns green, it is poisonous and should not be eaten.
The largest potato on record weighed 7 pounds 1 ounce.
French fries are believed to have originated in Belgium, not France, where they were likely being fried in the late 1600s.
Thomas Jefferson gets the credit for introducing “french fries” to America when he served them at a White House dinner.
Today, potatoes are grown in all 50 states of the USA and in about 125 countries throughout the world.
The potato is about 80% water and 20% solids.
The sweet potato belongs in the same family as morning glories, while the white potato belongs to the same group as tomatoes, chile peppers, eggplant, and the petunia.
For some great potato recipes, check out the Idaho Potato Commission.
Potatoes didn’t arrive in Idaho until 1836.
The word potato comes from the Spanish word patata.
Potato is the 4th most important crop worldwide (but 1st in our book!).
2008 was the U.N. International Year of the Potato.
The Potato Museum in Washington, DC, contains 2,000 potato artifacts.
35% of the potato crop is turned into french fries, 28% is used fresh, and 13% goes to chips.
A complaining railroad magnate earned a chastisement for complaints from chef George Crum, resulting in “Saratoga Crunch Chips,” known to us as potato chips, in 1853. A delicious punishment!
A potato has more potassium than a banana.
The Irish Potato Famine gave rise to the field of plant pathology.
Potatoes can grow from sea level up to 4,700 meters above sea level, from southern Chile to Greenland.
China is the world’s largest producer of potatoes, supplying a major portion of global demand.
Potatoes are rich in vitamin C, potassium, fiber, and antioxidants when prepared in a healthy way.
Potatoes helped prevent famine in many countries.
A potato battery can power a small clock.
Student thoughts on spuds:
Flynn Carr: Mashed potatoes are delicious.
Kelton Stickling: They make good french fries.
Landon Wiegand: They are good to throw at people and eating.
Jude Smith: They are ok.
Cameron Bjork: I like potatoes when they are crispy and baked.
Jarek Klaus: They tatos also they don’t swing that way.
Wyatte Hise: No comment.
Carter Farney: They’re good.
Thanks for checking out Tate speech! Next time you eat a potato, remember you’re enjoying one of the most fascinating foods in human history.
