Everyone has a favorite food—but if your favorite food isn't potatoes, you are probably doing something wrong in your life (unless you're allergic to potatoes, in which case, I am so, so, so sorry). If you're one of the many (but lucky) people in the world who can eat potatoes, then you know just how amazing they are.
Potatoes have a long history and can be eaten in tons of different ways. They can be enjoyed plain, with salt, sour cream, cheddar cheese, ketchup, mashed with butter and chives or in smiley face fries. The possibilities are endless, and potatoes are really the most versatile food.
In honor of the guy in Australia whodecidedto go on a year-long diet of just potatoes, and in honor of my suitemates, who I annoy with facts about potatoes whenever we go to the dining hall (did you know that you learn a lot about potatoes when you take a class on Christopher Columbus? I didn't), I've decided to write an article solely about potatoes, the most perfect food. So, here are 10 reasons why you should love potatoes:
1. They have an interesting history
Most people associate potatoes with the Irish. They became a staple of Irish crops, and it is well known that the Potato Famine in the 19th century caused the death of many who relied on potatoes for sustenance. However, potatoes actually originated in the Andes Mountains of South America, and were only transported to Europe during The Columbian Exchange, the exchange of biological and cultural goods between the "Old World" and the "New World" after 1492.
2. There are many different types of potatoes
Many people in the U.S. know only a couple different types of potatoes, but as the picture above shows, there are actually many different types that haven't become as mainstream as the ones most Americans know. According to the International Potato Center (did you know that was a thing? I didn't...it's so cool!), there are over 4,000 different kinds of potatoes.
3. Potatoes are super important
Potatoes are the second most consumed crop in the world after rice and wheat. You could technically survive on potatoes and milk, although you'd probably lose a lot of essential nutrients and die early.
4. Potatoes are actually pretty healthy
I mean, you shouldn't just eat potatoes, but they're not bad for you if you eat them in moderation. They contain one-quarter of the calories bread does, and have more protein and twice the calcium as corn.
5. There are inedible types of potatoes!
The ancestors of today's modern potato are inedible, and there are about 100 types that grow from the Southwestern United States to Southern Chile that cannot be eaten.
6. They're easy to cook
When we cook potatoes at my house, it's pretty simple. You put about four or five potatoes on a paper napkin, put it in the microwave, cook it for six minutes, flip it and cook it for six more. Ta-dah!
7. Potato peelers are a thing
I always peeled potatoes
with my hands, but it wasn't until I learned how to use a potato peeler that I
felt like I was on an episode of "Chopped." They're pretty easy to
use once you get the hang of it, and make potato peeling fun.
8. You can eat them in all seasons
It doesn't matter whether you're craving potatoes in summer, winter, fall or spring—they'll be there for you!
9. POTATO CHIPS
Enough said.
10. You can cook dozens of potato dishes.
From mashed potatoes to potato gratin, potatoes can make your life a better place!
