Potatoes:
In THE BATTLE OF CHOCOLATE, dark chocolate won, with milk and white chocolate trailing behind in the poll on chocolate.
Now it's the turn of the humble potato, nicknamed the spud or tater (or tattie if in Scotland), to do battle. My intention was to do a poll on the different types of potatoes, but I soon gave up on that mission. Before researching for this poll, I thought there were white and red potatoes, plus new potatoes. I also know that sweet potatoes aren't a type of potato. Having consulted the Potatoes USA's website, I found out that there were seven basic categories of potato - blue/purple, fingerling, petite, red, russet, white and yellow potatoes.
And then, after consulting Wikipedia, I found out that there are well over 5,000 different types (or cultivars) of potatoes and that each country in the world grows different types of potatoes. For example, there's the Adironback, Atlantic, Kennebec, Lenape, Marcy, Ranger Russet, Red La Soda, Red Norland, Superior and Umatilla Russet in America; Kestrel and Toolangi Delight in Australia; Laura in Austria; Baronesa in Brazil; King Edward and Maris Piper in Britain; Red Gold and Yukon Gold in Canada; Qingshu 9 and Cooperation 88 in China; Amandine, Belle de Fontenay, Pink Fir Apple and Vitelotte in France; Bamberg and Kipfler in Germany; Kufri Chandramukhi, Kufri Chipsona and Kufri Jyoti in India; Black Champion, Bloomer, Irish Lumper, Pike and Rooster in Ireland; Danskaku-imo and May Queen in Japan; Citlali and Papa Cambray in Mexico; Agata, Désirée, Marfona and Vivaldi in the Netherlands; Stobrawa in Poland; Russian Blue in Russia; Up-to-Date in South Africa; Azucena Negra and Papas Negras in Spain; Almond in Sweden; and Knyahynya, Slovyanka and Tiras in Ukraine.
Given that I suspect most people don't know what type of potato they're eating, I decided that this poll is about how you like potatoes cooked. Simplicity is often the best way forward with polls!
The potato is a staple food in many parts of the world. The origins of potatoes can be traced to South America, Peru and Bolivia to be exact. Via empire, the Spanish first introduced potatoes to Europe in the sixteenth century and from Europe, again via empire, potatoes spread to North America. Potatoes didn't spread directly from South to North America, Europe was the imperial intermediary; the meandering globalisation of food!
China, India, Ukraine, Russia and the US are the biggest potato producers in the world. America grows over 200 types of potatoes; the state of Idaho grows about a quarter of America's potatoes. Per capita, Belarus, Ukraine and Britain are the biggest potato consumers in the world. Perhaps the Russian invasion of Ukraine is all about potatoes - wars have been fought for less!
There was also the Irish Potato Famine, also known as the Great Famine or the Great Hunger, in which potato crops failed causing mass starvation in Ireland between 1845 and 1852. It's estimated that about a million people died and over a million people fled the country. Shamefully the British stood by and effectively did nothing to alleviate the famine in Ireland, thus using a lack of potatoes as a weapon against the Irish. No wonder the Irish hated and still hate the British!
My most favourite types of cooked potatoes are baked, boiled, deep-fried, mashed, and sautéed potatoes, with roasted potatoes being the best potatoes to eat. A Sunday roast isn't complete without roast potatoes.
Roast potatoes:
My least favourite types of cooked potatoes are air-fried, instant and microwaved potatoes, with raw potatoes being by far the worst potatoes to eat.
I try not to eat genetically-modified (GM) potatoes not that I can tell the difference whether the potatoes have been genetically-modified or not. I'm just very suspicious of Big Tech tampering with the food chain. I remember when GM food was launched in the 1990s and one of the arguments that Big Tech rolled out was that GM food will eradicate crop disease and solve the problem of world hunger. Big Tech often over-promises and under-delivers.
What are your most and least favourite types of cooked potatoes?
What are your favourite potato-based dishes?
Have you grown or do you grow potatoes?
My favourite potato-based dishes are cheesy mash, chip sandwiches, hash browns, minted new potatoes, patatas bravas, potato dauphinoise, potatoes au gratin, rösti, sautéed potatoes with onions, and smoky bacon crisps.
I've only ever made one cake and it was a potato chocolate cake. Chocolate cake can be a bit dry but if some mashed potato is added to a chocolate cake mix, the potato allows the cake to retain its moisture and the potato doesn't alter the taste of the cake. It's still a chocolate cake.
I've never grown potatoes in my garden but my Dad grew potatoes on his farm; Désirée and Maris Piper potatoes mainly, plus Jersey Royal new potatoes. I helped out a lot in planting, picking and bagging potatoes. Planting potatoes is mind-numbing work sitting on a machine dropping seed potatoes down a chute every time you hear a ping. Picking new potatoes is back-breaking work because they have to be picked by hand rather than harvested by machine. Though the farm was primarily a dairy farm, my Dad grew potatoes as a lucrative sideline. He sold most of his potatoes to a local fish-and-chip shop.
Below is a poll where you can anonymously select your most favourite type of cooked potatoes.
Unfortunately only one pick is allowed in the poll. If you don't like potatoes, please don't vote but please do comment even just to say you don't like potatoes.
I think deep-fried potatoes (think fries/chips) will win but baked, boiled and roasted potatoes will also do well in the poll.
For those who want see some naughty-shaped potatoes, see ONE POTATO, TWO POTATO, THREE POTATO, FOUR!. And for those who want to read some potato trivia, see ONE POTATO, TWO POTATO. THREE POTATO, FOUR..
Please see the first comment below to see what has won each battle of the food and drinks so far.
PS. The impasse between American Bourbon whiskey and Scottish single malt whisky in THE BATTLE OF WHISKY has been broken - American Bourbon whiskey has now scandalously won. But there's still an impasse in THE BATTLE OF DESSERT ACCOMPANIMENTS with cream and vanilla ice cream jointly winning. It's not too late to vote to break this impasse, or to restore Scottish single malt whisky to its rightful place!
Rösti:
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33 comments
My favorite way of a ‘dish with potatoes’? Without a doubt, the Spanish-style potato omelette with onions and peppers! 😄
I love your omelettes.
First time I've ever voted for a potato and a site devoted to adult sexuality.
Potatoes can be sexy!
I'm a sucker for creamy garlic mashed potato. Roasted and sauteed would be next for me 😋🤤
I'm all for garlic in any food.
Au Gratin potatoes. Gotta love the cheese!
Potatoes and cheese are made for each other.
What another great battle my friend. I did vote for Baked Potatoes as I make what is called a baker, where I put butter, freshly chopped garlic, kosher salt and black pepper in mine and wrap them up in foil and bake them for a few hours.
Then when they are done I put cheese, bacon, green onions, sour cream or what ever topping I like on mine. They are delicious and are full meal on their own.
hope you enjoy your Monday and the last few days of this year..
Your baked potatoes are certainly loaded and they sound delicious.
Au Gratin Potatoes for sure! 😋😋
Au gratin potatoes make for a great side dish to a main meal.
Most - Mashed potato , least , oven baked potato skins . Dish - Spinach Mashed potato. On the irish famine, a bit of history trivia
Turkey did far more than Britain to alleviate the famine.
@spunkycumfun Me being the cynic, why did they help
?
@taurean62dbn I really don't know. Perhaps the Turks had problems with the British at the same time. But in the nineteenth century Britain largely supported the Ottoman Empire as a counter to Russia.
Deep fried? Is that the same as French Fries? (Developed in Belgium, not France)
Fries (or chips as we call them here) are usually deep-fried.
@spunkycumfun so are potato chips or I think your term is "Crisps". Both are good.
@mwants269 What you call chips, we call crisps, And what you call fries, we often call chips though people here also say fries.
For the record, Brussels sprouts won THE BATTLE OF THE VEGETABLES, bananas won THE BATTLE OF THE FRUITS, basil won THE BATTLE OF THE HERBS, garlic won THE BATTLE OF THE SPICES, cashew nuts won THE BATTLE OF THE NUTS, sunflower seeds won THE BATTLE OF THE SEEDS, roast beef won THE BATTLE OF THE ROAST DINNERS, cheesecake won THE BATTLE OF THE PUDDINGS, pepperoni won THE BATTLE OF THE PIZZA TOPPINGS, Caesar salad won THE BATTLE OF THE SALADS, green beans won THE BATTLE OF THE BEANS, watermelon won THE BATTLE OF THE MELONS, tomato-based pasta sauce won THE BATTLE OF THE HOT SAUCY DIPS, barbecue sauce won THE BATTLE OF THE COOL SAUCY DIPS, vanilla ice cream won THE BATTLE OF THE ICE CREAMS, capellini (aka angel hair) won THE BATTLE OF THE PASTAS, steak won THE BATTLE OF THE BARBECUE, romaine lettuce won THE BATTLE OF THE LETTUCES, honeycrisp apples won THE BATTLE OF THE APPLES, stout won THE BATTLE OF THE BEERS, whisky won THE BATTLE OF THE SPIRITS, clam chowder won THE BATTLE OF THE SOUPS, sourdough bread won THE BATTLE OF THE BREADS, liver won THE BATTLE OF THE OFFAL, roast turkey won THE BATTLE OF CHRISTMAS FOODS, Old Fashioned won THE BATTLE OF THE COCKTAILS, Americano coffee won THE BATTLE OF THE COFFEES, green tea won THE BATTLE OF THE TEAS, maple syrup won THE BATTLE OF THE PANCAKES, barbecue sauce won THE BATTLE OF THE CONDIMENTS, ribeye steak won THE BATTLE OF THE STEAKS, portobello mushrooms won THE BATTLE OF THE MUSHROOMS, beefsteak tomatoes won THE BATTLE OF THE TOMATOES, barbecue crisps won THE BATTLE OF THE CRISPS, strawberries won THE BATTLE OF THE BERRIES, crab won THE BATTLE OF THE SHELLFISH, vanilla yogurt won THE BATTLE OF THE YOGURTS, jasmine rice won THE BATTLE OF THE RICE, chicken wings won THE BATTLE OF HOT FINGER FOODS, cheeses won THE BATTLE OF COLD FINGER FOODS, dry red wine won THE BATTLE OF THE WINES, tap water won THE BATTLE OF WATER, blueberry muffins won THE BATTLE OF THE MUFFINS, cheese won THE BATTLE OF THE CHARCUTERIE, cow milk hard cheese won THE BATTLE OF THE CHEESE, burgers won THE BATTLE OF FAST FOOD, olive oil won THE BATTLE OF THE OILS, beef stew won THE BATTLE OF THE STEW, cow milk won THE BATTLE OF THE MILK, butter won THE BATTLE OF THE BAKED POTATO, salad won THE BATTLE OF THE SIDE DISH, pizza won THE BATTLE OF THE SAVOURY PIE, apple pie won THE BATTLE OF THE SWEET PIE, coffee won THE BATTLE OF THE HOT BEVERAGE, iced tea won THE BATTLE OF THE COLD BEVERAGE, salmon won THE BATTLE OF THE FISHES, rice won THE BATTLE OF THE GRAINS, cheese won THE BATTLE OF THE OMELETTE, cream won THE BATTLE OF THE DOUGHNUTS, chocolate won THE BATTLE OF THE MILKSHAKES, butter won THE BATTLE OF THE TOAST TOPPINGS, salted peanuts won THE BATTLE OF THE PEANUTS, strawberry jam won THE BATTLE OF THE JAM, flaky pastry won THE BATTLE OF THE PASTRY, bacon sandwich won THE BATTLE OF THE SANDWICH, orange juice won THE BATTLE OF THE JUICES, chocolate won THE BATTLE OF THE COOKIES, American Bourbon whiskey won THE BATTLE OF WHISKY, pumpkin pie won THE BATTLE OF THE PUMPKIN, cherry jelly won THE BATTLE OF JELLY, cream and vanilla ice cream jointly won THE BATTLE OF DESSERT ACCOMPANIMENTS, and dark chocolate won THE BATTLE OF CHOCOLATE.
Sigh. I miss potatoes
I would greatly miss potatoes too.
I'm guessing the deep-fried potatoes means French fries (or chips, as you would call them)? Fries are my favorite, but mashed potatoes come a close second. I made a huge batch of mashed potatoes for the turkey and tacos dinner and served it with turkey gravy.
Yes, I did mean chips or fries as deep-fried potatoes. Looking back I should have specified that in the poll.
Despite my Irish roots (ancestors part of the Irish diaspora), I'm not a huge fan of potatoes. Voted roasted.
How can you with your Irish roots not like potatoes?
@spunkycumfun LOL. Just not a big fan. I eat them from time to time, I prefer rice as a side.
@RUmytranny It's difficult to avoid potatoes where I live. It's almost served with every dish.
Salt potatoes, it's a Syracuse NY thing.
I've never come across salt potatoes before.
Yukon gold in potatoes Lyonaise
Lyonnaise potatoes are delicious.
The thing with potatoes is they work good mixed with a lot of things depending how they are cook . Butter, gravy, cheese, sour cream, bacon, ketchup…. Hmm all not healthy
As you say, potatoes are very versatile.
If I make potatoes, I will roast them. I also like mashed and fried in that order. Baked is ok
Roast potatoes rule!
Most of the root vegetables such as carrots beets potatoes yams I steam with the skin on. The steaming not only cooks; it removes any soil remaining on the skin so that can be consumed for the nutrients.
While still warm, the steamed potato is best served in wedges drizzled with fresh lemon juice, EVOO and a sprinkle of dry oregano. It's the perfect side dish for grilled fish.
A steamed potato can be stored in the refrigerator and prepared a different way each day. The refrigeration firms up the potato and it can be sliced and sauteed for a few minutes in olive oil sprinkled with piri piri during cooking, and when plated, topped with a fried or poached egg - the soft yolk makes for a very tasty 'sauce' for the potato slices.
My all time favorite potato-based recipe is Russian salad.
My variation: Steamed potatoes, steamed carrots, hardboiled eggs - all of the above peeled and diced, boiled peas, finely chopped capers, finely chopped gherkin pickles, drizzled with fresh lemon juice and some olive oil, before adding mayonnaise to combine all ingredients.
I've never eaten, or at least knowingly eaten, a steamed potato though I am very open to the idea.
@spunkycumfun Taste-wise no different from a boiled potato. Supposedly steaming retains the nutrients which are lost by boiling.
@missthee I can well understand that steamed potatoes are 'healthier' than boiled potatoes.
What are your most and least favourite types of cooked potatoes? - I'm not really a big fan of potatoes in general, but prefer baked ones if I have to chose. My least favorite are "home fries" - the french fries of the breakfast realm.
What are your favourite potato-based dishes? - See above.
Have you grown or do you grow potatoes? - No!
How can you not like a potato, however cooked, on your plate? But I totally accept you don't unless baked.
I LOVE POTATOS!!! 😋🥰
So do I!
@spunkycumfun
Haven't Had Potatoes Prepared Anyway I Didn't Like Them. 😋😋
@YourDickToUse196 Nor me, though raw potato isn't good. But given that raw potato isn't prepared, that doesn't count!
@spunkycumfun
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