FOOD

The humble spud With 2008 deemed International Year of the , we thought it timely to pay homage to the spud. Read on for the many reasons we should celebrate our national food - hail to the potato!

The potato has long been part of the Irish fat and calories than rice and pasta, which folic acid and minerals potassium, diet. Given the importance of the potato is untrue. A small potato contains about magnesium and zinc. But how good they in Ireland’s past, we hope that it can 80 calories, which is similar to one slice of are for you also depends on their remain a food of the present. However, . Older consumers had a different preparation. Potatoes are really good if we don’t want to over-rely on the potato, attitude and viewed the potato as the consumed as an unprocessed food. If we as the Irish did when the famine struck in centre of a meal, eating them on average chip or roast them in fat, this is going to the 1840s. Potatoes’ former popularity three times a week. decrease their potential health value. may never return, as with their current But the potato is still Ireland’s There are also many processed potato image the future looks grim. favourite vegetable. The 2006 Bord Bia products on the market today, such as annual report found an increase in frozen chips, and potato Poor potato image potato consumption that year. That’s waffles. Unlike whole, unprocessed A 2001 survey of food consumption in good for the potato, but I don’t know potatoes, these are generally low in fibre. Ireland highlighted that 95% of Irish what it says about our general fondness Processing also reduces the vitamin and people eat potatoes. Surprisingly, other for vegetables. mineral content, which is mostly found dinner time carbohydrate foods did not just beneath the potato’s skin. come close to the potato with just 44% To peel or not to peel… So consumers beware: not all potato consuming rice and pasta. The nutrients found in the potato (as products are the same. We ask, are ATAGLANCE However, potato consumption is with many vegetables) are just beneath processed potato products really a thought to be on the decline. Research the skin, which is also a good source of convenient addition to a meal? When all Varieties. carried out for Bord Bia in 2006 found fibre. According to the Potato Council matters are weighed up, do potatoes that younger consumers perceive the (see Useful websites) a in its really take all that long to prepare? Preparation. potato as a simple food of the past that is skin contains more fibre than two slices time consuming to prepare. On the health of wholemeal bread. Preparation Nutrition. side, potatoes were perceived as higher in Potatoes contain vitamin C, B1, B6, When time is tight facing into washing

358 consumer choice SEPTEMBER 2008 FOOD THE VERSATILE POTATO Useful contacts

There are many varieties of potato that really, when it comes down to it can be prepared in any way you prefer, boiled, mashed, chipped, roast Bord Bia or baked. However, some are more suited to preparation in certain ways than others. Some are ‘waxy’ as they have a lower starch content, Dublin Head Office Clanwilliam Court others are higher in starch and are ‘floury’. In general, new potatoes are best simply boiled in their skin. Always start cooking in boiling water. Lower Mount Street Floury potatoes are also good boiled, steamed or used to make fluffy mash. If over-boiled they can fall apart. When cooked, part of their skin Dublin 2 can break; colloquially know as the ‘laughing potato’. After boiling, it’s good to let them steam for a few minutes to let excess moisture tel (01) 668 5155 evaporate. A traditional trick is to place a tea towel neatly over the top of the potatoes, loosely replace the lid and in a few minutes the towel fax (01) 668 7521 will absorb excess moisture. But don’t leave unattended as this may pose a fire hazard. Waxy potatoes hold their shape when cooked and are email [email protected] good for salads. Interesting varieties of potato, with purple or blue flesh, have more recently frequented our shop shelves. Their colour makes www.bordbia.ie them a good source of antioxidants. For those interested in the finer details, read on. Irish Nutrition and 1 POTATO VARIETIES Dietetic Institute Ashgrove House Earlies 2 Kill Avenue • British Queen White variety that can be a little floury. Good baked, • Kerr’s Pink Smooth pink skin, pale flesh, good roast, mashed or in Dun Laoghaire boiled, roast or steamed. salads. Can be floury. Co. Dublin • Charlotte Oval shaped, waxy potato with pale yellow skin and • King Edward White skin with pink tinges in places. Good roast or flesh. email [email protected] chipped. Can be floury. • Colleen Light yellow flesh and cream skin, neither waxy nor floury. www.indi.ie • Home Guard White skin and flesh, neither waxy nor floury. Good to • Maris Piper Cream skin and flesh, semi-smooth skin. Another good boil, roast or chip. all rounder, can be floury. Good for chipping. Useful websites • Maris Peer Cream skin and flesh. Waxy potato, good for salads, • Record Yellow semi-smooth skin with a reddish tinge, yellow flesh. boiled or chipped. Can be floury. International Year of • Rooster Yellow flesh and pinky-red skin. Often floury, good roast or the Potato Main crop 2 mashed. The ultimate all-rounder potato. www.internationalyear • Desiree Red skin and pale yellow flesh. A good all rounder, not • Saturna Cream skinned oval shaped potato. Often used for baby ofthepotato.ie overly waxy or floury. potatoes www.potato2008.org • Golden Wonder Oval shape, cream skin and light yellow flesh. A • Vivaldi Cream skin and flesh, oval shaped. Waxy potato often sold International Potato floury potato, best boiled or roast. as baby potatoes. Has less carbohydrate than the average potato. Centre 1 Information sources: Department of Agriculture Irish Potato Variety Evaluation Results (1998). The Potato Council Potato Variety Database http://varieties.potato.org.uk www.cipotato.org 2 ‘Early’potatoes are ready to eat early in the growing season. Main crop are more suited to traditional growing patterns Potato Council (UK) an inch of muck from your dinner • If exposed to light, potatoes can take for others where rising cereal prices can www.britishpotatoes. doesn’t appeal to most. But we can’t use on a greenish tinge. The green part is affect access to sufficient food. Potatoes co.uk that excuse as nowadays - most potatoes not good to eat. To avoid waste, just are a prolific crop; they produce more are sold washed, or at least nearly there, remove the green bit and eat the rest of food per acre than many other grains and Potato recipes a little scrub will suffice. the potato. will grow in many soil types and climates. available at: While convenience foods can save on • If your spuds start to sprout don’t be Potatoes can also be grown easily at www.bordbia.ie/go/ corporate/publications/ preparation time, they still need to be alarmed. Remove these parts and the home; consult the UK Royal Horticultural horticulture/recipes_ cooked. Frozen oven chips can take 20 to potato is fine to eat. The sprouts or Society (see Useful websites) for some potato.pdf 30 minutes in the oven. You would have ‘eyes’ are the beginnings of new potato potato growing tips. And you don’t even a pot of potatoes boiled in their jackets growth – if you planted this potato in need a garden – potatoes can be grown in www.bordbia.ie/go/Co in equal time. Baked potatoes take a bit your garden you could even grow a large plant pots or even black bin liners nsumers/Recipes/ longer, depending on size. whole crop. filled with potting compost. potatoes/index.html Potatoes average around €1.00 to Potatoes have been dubbed the food of €1.80 per kg, whereas processed potato More good potato news... the future. The potato is a food that is www.britishpotatoes. products, range from €2.00 to even as With the rising price of grains such as historically embedded in Ireland and a co.uk/recipes/ high as €6.99 per kg. So cooking the wheat and rice, the International Year of vibrant national food culture is whole potato will not only benefit your the Potato (see Useful websites) aims to something Ireland lacks. From many Royal Horticultural Society health, but also your pocket. promote the importance of this crop, not perspectives, historical to social and www.rhs.org.uk only for countries like Ireland that are nutritional, we should make the potato a Avoid the green eyed potato traditionally high potato consumers, but regular feature on Irish plates. Carbohydrate-rich foods like rice and pasta are convenient, long lasting staples. TRADITIONAL IRISH POTATO FOODS 1 As potatoes are a fresh vegetable, they need to be consumed in a shorter space Among the many uses for potatoes, these are a few traditional to Ireland. of time. But a few handy hints can • with added scallions or cooked kale. lengthen their shelf-life. • Poundy An onomatopoeic name for mashed potatoes. • Keep your potatoes in the dark – it • A made with a mixture of mashed and raw grated potatoes. may sound unfair, but a cool, dry, dark • or Griddle Cakes Potato bread cooked on a dry pan, make with mashed potato place is best. A brown paper bag or and . cardboard box can provide the right 1 For potato recipes, traditional and modern see Useful websites. Report by conditions. Aisling Murtagh cc

FOOD SEPTEMBER 2008 consumer choice 359