The International Year of the Potato

December 27, 2007 4:55 PM

2008: The International Year of the Potato. Why now? Because the potato is delicious previously, easy to grow, and fun for all ages.

Diverse indigineous strains of potatoes are under attack by multinational agritech companies. However, farmers and gardeners are trying to preserve the potato's diversity. One such strain is the Ozette, a breed that is said to have its roots with the Makah Nation of the Pacific Northwest. Others disagree about the heritage of the ozette. Heirloom breeds are sold by specialty growers as both food and seed.

posted by stet (25 comments total)

...because nobody around here comprehends my potato.
posted by jet_silver at 4:57 PM on December 27, 2007 [2 favorites]

*launches mashr.com, the Tuber 2.0 mash-up site*
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 4:58 PM on December 27, 2007

I think you mean Tubr.

Also, I just had potatoes and gravy with Norwegian meatballs. Mmm, good!
posted by languagehat at 5:02 PM on December 27, 2007

Homage to the potato. Now excuse me while I go stick one in the oven.
posted by madamjujujive at 5:10 PM on December 27, 2007

From the 'under attack' link: "We feel greatly disrespected by corporations that make a single genetic alteration to a plant and then claim private ownership when these plants are the result of thousands of years of careful breeding by indigenous people," says Argumedo.

That's the crux for me. Entire nations spend countless generations developing plants, then some corporation comes along and patents them, because genetic modification is only valid if done by white people with lab coats.
The wars of the future will be over 'intellectual property', and I know which side I'm gonna be on.
posted by signal at 5:11 PM on December 27, 2007

"A potato will have a texture, body, and taste like that of other potatoes, but much more so.")

Carl Sagan, on eating while high.
posted by sourwookie at 5:21 PM on December 27, 2007

Every year is the year of the potato, in my household. The husband has had to adapt his Bengali recipes to include potatoes for his picky Irish wife.
posted by jamesonandwater at 5:37 PM on December 27, 2007

"The starch are so beautiful" continued Sagan, collapsing in a fit of giggles.
posted by hal9k at 5:39 PM on December 27, 2007 [1 favorite]

Now excuse me while I go stick one in the oven.

Now, now, this is a family website!

We shot the poles in the holes!
posted by eriko at 5:40 PM on December 27, 2007

One of the lines I remember from The Swiss Family Robinson: "With the potato, we will never starve!" The Robinsons got all the breaks.
posted by SPrintF at 5:41 PM on December 27, 2007

You wouldn't think it, but you just can't trust those crafty potatoes.
posted by clevershark at 5:50 PM on December 27, 2007

Now excuse me while I go stick one in the oven.

Because by the time it's done, who knows?

/Mitch
posted by Cyrano at 6:00 PM on December 27, 2007

Needs more bacon.
posted by cmgonzalez at 6:41 PM on December 27, 2007

i love potatoes.
posted by msconduct at 6:51 PM on December 27, 2007 [1 favorite]

It's going to be a latke year for us, then.
posted by not_on_display at 7:05 PM on December 27, 2007

My God, it's full of starch!

-hal9k
posted by sourwookie at 7:31 PM on December 27, 2007

Fear is strange soil. Mainly it grows obedience like corn, which grows in rows and makes weeding easy. But sometimes it grows the potatoes of defiance, which flourish underground.

                       - Pratchett in Small Gods
posted by XMLicious at 7:50 PM on December 27, 2007 [3 favorites]

I wonder how many potatoes I would have to plunge electrodes into in order to gather enough electricity to get oil hot enough to fry potato chips...
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:53 PM on December 27, 2007 [1 favorite]

Potato wave. Make me fries!
posted by miss lynnster at 7:55 PM on December 27, 2007 [1 favorite]

My name is Potato!
posted by contraption at 10:29 PM on December 27, 2007

MY NAME IS POTATO! *headbangs wildly*


*and pages John Ralston*
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 10:31 PM on December 27, 2007 [1 favorite]

I went spud picking once... it's bloody hard work.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 3:17 AM on December 28, 2007

Potatoe
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 3:21 AM on December 28, 2007

This post brought to you in part by the American Potato Council.
posted by cmonkey at 4:11 AM on December 28, 2007

I find the potato to be this single most perfect form of food. It can be mashed, fried, baked, it can be turned into chips or fries, and it can be served with anything.

It can be distilled into vodka.

And in an emergency, it can be used as a fairly powerful projectile.

All hail the mighty potato!

/Irish
posted by quin at 9:27 AM on December 28, 2007