A pOtatO

Characteristics

• Potato plants are herbaceous perennials that grow about 60 cm high,

depending on variety, with the leaves dying back after flowering, fruiting and
tuber formation. They bear white, pink, red, blue, or purple flowers with
yellow stamens. In general, the tubers of varieties with white flowers have
white skins, while those of varieties with colored flowers tend to have
pinkish skins.
• After flowering, potato plants produce
small green fruits that resemble
green cherry tomatoes, each containing
about 300 seeds. Like all parts of the
plant except the tubers, the fruit contain
the toxic alkaloid solanine and are
therefore unsuitable for consumption.
 History

• The potato was first domesticated in the region of

modern-day southern Peru and
northwestern Bolivia between 8000 and 5000 BC. It has
since spread around the world and become a staple
crop in many countries.
 Production

• In 2016, world production of potatoes was 377

million tonnes, led by China with over 26% of the world
total. Other major producers were India, Russia, Ukraine
and the United States.
 Nutrition
• A raw potato is 79% water, 17% carbohydrates (88% is starch),
2% protein, and contains negligible fat. The potato is rarely eaten
raw because raw potato starch is poorly digested by
humans. When a potato is baked, its contents of vitamin B6 and
vitamin C decline notably, while there is little significant change in
the amount of other nutrients.
• In general, varieties are categorized into a few main
groups based on common characteristics, such as russet
potatoes (rough brown skin), red potatoes, white
potatoes, yellow potatoes (also called Yukon potatoes)
and purple potatoes.