USA
The average American eats more than 54kg of potatoes each year, although a large proportion of these are in the form of chips, crisps and processed potato products.
There are around 5,500 potato growers in the USA and in 2006 they harvested almost 20million tonnes. The states of Idaho and Washington produce the most. In fact, the potato is Idaho’s official state vegetable!
The first potatoes arrived in North America in 1691, sent from Bermuda to the Governor of Virginia at Jamestown. And the first potato patches were established in 1791 in New Hampshire, most likely by Scotch-Irish immigrants.
During the Alaskan Klondike goldrush, potatoes were literally worth their weight in gold…they were so valued for their vitamin C that miners traded their gold for potatoes!
We’ve got some delicious US-style recipes for you to try…
