Hello and thanks for reading my article,

I’d like to delve into one of my (and most chefs’) favorite things to cook. We consume potatoes on a daily basis, whether it be mashed potatoes, French fries, chips, thick soups, or even enjoying a glass of vodka with your caviar. Every year 325 million tons of potatoes are grown worldwide, but what are they really made of?

STARCH

Well, for starters, one of the most desirable materials found in a potato is starch. A potato, depending on the variety, is made up of around 18% starch. It’s what makes French fries, baked potatoes, potato pancakes, and home fries crisp, golden, and delicious. You want high starch potatoes for frying and low starch for mashed potatoes, this is because if a potato has too much starch it will make a sticky mashed potato. If you have some time on your hands, a little patience, you can use the starch to your advantage to create a very fresh windowed chip by cutting two very thin slices of potato, putting a parsley leaf between the two and frying.

WATER

Depending on the variety of potato and where it was grown, the water content of a potato is about 78%. Potatoes that contain more water, such as Yukon gold or red bliss, are better for mashed, gratin, or baked potatoes. Potatoes with lower moisture content are better for frying or sautéing.

The rest of the potato is made up of a lot of good stuff, like around 2-5% protein, which the USDA has concluded to be of high nutritional value. Vitamin C, sugar, fiber and .1% fat.

I hope I have taught you a little more about the potato and help you appreciate this great vegetable. A vegetable that had fed the poor and hungry for centuries.