If you are a fan of the spud, then today is for you. For centuries they have been sliced, fried, boiled, baked, puréed, and served. Carbs be damned!

Celebrating February 8

National “Potato Lover’s” Day

Potato Facts:

A. The word , potato, is derived from a Native American word “Batata”

B. The first cultivated potatoes date back to 500o BC in Peru. Originally, they were purple. When cooked they turn a deep blue color.

C. Most of the nutrients found in potatoes are in the skin.

D. Sweet potatoes are distant relatives of the common potato, while Yams are not potatoes at all, they  botanically are considered lilies.

E. The average American eats 140 pounds of potatoes per year.

F. The word spud actually means “to dig a small hole in the ground, similar to spade, a tool to dig small holes.

G.  The Spanish claim that they first introduced the potato to Europe in 1550 while the Irish say that it was in 1585 when Sir Walter Raleigh introduced the potato to Europe.

Daily Quote:

“My idea of heaven is a great big baked potato & someone to share it with.” ~Oprah

Today’s Food History

on this day in…

• 1795 Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge was born. A German chemist who developed a method for obtaining sugar from beet juice.

• 1886 Wilhelm Koppers was born. This cultural anthropologist developed theories on the origins of society based on studies of hunter-gatherer tribes.

• 1898 John Sherman of Worcester, Massachusetts received a patent for the first machine to fold and seal envelopes.

• 1925 Actor Jack Lemmon was born. A couple of his film titles: ‘The Fortune Cookie’ and ‘Days of Wine and Roses’

• 1946 Adolfo De La Parra of the music group ‘Canned Heat’ was born.