Potato: Quick Facts

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Facts

Also Known As	Solanum tuberosum

Photos and Videos

Sampling of potato diversity

Farmer Justina Chipa, wearing traditional Andean clothing with a yellow-trimmed hat, sorts a large pile of potatoes outdoors in Pisac, Peru, with mountains in the background.

A pile of freshly harvested organic potatoes sits on loose soil with a rusty garden fork behind them, set against a blurred background of green and yellow plants.

sprouted potato tuber

Underground stems

Farmers in colorful traditional clothing dig potatoes on a sloped field near Hacienda Zuleta, with mountains and green valleys visible in the background.

Hear about Chuno, a traditional Andean freeze-dried potato dish, also the effect of climate change on the drying process of the food

The Devastating Impact of Ireland's Great Potato Famine

Study potato farming practices in Idaho from crop planting to harvest and storage

Listen to Hans Reinheimer, a farmer from Germany, and learn about harvesting and storing new potatoes

See the decomposing of various fruits and vegetables

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Topics

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Key People

Image of an engraving of the 16th century botanist Carolus Clusius.

Carolus Clusius

French botanist

Ekeblad, Eva

Eva Ekeblad

Swedish aristocrat and agronomist

Holiday, Christmas, Thanksgiving, turkey with stuffing and dressing. (holidays, Thanksgiving Day)

Thanksgiving Quiz

Red and yellow cherry tomatoes, some forming a question mark, against a light blue background. (organic, fruits, vegetables)

Fruit or Vegetable? A Quiz

Venus's-flytrap. Venus's-flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) one of the best known of the meat-eating plants. Carnivorous plant, Venus flytrap, Venus fly trap

Plants: From Cute to Carnivorous

Ceviche. Peruvian ceviche (sebiche). Raw seafood dish with lime, cilantro, peppers, plantains. Cuisine, food

A World of Food Quiz

Potatoes (potato; tuber, root, vegetable)

Hot Potato

Chef tossing vegetables in a frying pan over a burner (skillet, food).

What’s on the Menu? Vocabulary Quiz

Grains and spices in bags, India. (Indian, vendor, market, food)

Ultimate Foodie Quiz