Solanum Tuberosum

This definitely sounds like a spell in the Harry Potter series of book/movies. Imagine Harry is in a duel with the Dark Prince himself, Lord Voldemort. The duel is at it's peak, the viewers/readers are at the edge of their seats and then Harry screams: "Solanum Tuberosum". What do we see next, Harry and his nemesis sharing a plate of french fries/hash browns/blinis and forgetting what they were fighting about! What a great end to an epic(that's what some claim) series.

Intrigued about why they are eating such delicious things when they should be fighting? Well, solanum tuberosum is the Latin name of one vegetable that is truly and unequivocally loved by millions all over the world. POTATOES! Yes, that ugly rotten looking bastard that has been the sustenance point of millions and a base of cuisines all over the world. Everyone loves it, no one hates it. Every person on an average, according to a UN study, consumes about 33 kgs of potatoes annually! There is a friend of mine though, who dislikes potatoes. Let me tell you, my liking for her dropped a few notches after that.

Remember the "jab tak rahega samose mein aloo" song? It's only because of the aloos that I love the samosa. Let me confess, I am a full-blooded carnivore, I can eat anything that walks on God's green earth but if there is one thing for which I can ignore my carnivorous tendencies, it is the potato. There is no food which is more comforting and more satisfying than that.

Potato was first grown in the southern regions of Peru and introduced to the world by the Spaniards. No wonder that "Patatas Bravas" is one of the best avatars of potatoes in the world. I am pretty sure the Spanish Conquistadors were raving and going crazy about potatoes rather than El Dorado, the city of gold. The blessed vegetable, it is said, came to India some time in the 18th century and it has been residing in our hearts ever since.

Every cuisine in the world has it's own avatar of potato and it is delicious in it's own right. A number of cuisines in the world now are based on potatoes. Naturally, Peruvian cuisine is one such cuisine. The Irish people had a massive food crisis when potato imports to their country were hampered by World War II. Probably Hitler understood the importance of potatoes and was really, really fond of Himmel und erde which very successfully combines potatoes, bacon, apples and onion. The British have their very own 'bangers and mash', roast potatoes and 'shepherd's pie'.

The French have made one potato creation, the most popular in the whole world, the 'pomme frites'. French fries are devoured and loved all over the world. Nothing beats well made fries, though I would advise you to stay away from the McDonalds' mass variety ones. The Russians have 'blinis'.

We as Indians, love potatoes more than any other vegetable. Aloo paratha, jeera aloo, dum aloo, chops, samosas, aloo kachouries, aloo papads etc. I can go on forever. My personal favorite though is the Tandoori Aloo, barrels of potatoes stuffed with cottage cheese, nuts and spices. For this one thing, I can ignore chicken, mutton, pork and beef. This one dish has helped me get through some really rough times.

One of the main reasons for their popularity, according to me is their relatively simple and quick cooking procedure. It is tasty when it is cooked with the least number of ingredients. Also, it is cheap. Did I mention that it is nutritious too ? It is a good source of starch,vitamins, proteins and carbohydrates and in this inflation driven economy, one of the cheapest vegetables available. But do not write off this vegetable as a cheap one because even though it is normally cheap, a rare form of potato called 'la bonnotte' is usually sold for around Rs4500/kg. It is amongst the five most expensive foods of the world.

I won't keep you any longer now. Go to the market,  buy some potatoes and cook and eat them the way you like it.

PS: I thought that to keep you, my readers more involved, I would run a poll on what is your favorite potato avatar. Leave a comment on this blog or email me on: uditmaheshwari18@gmail.com or text me on:+919811836692.