The potato is a perennial or annual plant from the nightshade family. It has long been a cultivated plant – it is cultivated all over the world for the sake of edible and highly nutritious tubers – root crops. In cooking, they are referred to as vegetables. In this culture, two main types are distinguished – the Andean potato, which grows in South America, and the Chilean potato, which is planted in countries with a temperate climate. All the numerous potato varieties are derived from these two species. This vegetable crop was brought to our area from Holland by Peter I.
Potatoes are grown in more than 150 countries, and it is not surprising, because this product is one of the main sources of nutrition for modern people – along with rice, wheat and corn. The main producers of root crops are the USA, China, Russia, India and Poland.
Potato composition
It is not for nothing that potatoes are at the top of the popularity of food products – their tubers contain almost all the nutrients a person needs. Proteins contain all the amino acids found in plants, including essential ones. Potato tubers contain 79% water, 2% protein, 17% carbohydrates and 0,5% cellulose. The chemical composition is rich in vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, fiber and dietary fiber, starch.
Starch has an anti-sclerotic effect, and potassium salts are essential to prevent heart failure and reduce swelling. The fiber contained in potato tubers does not irritate the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract, and therefore it can be safely eaten even with peptic ulcer disease, enteritis and colitis.
Useful Properties
Potatoes are useful in that they easily remove water from the body, as well as decay products and toxic substances. Therefore, the best snack when taking strong alcohol is, contrary to popular belief, not butter, but boiled or baked potatoes.
Despite the huge amount of useful substances contained in potatoes, it should be remembered that the valuable properties of this product directly depend on the method of its preparation. It is unlikely that potatoes fried in oil will be of any benefit to the body, except perhaps the potential excess weight. But a young root vegetable boiled in a uniform or baked in ash is a real storehouse of useful things. Since valuable substances are contained closer to the peel and farther from the center of the tuber, it is best to cook potatoes “in their uniform”. Well, if you clean it, then it is better to cut off a very thin layer.
Many dishes are prepared from potatoes – appetizers, side dishes, soups and salads, bread, pancakes and dumplings, baking stuffing, roasts, dumplings, as well as various cereals and chips. In some countries, they even make vodka and wine.
