The potato is an important vegetable in our daily lives; it is hard to manage without it. The potato is the starch-rich tuber of the plant Solanum tuberosum. It is a root vegetable of the Americas, and the plant is a perennial of the nightshade family, Solanaceae.

Potatoes were first cultivated about 8,000 years ago in the Andes of South America. They reached the Indian subcontinent only 500 years ago. The Portuguese began growing potatoes in India, on its west coast, in the early 17th century. Later, towards the end of the 18th century, the British introduced potato growing in northern India and Bengal.

The potato gradually spread in Europe and Russia as well. Today India, Russia, Ukraine and China are the leading potato-producing countries. As a staple food in the world, the potato ranks after maize, wheat and rice, and in many countries people eat potatoes instead of bread or rice.

There are about 4,000 varieties of potato, each with its own agricultural or culinary traits. About 80 varieties are commercially available in the United Kingdom. Many kinds are suitable for cultivation, but a few popular varieties are easily found around the world.

• Red potato: a small potato with smooth red skin. Of all the potatoes on the market, it is popular for eating.
• Russet potato: one of the common potatoes. They are oval in shape and are mainly eaten fried.
• Purple potato: as the name suggests, it has purple skin and lavender-coloured flesh, with a nutty taste. It can be used for grilling and baking.
• White potato: it has a thin white skin. Like the russet, it can be mashed and added to curries, used in salads or fried.
• Fingerling potato: long and finger-like. Its skin colour can vary with where it is grown, and it tastes best fried.
• Yellow potato: a large potato with some sweetness, which is why it is called a sweet potato, according to the article. It tastes buttery and is delicious fried.
• Small potato: like other common potatoes on the market, but small, with a distinct flavour. It is usually used to make aloo dum.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.