Sunday, 17th March, is St Patrick’s Day and which vegie is most associated with the Irish? Why the humble potato of course! Potatoes are a much loved vegie not only by the Irish but by kids as well so here are ten facts about the humble spud to share:

1. Potatoes are cheap, easy to grow and require very little fertiliser making them an environmentally friendly crop and perfect for kids to grow in the garden.
2. Potatoes were the first food to ever be grown in space. They were taken on board Space Shuttle Columbia in 1995.
3. They were first grown in Peru between 8000-5000 BC.
4. During the Alaskan Klondike Gold Rush(1897-1898)  potatoes were worth more than gold due to the abundance of gold and lack of nutritious food.
5. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette both wore potato flowers as fashion accessories.
6. Potatoes have been used to treat a variety of ailments including sunburn, broken bones and indigestion.
7. Potatoes are a starchy vegetable high in vitamin C. They also contain potasium, fibre and niacin.
8. Potatoes are made up of 80% water.
9. Storing potatoes with onions causes them to sprout.
10. Potatoes are a versatile vegetable that can be eaten a number of different ways including boiled, baked, mashed and of course fried.

What is your family’s favourite way to eat potatoes?