Potatoes of Many Lands

This post has been three years in the making and is especially for my dad. The subject? The unique, versatile, reliable, delicious, marvelous…spud.

Bags of potatoes in a street market in Bolivia

I’ve found that everywhere I’ve traveled in the world, people like potatoes. There are different types, different ways of cooking, and different styles of eating, but the potato is ubiquitous. You can find them everywhere from the humblest street stands in Bolivia to the most luxurious épiceries in Paris. 

Vegetables in La Grande Épicerie in Paris (the potatoes are in the back on a lower shelf)

The story begins in South America. Three years ago I biked from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Lima, Peru, crossing the pampas, the Andes, and the Atacama desert.

Sweet potatoes in a supermarket in Argentina

We saw dozens of varieties of potatoes. One of the most interesting was a form of dried potato popular in Bolivia and Peru. Apparently, they leave them outside on cold nights to freeze, then let them dry out in the warm day time sun. This process is repeated until you have effectively freeze-dried the potatoes, which are then easier to carry and store.

Naturally freeze-dried potatoes in South America

 Two years later, across the world in Belgium, I tried the famous Belgian fries. Well, actually I didn't try the Belgian fries, which are traditionally fried in beef fat. But they were delicious nonetheless, especially served with tangy mayonnaise.

Spain also celebrates la papa. I tried these lovely fried crunchy bits at a tapas bar in Salamanca.

Crispy potato shreds at a tapas bar in Salamanca

Spanish tortilla is wonderful too, a thick, savory omelet of fried potatoes and onions.

Spanish tortilla, an omelet-like dish of potatoes, eggs, and onions

Potatoes are found in myriad other forms in Spanish cuisine, such as the truffle-cream filled ones below, or in huevos rotos, fried potato cubes topped with a fried egg and lots of Spanish smoked paprika.

Truffle cream filled potato tapas at the San Miguel market in Madrid

The rest of Europe loves the potato, too. We had these delicious roasted potatoes on New Year's Eve in Poland...

...and saw multiple forms of potato chips in the Christmas markets in Prague.

In Italy a few weeks later, more delectable roasted potatoes were served alongside fresh mozzarella at a wine tasting lunch at an organic vineyard in Tuscany.

A similar version of roasted potatoes was served at a dinner I attended at the Spanish Institute of Tetouan, Morocco. They were once again the highlight of the meal, which included roasted chicken, squash, and stuffed baked tomatoes.

Hot, salty fries accompanied our vegan version of currywurst, a German staple that consists of a pork sausage topped with ketchup and curry powder. I have to say, the fries were the best part of the meal. Some things just can't me made vegetarian.

Overall, the best potatoes I've eaten were in Morocco. Fries accompany practically everything, even giant platters of fried fish.

They are stuffed into sandwiches too! At first I thought it was a weird combination, but it proved to be delicious.

One of my Moroccan friends had the brilliant idea to fry potatoes not in sticks, but whole, resulting in delicious, tender-on-the-inside-crunchy-on-the-out potato balls.

Tangerinos, with their proximity to Spain, also make a mean tortilla, which is usually served here with bread and Moroccan hot sauce.

After eight months of traveling, I'm super excited to be home and have the chance to actually cook some for my dad!! Some of our favorites are grilled sweet potatoes...

...roasted potato wedges to accompany sandwiches or grilled veggies...

...and fried potatoes with eggs for breakfast! Fried whole potatoes are definitely going to be replicated as well.