Potato Council
supporting the British potato industry
Potatoes….a global celebration!
Press release: 01/01/2008
In celebration of the United Nations’ International Year of the Potato (IYP) 2008, the British Potato Council (BPC) has cooked up some internationally inspired potato recipes from South America, the home of the potato.
Whatever the occasion - main meals or snacks, starters or suppers, comfort eating or simple indulgence, potatoes can offer the solution. With over 50 commercially grown potato varieties to choose from across Britain alone, it is easy to select the perfect variety for your favourite dish.
Linger over a bowl of Chilled Potato and Avocado Soup this summer, or tuck into a warming plate of Spicy Mexican Chicken with Potatoes on colder days. Treat yourself to some Chilli Spiced Potato Cakes, or for a nutrient packed salad, serve South American Potato and Green Bean Salad with grilled chicken or steak.
Chilled Potato and Avocado Soup is a classic Peruvian combination. It is a delicious chilled twist on the traditional potato and avocado soup, served across South America. Spicy Mexican Chicken with Potatoes is ideal for the whole family. Quick and easy to prepare, it is a mix of Mexican ingredients, including peppers and black beans.
Chilli Spiced Potato Cakes are delicious on their own with tomato salsa, or served with salmon fillets and green vegetables for lunch or supper, and like potatoes, chillies are a native vegetable of South America. Green beans are also a very important crop here, and South American Potato and Green Bean Salad is a typical Guatemalan dish.
BPC’s nutritionist, Fiona Hunter said: “I am delighted that 2008 is being recognised as the International Year of the Potato, which focuses on one of the nation’s most popular foods. Not only a great source of nutrients including vitamin C and folate, but energy to help keep you feeling fuller for longer and avoid the temptation to snack.”
The potato is versatile, quick and easy to cook, and makes the perfect meal solution. Potatoes are also packed with vital vitamins, fibre and a range of micro-nutrients, making them a healthy addition to a balanced diet and a more nutrient dense alternative to rice or pasta.
Potato facts:
With 3,000 potato farmers in Great Britain, you are never very far from a local home grown source
In Britain we eat 94kg of potatoes per person, per year
The maincrop potato season starts in August and runs through to the spring which is when British new potatoes start being harvested
Potatoes are the single largest source of Vitamin C in the British diet. A medium portion of new potatoes contains more vitamin C than an apple
The average 175g portion of boiled potatoes contains only 126 calories, that’s 112.4 calories less than a 180g portion of easy cook white rice or 102.8 calories less than a 220g portion of cooked spaghetti
Plus a portion of cooked spaghetti contains more than six times the amount of fat than boiled potatoes
Serving roast potatoes gives you a natural source of folate (important for teenage girls and pregnant mums)
There is more fibre in a jacket potato than a bowl of bran flakes
For more recipes, hints and tips on cooking with different varieties of potatoes and nutritional information visit www.britishpotatoes.co.uk
For further information regarding International Year of the Potato 2008, visit www.potato2008.org
- Ends -
For further information, full recipes or images please contact:
Lisa Woodman David Gough
Ceres Partnership Ceres Partnership
Tel: 0118 947 5956 Tel: 0118 947 5956
E: lisa.woodman@ceres-pr.co.uk E: david.gough@ceres-pr.co.uk
Editor’s notes
The International Year of the Potato (IYP) was initially declared by the government of Peru and motioned by the UN. The year-long event will focus on the importance of the potato in providing food security and alleviating poverty. The International Year of the Potato was officially launched at United Nations headquarters in New York on 18 October 2007. For more information visit www.potato2008.org
The International Year of the Potato aims to raise awareness of the importance of the potato, and of agriculture in general, in addressing issues of global concern, including hunger, poverty and threats to the environment. Led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, local governments and international organisations across the world, including the British Potato Council (BPC), are organising the International Year of the Potato.
The British Potato Council is a non-departmental public body working on behalf of potato growers and purchasers to promote British potatoes. It is funded through a statutory levy on 3,400 growers and potato purchasers and aims to stimulate, develop and promote the GB industry to consumers and customers.
The aim of the organisation is to increase usage of GB potatoes and ensure the GB industry remains competitive.
For more information on BPC visit www.potato.org.uk and for recipe ideas, hints and tips on cooking with different varieties of potatoes and nutritional information visit www.britishpotatoes.co.uk
