Potato: Its benefits and one-stop shop

By Deni Rose M. Afinidad

07/17/2010

Potato — whether mashed, fried, in strips, halved or peeled — is no couch potato. It is an active bodybuilder, providing the body with more protein than other roots and tubers. It is also packed with micronutrients, including folate, panthonic acid, vitamins C, B1, B3 and B6, as well as minerals such as magnesium, potassium, iron and phosphorous. A medium-sized potato, in fact, is said to have more potassium than banana. It also provides adults with 45 percent of their daily vitamin C requirements. The antioxidants in potato can do wonders in fighting illnesses associated with aging.

While it is true that the potato is carbohydrate-rich, and too much fried potato combined with sedentary lifestyle can make one overweight, a medium-sized potato, when prepared raw or boiled, can actually help manage one’s weight. Since it is low-fat and lacking in high-fat nutrients like sodium and cholesterol, the medium-sized potato, at only 110 calories, isn’t fattening. According to the US Potato Board, the feeling of fullness the potato gives even helps control one’s cravings and ward off unwanted pounds.

The potato’s skin, in particular, contains most of the vegetable’s nutrients and fiber. According to some folk remedies, facial blemishes can be treated by washing them with a cold potato juice every day. Sunburn or frostbite can also be cured by rubbing potato juice or raw or grated potato on the affected area. Water used to boil potatoes is said to be potent in easing pain when applied on the aching body part.

Small but terrible

But the potato has a bigger role to play than just for nutrition or natural remedy. It is, says the United Nations (UN), an answer to the global economic crisis and to widespread hunger.

“The potato has been eyed as a solution to avert the risk of food shortages and instability in many low-income countries. As the world’s top non-grain food commodity with a production record reaching 320 million tons in 2007, its consumption has especially expanded in developing countries like the Philippines. This accounts for more than half the global harvest. With easy cultivation and high energy content, the potato has also become a valuable cash crop for millions of farmers,” reports the magazine Potato-bilities in its January-March 2009 issue.

“Their accessibility and abundance make them a natural choice as food for the poor and hungry, where land is limited and labor is cheap like in most developing countries. Potatoes are also produced more quickly on less land and in harsher climates as compared to other major crops,” the magazine continues.

According to Potato-bilities, UN eyes the potato as an instrument to its Millenium Development Goals, particularly in the following areas: poverty eradication, reduction of child mortality, maternal health improvement and environmental sustainability.

“Undernourishment is cited as a major factor in poor health and may lead to death. Better access to safe and nutritious food like the nutrient-rich potato can improve target populations, particularly women and children,” explains the magazine’s report.

Where to go

for everything potato

Thanks to fast-food chains, everyone can readily access the potato and its many benefits, including its vitamins and nutrients. Children, in particular, love mashed potatoes and french fries, said Jose Magsaysay Jr., chief executive officer of Cinco Corp., the company behind one of the country’s leading food cart businesses, Potato Corner.

As a follow up to Potato Corner’s 18-year success in the market and to fuel Filipinos’ fondness for carbohydrate-rich food like potatoes, Cinco Corp. recently launched the Spud Diner, touted as the country’s first potato concept restaurant. As the expanded version of Potato Corner, Spud Diner offers an all-potato menu — from soups, to main dish and even dessert.

“At the Spud Diner, potatoes are no longer served as sidings, but are incorporated as the main ingredient for all dishes,” remarked Cinco. “It is a new place in town where everyone can experience the many creative ways to enjoy the potato.”

Through the help of chefs, Internet research, cookbooks and the US Potato Board, Cinco Corp. was able to cook up traditional and novel potato-based dishes for Spud Diner. These specialties include Baked Potato Lasagna, prepared like a traditional lasagna but using potato sheets instead of pasta. Other must-try’s are Potato and Sausage Surprise, Tuna Sisig and Chorizo and Potato Chowder. The common french fries is given a lift as Ice Cream Temptation, wherein the french fries are bathed in chocolate powder and served with a vanilla ice cream topping. Magsaysay said they would soon try serving the french fries in off-beat flavors like bubblegum or strawberry.

According to him, they have to import their potatoes all the way from the US because the Philippines’ local potato variety is of the kamote (yam) type, not as flexible as the US variety especially when used to experiment on new dishes. The taste of US potatoes, too, is more appealing than other varieties, he explained.

The Spud Diner’s first branch is now open at The Columns in Sen. Gil Puyat Street, Makati City, a good location as it is easily accessible to Makati’s students and yuppies, said Magsaysay. The restaurant has also recently opened its second branch in SM City Cebu, while the Potato Corner continues its expansion with new outlets in Jakarta, Indonesia and in Los Angeles, California.

Magsaysay envisions to open 10 more Spud Diner outlets in key locations all over the country. By that time, he wishes to expand the menu from all potatoes to chicken dishes.

“I hope Spud Diner would become the next biggest Filipino fastfood chain after Jollibee,” he enthused.

With reports from Potato-bilities, January-March 2009, Issue No. 1.

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