Welcome to Way of the Potato!

So, "what's so cool about potatoes?" I hear you ask.

Answer: EVERYTHING!

The potato is one of the most versatile vegetables known to man. There are now well over a thousand different varieties of potatoes. And since it was first domesticated in the Americas nearly ten thousand years ago, the potato has gone on to become the world's largest and most important crop after cereal grains.

So why am I blogging about potatoes?

Well, first I genuinely wanted to share the joy of potatoes with as many people as I  possibly could. I eat  lot of potatoes in a variety of forms and I want to encourage other people to do the same. The potato is all too often overlooked as the "humble spud". But there is nothing humble about the potato. Like many people that eat potatoes, I have become lazy in how I use them, all too often treating potatoes as a mere side to go with my main meal, rather that taking the time to prepare them properly and treat them as a delicacy in their own right.

I will use this blog to record my journey through potatoes as I try out new ways of enjoying these amazing tubers.

A few recent experiences spurred my decision to start blogging.

First there is my colleague and friend Adam who has constantly been mocking me at work for eating jacket potatoes every lunchtime. Adam eats hummus every day - I mean a whole tub of hummus for lunch EVERY DAY - so I don't know who he is to judge. A jacket potato is a simple, yet highly nutritious, warming and highly adaptable meal that's ideally suited to the busy professional.

Then there was my boss at work, who recently stated that he doesn't like potatoes in ANY FORM. This is absurd. There's so much stuff you can do with potatoes I find this hard to believe.

So I was introduced to the idea of blogging by a successful travel writer I met recently and I thought that a blog could be a really cool way to share my passion for potatoes. Adam has already cast doubt on this idea, saying he thinks there's not that much you can say about potatoes. Well, we'll see won't we hummus boy!

Over the coming weeks, months and years I am going to use this blog to tell the world all there is to know about potatoes and what you can do with them. You can expect recipes and serving suggestions, potato-related anecdotes, growing tips, present ideas and potato-related travel stories.

I hope you enjoy Way of the Potato!