How potato could solve China's future food needs

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In China, rice is often at the centre of its national cuisine and its dinner tables.

Yet the Chinese government has recently set its eyes on a new staple: the potato.


A starchy building block for many European meals, the potato crop could offer a solution to food security issues in China, where one-fifth of the world's population lives.

Beijing was recently the host of a World Potato Congress, which gathered experts to discuss the future of potato farming and sales in China.

• Government officials say that the quality of the potato crop in China is high, yielding many healthy varieties. The potato is also a low-maintenance crop, requiring less land and water than rice.

Yet local consumers might not be willing to accept a new presence on their plates. For many Chinese, the potato is only a culinary accessory, not the main star.

"We will have it like an extra vegetable. But it's not the basis for a whole meal," one woman told Al Jazeera.

Yet the potato congress aims to demonstrate how potatoes can become a main component of the Chinese diet, with their consumption on the rise in many fast food restaurants in the country.

"In Inner Mongolia we've been eating potatoes for a very long time," Yang Zhendong, a potato farmer, added. "People should learn there are lots of ways of using them, like potato noodles."
Al Jazeera's Rob McBride reports.
Source: Al Jazeera
30/7/15
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• Πατάτες: Διατροφική αξία σε καιρούς οικονομικής κρίσης...

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