welcome to the last day of March which is March 31 National Tater Day #NationalTaterDay and the most perfect way to celebrate today is by having Potato’s at the dinner table because it’s Easter. Where having my Dad’s Homemade Fried Chicken instead of Ham, Homemade Mashed Potato’s instead of my Mom’s Potato Salad because I love Homemade Mashed Potato’s and turning the leftovers into Potato Cakes. Green beans with Bacon, Deviled Eggs the way my parents taught me to make them. Rolls and no, not Sweetie Pies this time, Gravy and no, hot Homemade the way my parents would have made it even though I know how. Italian Cream Cake for desert.
If your like me you love potatoes and I bet we your ready for National Tater Day on March 31. Baked Potato’s, boiled Potatoe’s, fry Potato’s or even Mashed Potao’s will always taste good. The versatility Potatoes lend means they are great for both salty and sweet cuisines, either elevating the taste of a dish or complimenting the accompanying flavors. The Potato is a tubular vegetable that also holds the credit of solving food shortages, both in the old ages and the new. But at the same time, the Potato has had its fair share of bad rep too. During a particularly bad food shortage, people in Germany refused to eat Potatoes, which their King had made available in abundance. Germans at that time deemed Potato’s a ‘lowly’ food not deserving of their gastronomic cravings.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL TATER DAY
Potato’s evolved from the Nightingale plant almost 350 million years ago. But the Potato’s earliest recorded instance in history is much later than that. Potatoes were first cultivated as food in the Peruvian Andes. Since Potatoes grew best in higher altitude conditions, the crops were mostly planted atop a Mountain Valley, near Lake Titicaca. As centuries passed by, Potatoes grew in popularity and trade due to their low-maintenance features and high nutritional values.
It was due to the tubular Vegetable’s low-maintenance quality that they were being planted in larger and larger acres of land. This meant more food for people in the long run, and this is also the reason why Potatoes were used by rulers and lords to solve food shortages amongst the masses. One interesting example is Prussia in the 1700s. The king, Frederick the Great, decreed Potatoes to be given to the masses, especially the poor, as protection against famine. However, many refused the food as they considered Potato’s to be disgusting. Seeing this, the King came up with a strategy and ordered the Potato fields to be cordoned off and labeled as ‘food for the royals.’ But soon after, people ‘stole’ the Potatoes for eating. The King’s plan had worked and the masses were fed.
More recently in Potato history, people have been celebrating National Tater Day since 1843. Traders would come and exchange goods, particularly Potato slips that allowed them to buy and grow the plant. This is the oldest trade convention ever known and celebrated. While it may have had its fair share of ups and downs, Potato’s are loved and enjoyed by many.
NATIONAL TATER DAY ACTIVITIES
- National Tater Day originally celebrated Sweet Potatoes which I will pass on. How about you? Sweet Potato’s was this specific variety that the 1843 trading convention focused on. However, over the years, the word ‘Tater,’ first only used for Sweet Potatoes, has expanded to include and celebrate all types of Potato’s. But going back to the roots, Sweet Potatoes should be given their due attention and fanfare because it is thanks to them that we can celebrate all types of Taters today.
- There are a ton of scrumptious Potato recipes out there, and this versatile Vegetable has a special place in many cultures of the world, so you will never get bored with trying new things every single time. you grill Potato’s, Caramelize Potato’s, add Potato to Soup,
- If you have extra Taters in your life or you want some extra love in your life then you should gift Potato’s to your family or friends or those in need
FACTS ABOUT THE TATER TOTS
- Tater Rots are made from leftover scraps of French Fries, and in order to not waste food.
- It is estimated that Americans consume more than 70 million pounds of Tater Tots every year.
- When Tater Tots were invented, a naming contest was held, and Clora Orton’s suggestion won.
- Tater Tots go through a rigorous 12 step process through industrial equipment, and this is why homemade Tater Tots often do not taste as good as the store-bought ones.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL TATER DAY
- If you are an avid social media user/follower, you will know how much Potatoes are loved and celebrated on the internet. From memes to songs to just pure love, Potatoes have received it all like no other food item has.
- There are certain food items that are exclusive to just one culture or a few. These food items are part of a given culture’s identity. But in the case of the Tater, they are found in many cultures .
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
