Potato as Rice Supplement
Given the rising cost of rice, wheat and corn, the lowly potato is gaining worldwide attention that could help address the food crisis prevailing in many countries, including the Philippines.
The long lines of people queuing at various NFA outlets is proof of the severity of the food problem, and this calls for remedial measures before the situation gets worse.
Many agree that maybe it’s time for rice-eating Filipinos to start rethinking their eating habits to adjust to this kind of situation by looking at alternative food items like potato which is readily available locally.
Concerned with the worldwide phenomenon the United Nations, for its part, has declared 2008 as the “Year of the Potato” to promote greater awareness of the virtues of this food crop.
One event promoting the potato to local residents took place recently at the SM North Edsa in Quezon City. This was the staging of “Potato-bilities Recipe Challenge” under the auspices of the US Potato Board (USPB) in cooperation with the US Department of Agriculture and Synergy Asia, USPB’s country representative.
The Potato-bilities Recipe Challenge dubbed “Pinoy na Pinoy Potato” pitted 13 chef/teams against one another to incorporate US frozen potatoes into Filipino inspired recipes in main courses. Winners were judged based on adherence to theme, creativity, innovation, taste and presentation. The panel of judges was headed by US Agriculture Attache David Wold.
Documents provided the group said the humble potato is the world’s number one non-grain food commodity, produced with ease of cultivation. It is rich in vitamin C and B6, and one of the most concentrated sources of potassium, even more than bananas, oranges and mushrooms. While potato skin provides dietary fiber, 50 percent of nutrients found within the potato itself contain antiosicants that help the body counter free radicals. It is rich in carbohydrates, making 1 it a good source of energy.
The document says the Philippines is the largest market for US potatoes in Southeast Asia, and is currently the 7th largest destination for US frozen potato exports. Food service sales are currently valued at approximately $3 billion, increasing by an estimated 15-20 percent per year in the past decade.
