The potato (/pəˈteɪtoʊ/) is a starchy root vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are tubers of the plant Solanum tuberosum, a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae.
Wild potato species can be found from the southern United States to southern Chile. Genetic studies show that the potato has a single origin, in the area of present-day southern Peru and extreme northwestern Bolivia. Potatoes were domesticated there about 7,000–10,000 years ago from a species in the S. brevicaule complex. Many varieties of the potato are cultivated in the Andes region of South America, where the species is indigenous.
Potatoes in Europe
The Spanish introduced potatoes to Europe from the Americas in the second half of the 16th century. They are a staple food in many parts of the world and an integral part of much of the world’s food supply. Following millennia of selective breeding, there are now over 5,000 varieties of potatoes. The potato remains an essential crop in Europe, especially Northern and Eastern Europe, where per capita production is still the highest in the world, while the most rapid expansion in production during the 21st century was in southern and eastern Asia, with China and India leading the world production as of 2021.
Like the tomato, the potato is nightshade in the genus Solanum, and the aerial parts of the potato contain the toxin solanine. Normal potato tubers that have been grown and stored properly produce glycoalkaloids in negligible amounts, but, if sprouts and potato skins are exposed to light, tubers can become toxic. (Wikipedia)
Ingredients
2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons cilantro, fresh or dried
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon lime zest or juice
Directions
First, position the oven rack to the middle slot to make these Cilantro Lime Roasted Potatoes. Preheat the broiler. In a roasting pan toss the potatoes, the oil, the salt, and the pepper. Cook until they are golden brown and tender, for about 20 minutes. Turn them once about halfway through. After the potatoes are done toss them with the cilantro and lime juice. Enjoy!
Also, try: Pan-Roasted Rosemary Potatoes and Pears