Today, August 19th, is National Potato Day.

The humble potato is a versatile tuber that comes in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colours. The first domesticated potatoes were grown in what is now Peru in South America, at least seven thousand years ago. After European colonists visited the Americas, the crop made its way to the other continents, primarily through British and Spanish colonists and sailors.

The use of potato in food has steadily grown, and it is now the fourth largest crop in the world. Potato as a food helped feed Britain's Industrial Revolution, as potatoes are a cheap and easy to grow source of nutrients and calories that can be grown in a small patch, and are still grown that way today.

Potatoes may be most commonly seen in chips (or fries), but they can be mashed, baked, roasted, boiled, steamed, fried and made into crisps (the other type of chip) and this is by no means a complete list.

Image: Morguefile