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A little reason to celebrate

National Potato Day

Food · August 19

A day for the potato, the starchy tuber behind fries, mash, hash browns and baked spuds on American plates.

National Potato Day falls on Thursday, August 19, 2027. That is 296 days away.

The potato is a tuber, the swollen underground stem of a leafy plant. It stores starch so the plant can sprout again, which is why a forgotten bag in the pantry eventually grows eyes and pale shoots.

Few vegetables change shape so willingly. Boil it and mash it with butter, slice it thin and fry it until it shatters, bake it whole until the skin turns crisp and the inside goes fluffy. Russets are dry and floury, good for baking and fries. Waxy kinds like red potatoes and fingerlings hold together better in salads and stews.

Marking the day usually means cooking one, and most people already have a favorite form. Some reach for hash browns at breakfast. Others make a pot of potato soup or a tray of roasted wedges with salt and rosemary. A loaded baked potato counts as dinner in plenty of households, and nobody has to apologize for it.

Potatoes keep best in a cool, dark, dry place rather than the refrigerator, and away from onions. Light turns their skins green, a sign to cut that part away. Scrubbed well, the skin can stay on for most recipes, which also saves the peeling.

Ways to celebrate

• Try a potato variety you have never cooked before.
• Bake a potato and top it with whatever is in the fridge.
• Share a family recipe for potato salad or mashed potatoes.
• Look for local potatoes at a farmers market.
• Make hash browns from scratch for breakfast.

Dates

All national days on August 19

Also on August 19

• National Soft Ice Cream Day
• National Aviation Day
• World Photo Day

Categories: Food days