
Potato cubes
Who doesn’t love a good French fry? It’s on the menus not only of fastfood chains, but even of casual and fine dining restaurants. When we were young, and up to now, fries were and are a must. It is food for the young, but it is also the guilty pleasure of the young at heart. I’ve always thought of potatoes as the rice of the West, the carbohydrate.
However, in the media event of Potatoes USA, it occurred to me that potatoes could be nutritious. How? A topic for another time.

Reji Retugal, country representative, Potatoes USA
It was the first media event of Potatoes USA in almost 10 years, so they wanted to make it grand. It was held last September 26 at the Chef’s Table and Kitchen at Brittany Hotel, BGC. Initially I thought that Potatoes USA regulated the potato industry in the US (so they’re selling potatoes?). I would learn from Reji Retugal, country representative of Potatoes USA, that the organization represented farmers. Potatoes USA wants it known that US farmers pay attention to the highest standards of growing and harvesting potatoes.
Potatoes USA represents the US potato growers and importers, what used to be the US Potato Board. Potatoes USA aims to strengthen the demand for potatoes through marketing and research of America’s favorite vegetable. They work to provide all forms and types of potatoes—fresh table stock, chips, frozen, dehydrated, seed potatoes—all except sweet potatoes. What makes US potatoes different, it is claimed, is their high quality, end-to-end consistency, and industry leadership. Potatoes USA said in a statement, “Outstanding quality starts with exceptional seeds, all of which pass the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) strict seed certification process. All potatoes used in the US processing meet rigorous standards for high solids and low sugars to give the best appearance, taste, and texture. USDA grade and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)- certified food standards and strict US government oversight assure the safety and quality of each and every US potato.”
Retugal clarified that Potatoes USA is not a brand, but a product. Potatoes USA promotes all types and forms of US potatoes, not specific brands like potato chip brands, or frozen potato brands.
As Retugal cited facts about potatoes, what I found informative was how “sensitive” potatoes could be—don’t put them near objects with methane, fruits, and vegetables, and not places with high moisture.
To show the versatility of potatoes, there was a cook-off—by us.
The organizers provided the ingredients; it was up to us to make the dishes using them. We were told to research before the event, experiment, or follow their recipes. I searched online, and found a recipe I thought I would be able to follow within the given 45 minutes. As we began, I became serious and followed the recipe. Funny enough, I had to rethink how to cook the potatoes. In my mind, I would be using fresh potatoes, but during the cook-off they provided us their products. They had different kinds of frozen potatoes: straight-cut fries, wedges, hash browns, curly fries, crinkle-cut fries, basket weaves, and tater drums. These are available year-round in groceries nationwide.
They had different kinds of frozen potatoes—straight-cut fries, wedges, hash browns, curly fries, crinkle-cut fries, basket weaves, and tater drums

Chef Kalel Chan, corporate chef of the The Raintree Restaurant Group
In the kitchen, I thought, Okay, I have a good recipe. I gathered my ingredients and utensils. I chopped, measured, and mixed. When I finished maing my sauce, I realized it was just a dip. It was mayonnaise, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. The recipe was The Best Potatoes You’ll Ever Taste. Since we didn’t have fresh potatoes, I used the potatoes that looked like Shakey’s mojos. I didn’t even fry my potatoes; an assistant chef did. I even thought, Wow, do I need to put in some meat? Chef Kalel Chan told me to add bacon, so I fried some bacon.
When I finished my dish, I was laughing at myself because I was so serious, and my dish was so simple. I was even eating the remaining fried potatoes because there was not enough dip. It was even funnier when they were calling us “chef,” and all I made was a garlic dip. But I did like how it tasted. I would repeat the recipe another day. I even thought of making it when I got home. Never underestimate the simple things in life.
I saw during the cook-off how my fellow writers were able to make different dishes with potatoes. Each writer had one’s own idea of what to prepare, one’s own style and taste. I didn’t know what their dishes were, but I saw some that included fish, beef, cream. It made me realize I was a novice when it came to cooking. I was not bad, but not fantastic. I didn’t feel bad; as long as I can cook something good enough for my taste buds, I’ll survive.
Seeing different types of potatoes made into dishes made me realize Potatoes USA’s products do make things easier. US potatoes available in the Philippines are fresh potatoes, like russets, fingerlings, yellows, and reds, available from November to March in select stores in Metro Manila and Cebu. They also have instant or dehydrated potatoes, like potato flakes and granules, in Metro Manila groceries, suppliers, and baking supply stores. (For more information on the US Potatoes in the Philippines, visit Potatoes USA-Philippines’ Facebook and Instagram.)
Having their potato products at hand makes people avoid all the boiling, blanching, and other cooking preparations. One just goes straight to frying. Honestly, I see the point; just fry them and serve them with whatever viand you wish. But I wonder, are they an alternative to our rice?