Every year on May 30th, National Potato Day (Dia Nacional de la Papa) is celebrated in Peru.
Today, potatoes are one of the most common and widespread foods, and are eaten in practically every cuisine around the world. Although the history of its appearance, cultivation, and consumption varies among different peoples, the attitude towards this crop is universally the same - potatoes became a favorite and became a mass product all over the world.
But in Peru, this vegetable is not just loved, it is treated with a special attitude. Potatoes are considered a cultural heritage and a national pride of the Peruvians. They call it "papa" here. It is no secret that the homeland of the potato is South America, and the Peruvians claim that it appeared in their country about 8,000 years ago. By the way, there are more than 3,000 varieties of this tuber in Peru, and only here the largest number of wild varieties still grow.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation of the country (MINAGRI), potatoes are a very valuable genetic resource that needs to be protected and developed. There are more than 700,000 vegetable farms in 19 regions of the country, and their potato production volume is almost 5 million tons annually. It is not surprising, since the level of potato consumption in Peru is about 90 kilograms per capita per year (which is only slightly inferior to the Russian indicators - about 110-120 kg per person per year).
However, there are more varieties of this vegetable here - in almost any local supermarket, you can buy up to 10 varieties of potatoes, differing in size, color, shape, and purpose, and the Peruvians know how to cook many potato dishes.
Moreover, in Peru, there are potato halls in almost every museum, and in the capital, Lima, there is the International Potato Center, where an extensive genetic material is stored - about 4,000 samples of various varieties of this vegetable cultivated in the Andes, and 1.5 thousand varieties of more than 100 wild relatives of potatoes.
The holiday itself, as a national day, was established in 2005, with the aim of promoting the growth of potato consumption in the country, and its celebration also takes place at the national level. Traditionally, the Potato Day festive program includes many concerts, competitions, mass celebrations, and tastings dedicated to potatoes, which are held literally in all corners of the country.
