document_title: House of Cards (U.S. TV series)

question_text: where is house of cards white house scenes filmed

question_tokens: where is house of cards white house scenes filmed

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text: House of Cards (U.S. TV series)

text: Plot[edit]

text:
Season
Episodes
Originally released

1
13
February 1, 2013 (2013-02-01)

2
13
February 14, 2014 (2014-02-14)

3
13
February 27, 2015 (2015-02-27)

4
13
March 4, 2016 (2016-03-04)

5
13
May 30, 2017 (2017-05-30)

tag: table

text: Season 1 (2013)[edit]

text: Francis "Frank" Underwood, a power-hungry Democratic congressman from South Carolina and House majority whip, celebrates the election of President Garrett Walker, whose campaign he assisted to get himself appointed Secretary of State. However, Underwood soon learns that he is no longer being considered for the position. Chief of Staff Linda Vasquez tells Underwood that the president wants him to promote his agenda in Congress and will not honor their agreement. Inwardly seething, Underwood quickly gains control of his anger and hides his disappointment to present himself as a helpful lieutenant to Walker and his agenda. In reality, Underwood begins an elaborate plan behind the president's back, with the ultimate goal of gaining power for himself.

tag: p

text: Frank's wife Claire runs an NGO, the Clean Water Initiative, which she uses to cultivate her own power and influence, yet its ultimate purpose remains unknown. Despite the success of the operation, Claire seeks to expand its scope to the international stage, often utilizing Frank's connections to push the organization to new heights. It is clear from the outset that Claire shares both her husband's cold-hearted, ruthless pragmatism and lust for power, and they frequently scheme together to ensure the success of each other's ventures. They both work with Remy Danton, a corporate lobbyist and former Underwood staffer, to secure funds for their operations and expand their influence.

text: Underwood begins a highly intricate plan to obtain a cabinet position, acquiring pawns he can manipulate in his power play. Underwood begins a symbiotic, and ultimately sexual, relationship with Zoe Barnes, an ambitious young political reporter, secretly feeding her damaging stories about his political rivals to sway public opinion as needed. Meanwhile, he manipulates Peter Russo, a troubled alcoholic and congressman from Pennsylvania, into helping him undermine Walker's pick for Secretary of State, Senator Michael Kern. Underwood eventually has Kern replaced with his own choice, Senator Catherine Durant. Underwood also uses Russo in a plot to end a teachers' strike and pass an education bill, which improves Underwood's standing with Walker.

text: Because the new vice president is the former governor of Pennsylvania, a special election is to be held for his successor. Underwood helps Russo get clean and props up his candidacy, but later uses call girl Rachel Posner to break his sobriety and trigger his public downfall shortly before the election. Distraught, Russo decides to make amends for his failure by coming clean to the press about his role in Underwood's schemes. In response, Frank kills Russo by leaving him passed out in a closed garage with Russo's car running, causing him to die of carbon monoxide poisoning. With the special election in chaos, Underwood convinces the vice president to step down and run for his old position of governor – leaving the vice presidency open to Underwood, as was his plan all along.

text: Walker appears to have other plans, however. Underwood ends up vetting a surprising choice for vice president: Missouri billionaire Raymond Tusk. He later finds out that Tusk has been secretly appraising Underwood for vice president and is a longtime advisor and friend of Walker; it was Tusk who convinced Walker to break his original agreement to appoint Underwood. Tusk explains he will influence Walker to nominate Underwood if he agrees to perform one unspecified favor for him that will benefit Tusk's financial interests. Underwood, after some thought, counter-proposes to Tusk that they work together to fulfil both their interests, which Tusk accepts. Meanwhile, after Underwood ends their affair, Zoe begins piecing together clues about Underwood's various plots. The season ends when Underwood is offered the nomination for vice president, which he accepts.

text: Season 2 (2014)[edit]

text: With Frank on the verge of being sworn in as vice president, Zoe and two colleagues, Lucas Goodwin and Janine Skorsky, continue to look into his schemes, and ultimately locate Rachel. As a protective measure, Frank's aide Doug Stamper brings Rachel to a safe house while Frank lures Zoe to a Metro station and, unseen by witnesses or security cameras, pushes her in front of an oncoming train. Zoe's death compels Janine to abandon the investigation, but galvanizes Lucas to continue the search alone. Lucas solicits the help of a hacker to retrieve Frank's text history. However, the hacker, Gavin Orsay, actually works for Doug and frames Lucas for cyberterrorism. Later, Gavin uses Rachel to extort Doug. Fearing potential harm and Doug's growing obsession with her, Rachel hits Doug with a brick and leaves him for dead.

text: After Frank begins his vice presidential duties, Claire becomes close with the First Lady, and they support a bill to reform the military's prosecution of sexual assault, after Claire reveals in an interview that she had an abortion after being raped in college by a man who has just been commissioned as a general. (Claire lies by conflating two events; a sexual assault by the college classmate and an abortion she had several years later). She learns Walker's marriage is strained and offers the First Lady the aid of a spiritual advisor and marriage counselor.

text: Though Tusk wields major influence over Walker, Frank aims to drive a wedge between them. He meets Xander Feng, a Chinese businessman and ally of Tusk's, to engage in back-channel negotiations which Frank intentionally scuttles at the expense of Tusk's credibility. This leads to a trade war with China and a spike in U.S. energy prices. Tusk openly opposes Walker's efforts to deal with the crisis and begins having a tribal casino funnel money into Republican PACs in retaliation. When Frank discovers that Feng is the source of the funneled money, he gets Feng to end his partnership with Tusk in exchange for a lucrative bridge contract.

text: The Justice Department discovers that Doug was videotaped at the casino and investigates the White House's ties to Feng and Tusk. Seeking to establish trust with the special prosecutor, Frank manipulates Walker into volunteering his travel records, which reveal his visits to a marriage counselor and raise questions about whether the illicit donations were discussed. Wishing to avoid public disclosure of his personal issues, Walker has the White House Counsel coach the counselor, which the special prosecutor interprets as witness tampering. As the House Judiciary Committee begins drafting articles of impeachment, both Walker and Frank offer Tusk a presidential pardon in exchange for implicating each other. Tusk sides with Walker at first, leaving Frank no other option than to regain the president's trust as a friend. Walker calls off his deal with Tusk as a sign of friendship to Frank, leading Tusk to testify that Walker knew about the deal with China. With Walker forced to resign, Frank is sworn in as president.

text: Season 3 (2015)[edit]

text: Six months into his presidency, Frank begins by pushing for a new jobs program called America Works. Because funding for America Works requires cutting into social programs, Frank faces immense opposition from his own party. Determined to leave a legacy and not be a "placeholder" president, Underwood makes ambitious moves to run in the 2016 presidential election, where he faces off against Heather Dunbar in the Democratic primaries. This decision is a reversal of his previous pledge not to run for the presidency.

text: Meanwhile, Doug recovers from his injuries, but Frank refuses to reinstate him as his chief of staff. Doug appears to switch sides and begins working for Dunbar's campaign. Gavin helps Doug track down Rachel in exchange for lifting the ban on his passport; the findings he delivers are of a body reported as a Jane Doe but with fingerprints matching Rachel's. Distraught by the news, Doug suffers a relapse, which Frank blames on Dunbar. When Gavin reveals that Rachel is really alive, Doug brutalizes him into divulging her location. Doug finds Rachel living under a false identity in New Mexico, drives her into the desert, and eventually kills her too. He returns to work as Frank's Chief of Staff after Remy resigns.

text: Meanwhile, Claire is named the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and faces a crisis in the Jordan Valley, which pits Frank against Russian president Viktor Petrov. When Petrov has an American gay rights activist arrested in Russia, the Underwoods persuade him to secure a release. However, Petrov demands that the activist apologize on Russian television, leading the activist to kill himself while being visited by Claire. Later, after Russian troops are killed in the Jordan Valley, Petrov convinces Frank to remove Claire as ambassador in exchange for a peaceful resolution. Claire resigns, giving the reason that she wants to be more active in Frank's campaign.

text: Throughout the season, a writer named Thomas Yates follows the Underwoods. He is hired by Frank to write a biography that Frank plans to use to promote America Works. Yates, a fiction writer with a dark past of his own, decides to put a different spin on the book and writes less about Frank and more about his marriage with Claire. Yates reads Frank a prologue that Frank does not understand at first, but agrees is a decent beginning. By the end of the season, Yates has the first chapter written and Frank, not liking the direction the book is taking, fires Yates. By the season finale, tensions between the Underwoods reach a point where Claire states her intent to leave Frank.

text: Season 4 (2016)[edit]

text: Claire relocates to Dallas and runs for Congress in her home district. The incumbent, Doris Jones, plans to retire and endorse her daughter Celia as her successor. Claire offers them federal funding for a key Planned Parenthood clinic in exchange for stepping down, but they refuse the offer. Frank desperately seeks to get Claire back by his side as he loses ground in key primary states. He succeeds after promising not to sabotage her campaign in Texas, but he later blocks her congressional bid by publicly endorsing Celia Jones in his State of the Union address. Frank and Claire travel to South Carolina for the primary, but a series of scandals casts Frank in a bad light and causes him to narrowly lose the state to Dunbar. Frank discovers that Claire had been leaking information to Dunbar, and she threatens to continue unless he names her as his running mate. Frank refuses.

text: Lucas is released from prison and seeks revenge against Frank. He approaches Dunbar and explains his story, but she turns him away. Desperate, he attempts to assassinate Frank, wounding the president in the abdomen and killing bodyguard Edward Meechum, but not before Meechum kills Lucas. While Frank remains comatose, Donald Blythe is sworn in as acting president. Blythe is indecisive during a critical military situation involving Russia, and turns to Claire for guidance on foreign policy. Claire goes against Frank’s wishes by convincing Blythe to involve China in the ensuing dispute and secure a meeting with Petrov, where she brokers an ambitious peace deal single-handedly. While Frank remains incapacitated, Doug decides to go after Dunbar by leaking information about her secret meeting with Lucas prior to the assassination attempt. Dunbar denounces the allegations as a smear campaign, in a move that is widely panned and leads to her suspending her presidential bid. Frank recovers and resumes his position as president, agreeing to put Claire on the ticket for the upcoming election.

text: Tom Hammerschmidt, Zoe and Lucas's former editor, digs deeper into the latter's claims of Frank's misdeeds. He approaches Remy and, with his help, starts to piece together Frank's corruption. Tom also meets with Walker, convincing him to help by appealing to his anger for being forced to resign. Danton and Jackie Sharp also decide to go on the record against Frank to lend credibility to the story.

text: An American family is kidnapped in Tennessee by two supporters of a radical Islamist group called the Islamic Caliphate Organization (ICO), who agree to negotiate only with the ambitious Republican nominee, Governor Will Conway. Frank invites Conway to the White House to assist in the negotiations as a publicity stunt, and Conway helps buy critical time in locating the suspects. However, tensions between the Conways and Underwoods lead to the governor ending his role in the crisis. Frank and Claire allow the kidnappers to speak to the deposed leader of ICO, Yusuf al Ahmadi, after successfully obtaining the release of two of the hostages. Instead of defusing the situation as he agreed, al Ahmadi urges the kidnappers to kill the remaining hostage and broadcast the killing to the public.

text: Meanwhile, Hammerschmidt publishes his story and threatens to end Frank's campaign weeks before the election. Claire urges Frank to use a heavier hand in the situation, and they decide to fight back by creating chaos. Frank addresses the public declaring that the nation is at total war, ordering the full force of the military be used to combat global terrorism regardless the cost. The season ends with Frank and Claire watching the live execution of the hostage together, and Claire breaking the fourth wall for the first time by looking into the camera along with Frank.

text: Season 5 (2017)[edit]

text: In the weeks before the 2016 election, Frank uses ICO as a pretext to enacting martial law in urban areas and consolidating polling places in key states. Done mainly through back channels with Democratic governors, this is officially done in the name of safety, but is actually done to disenfranchise rural Republican voters. To keep the strategy of fear going, Doug blackmails hacker Aidan Macallan into launching a massive cyberattack on the NSA, slowing down internet traffic and wiping out hundreds of thousands of files. The Underwood Administration pins the attack on ICO.

text: On Election Day, the result hinges on Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Ohio. Contrary to the Underwoods' desired plans, the early returns seem to favor Conway. Underwood's political machine stages a terrorist attack in Knoxville, which is pinned on a local suspected ICO sympathizer. With Pennsylvania secured by Conway and Ohio seeming to swing his way, Frank unofficially calls Conway directly to concede. However, this is merely a tactic to put Conway off guard, as the Underwoods contact Ohio's governor and convince him to close the polls early on the pretense of a terrorist threat. Ohio and Tennessee refuse to certify the election, and neither candidate reaches the requisite number of electoral votes.

text: Nine weeks after the unresolved election, the Twelfth Amendment is invoked, with the vote being put up to members of Congress. During a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus, cracks begin to appear in Conway's facade as he loses his cool. In spite of this, Frank's own baggage and 12% approval rating only allows him a tie with Conway in the House, while Claire manages to secure the Senate vote, becoming acting president. In light of the tie, Claire orders a special election for Ohio and Tennessee. Meanwhile, Jane Davis, a low-ranking Commerce Department official who has a wide-ranging network of connections and influence, begins working closely with the Underwoods.

text: As a private citizen for the time being, Frank attends a meeting of powerful men at a secret society known as Elysian Fields, in an effort to secure their influence for votes in the upcoming special election. Meanwhile, Conway has a mental breakdown on his private plane due to feeling that the election was stolen from him. Eventually, this and other leaks from his campaign are slowly dripped to the media in a manner that seems unconnected to the Underwoods. Seeing that his candidate is losing, Conway's campaign manager, Mark Usher, switches sides to the Underwoods. The Underwood ticket wins both Ohio and Tennessee, and Frank is sworn in as president and Claire as vice president.

text: Meanwhile, Hammerschmidt continues to investigate Zoe's death, and is given information by an unknown leaker within the White House. Major document dumps are made available to Hammerschmidt, which, among other charges, prompts an impeachment hearing against Frank. In response, the Underwoods set up extensive surveillance on all White House personnel. Eventually, the leaker makes a voice-modulated call to Hammerschmidt, implicating Doug in Zoe's murder. The Underwoods convince Doug to take the fall for killing Zoe, and the leaker is revealed to be Frank himself.

text: The leaks are revealed to be part of Frank's master plan to resign the presidency to Claire, believing his thirst for power can be better achieved in the private sector, working alongside his wife's presidency. Frank, concerned about Durant's intention to testify at the impeachment hearing, pushes her down a short flight of stairs upon accepting her resignation, hospitalizing her. Claire poisons Yates with an overdose of Gelsemium provided to her by Jane, concerned that he knows too much. Finally, contractors working for the Underwoods eliminate LeAnn by ramming her car off the road into a guard rail. Frank resigns, and the two await the proper moment for Claire to pardon him. This comes in the form of a military special operations unit finding and taking out the leader of ICO, which moves media focus away from Frank. Standing in the Oval Office, Claire appears to reconsider pardoning Frank, and ignores multiple concerned calls from him regarding the matter. The season ends with Claire ignoring Frank's call, then breaking the fourth wall to tell the viewers, "My turn."

text: Cast and characters[edit]

text:
Kevin Spacey as Francis J. "Frank" Underwood, Democrat from South Carolina's 5th congressional district who is House Majority Whip in season one, Vice President of the United States in season two, and the 46th President of the United States in seasons three to five.
Robin Wright as Claire Underwood, Frank's wife who runs the Clean Water Initiative, a non-governmental organization, in season one before giving it up to become Second Lady of the United States in season two. She then becomes United States Ambassador to the United Nations in season three and First Lady of the United States in seasons three to five, Acting President of the United States briefly in season five before becoming Vice President of the United States and then permanently 47th President of the United States at the end of the season.
Kate Mara as Zoe Barnes, a reporter for The Washington Herald (and later Slugline). She forms an intimate relationship with Frank Underwood, her political informant, who in turn uses her as a mouthpiece to leak stories to the press and irk his political rivals.
Corey Stoll as Peter Russo, a Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania's 1st congressional district and recovering addict.
Michael Kelly as Douglas "Doug" Stamper, Underwood's unwaveringly loyal chief of staff and confidant. He is temporarily replaced by Remy Danton as Chief of Staff after his injury for most of season 3 but returns as his new chief of staff at the end of the season.
Kristen Connolly as Christina Gallagher, a congressional staffer and personal assistant to President Walker, and lover to Peter Russo.
Sakina Jaffrey as Linda Vasquez, President Walker's White House Chief of Staff.
Sandrine Holt as Gillian Cole, the leader of a grass-roots organization called World Well that provides clean water to developing countries.
Constance Zimmer as Janine Skorsky, a reporter for The Washington Herald.
Michel Gill as Garrett Walker, 45th President of the United States, former Governor of Colorado. He trusts Underwood as a close adviser and lieutenant, but remains blind to his machinations.
Sebastian Arcelus as Lucas Goodwin, an editor at The Washington Herald and later Zoe's boyfriend.
Mahershala Ali as Remy Danton, a lawyer for Glendon Hill and lobbyist who works for natural gas company SanCorp in season one and Raymond Tusk in season two. He worked in Underwood's congressional office as Communications Director prior to the series, and after severing ties with Tusk, serves as Underwood's chief of staff for most of season 3 until quitting at the end of the season.
Boris McGiver as Tom Hammerschmidt, editor-in-chief of The Washington Herald. He opens an investigation into the secret dealings of Frank and his inner circle in Season 4.
Nathan Darrow as Edward Meechum, a member of the U.S. Capitol Police and the Underwoods' bodyguard and driver.
Rachel Brosnahan as Rachel Posner, a prostitute trying to make a better life for herself using Stamper.
Molly Parker as Jacqueline "Jackie" Sharp, a Democratic congresswoman from California who succeeded Frank as Majority Whip. She also briefly ran for the Democratic nomination for President in season 3.
Gerald McRaney as Raymond Tusk, a billionaire businessman with a wide network of influence, although he prefers to live modestly.
Jayne Atkinson as Catherine "Cathy" Durant, a Democratic Senator from Louisiana and Secretary of State.
Jimmi Simpson as Gavin Orsay, a computer hacker turned reluctant FBI informant, who works secretly with Doug Stamper in exchange for help escaping the country.
Mozhan Marnò as Wall Street Telegraph reporter Ayla Sayyad. She is assigned to the White House and does freelance investigative reporting.
Elizabeth Marvel as Heather Dunbar, a lawyer and Solicitor General of the US in the Walker Administration. She runs against Underwood for the Democratic nomination.
Derek Cecil as Seth Grayson, a political operative who becomes Press Secretary for Vice President Underwood through blackmail.
Paul Sparks as Thomas Yates, a successful author whom Frank asks to write a book about the America Works jobs program. He stays on as a speech writer and Claire's lover.
Joel Kinnaman as Will Conway, Republican Governor of New York and Nominee for President of the United States running against Frank.
Kim Dickens as Kate Baldwin, chief political reporter of the Wall Street Telegraph. She replaces Sayyad at the White House after Seth Grayson dismisses Sayyad for protocol violations.
Lars Mikkelsen as Viktor Petrov, the President of Russia.[8]
Neve Campbell as LeAnn Harvey, a Texas-based political consultant Claire hires to run her Congressional campaign. She later becomes the Campaign Manager for the Underwoods for the 2016 Election.
Campbell Scott as Mark Usher, Conway's Campaign Manager. He later joins the Underwood's inner circle as a "Special Adviser".
Patricia Clarkson as Jane Davis, Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade. She is very well connected and able to successfully negotiate back channel dealings for the Underwoods.
Dominique McElligott as Hannah Conway, wife of New York Governor and Republican presidential nominee Will Conway.
Korey Jackson as Sean Jeffries, a young reporter at the Washington Herald working under Hammerschmidt.
Damian Young as Aidan Macallan, a data scientist and NSA contractor who is friends with LeAnn Harvey.
James Martinez as Alex Romero, a Democratic Congressman who leads the House Intelligence Committee's investigation into Frank's alleged abuse of power.

tag: ul

text: Production[edit]

text: Conception[edit]

text:
The world of 7:30 on Tuesday nights, that's dead. A stake has been driven through its heart, its head has been cut off, and its mouth has been stuffed with garlic. The captive audience is gone. If you give people this opportunity to mainline all in one day, there's reason to believe they will do it.
“
”

 — David Fincher[9]

tag: div

text: Independent studio Media Rights Capital, founded by Mordecai Wiczyk and Asif Satchu, producer of films such as Babel, purchased the rights to House of Cards with the intention to create a series.[10] While finishing production on his 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, David Fincher's agent showed him House of Cards, a BBC miniseries starring Ian Richardson.[10] Fincher was interested in producing a potential series with Eric Roth.[10] Fincher said that he was interested in doing television because of its long-form nature,[11] adding that working in film does not allow for complex characterizations the way that television allows.[11] "I felt for the past ten years that the best writing that was happening for actors was happening in television. And so I had been looking to do something that was longer form," Fincher stated.[11]

text: MRC approached different networks about the series, including HBO, Showtime and AMC, but Netflix, hoping to launch its own original programming, outbid the other networks.[12] Ted Sarandos, Netflix's Chief Content Officer, looked at the data of Netflix users' streaming habits and concluded that there was an audience for Fincher and Spacey.[13] "It looked incredibly promising," he said, "kind of the perfect storm of material and talent."[10] In finding a writer to adapt the series, Fincher stated that they needed someone who could faithfully translate parliamentary politics to Washington."[10] Beau Willimon, who has served as an aide to Charles Schumer, Howard Dean and Hillary Clinton,[14] was hired and completed the pilot script in early 2011.[10] Willimon saw the opportunity to create an entirely new series from the original and deepen its overall story.[10]

text:
This is the future, streaming is the future. TV will not be TV in five years from now...everyone will be streaming.
“
”

 — Beau Willimon[15]

text: The project was first announced in March 2011, with Kevin Spacey attached to star and serve as an executive producer.[16] Fincher was announced as director for the first two episodes, from scripts by Willimon. Netflix ordered 26 episodes to air over two seasons.[17]

text: Spacey called Netflix's model of publishing all episodes at once a "new perspective."[15] He added that Netflix's commitment to two full seasons gave the series greater continuity. "We know exactly where we are going," he said.[15] In a speech at the Edinburgh International Television Festival, he also noted that while other networks were interested in the show, they all wanted a pilot, whereas Netflix – relying solely on their statistics – ordered the series directly.[18] In January 2016, show creator, executive producer and showrunner Beau Willimon's departure following season 4 was announced.[19]

text: Casting[edit]

text:
I was lucky to get into film at a time that was very interesting for drama. But if you look now, the focus is not on the same kind of films that were made in the 90s. When I look now, the most interesting plots, the most interesting characters, they are on TV.
“
”

 — Kevin Spacey[15]

text: Fincher stated that every main cast member was their first choice.[11] In the first read through, he said "I want everybody here to know that you represent our first choice — each actor here represents our first choice for these characters. So do not fuck this up."[11] Spacey, whose last regular television role was in the series Wiseguy, which ran from 1987 until 1990, responded positively to the script. He then played Richard III at The Old Vic, which Fincher said was "great training."[11] Spacey supported the decision to release all of the episodes at once, believing that this type of release pattern will be increasingly common with television shows. He said, "When I ask my friends what they did with their weekend, they say, 'Oh, I stayed in and watched three seasons of Breaking Bad or it's two seasons of Game of Thrones."[20] He was officially cast on March 18, 2011.[16] Robin Wright was approached by Fincher to star in the series when they worked together in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.[11] She was cast as Claire Underwood in June 2011.[21] Kate Mara was cast as Zoe Barnes in early February 2012.[22] Mara's sister, Rooney, worked with Fincher in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and when Kate Mara read the part of Zoe, she "fell in love with the character" and asked her sister to "put in a word for me with Fincher." The next month, she got a call for an audition.[23]

text: Filming[edit]

text: Locations[edit]

text: Principal photography for the first season began in January 2012[24] in Harford County, Maryland, on the Eastern seaboard of the United States.[25] Filming of exterior scenes in 2013 centered primarily in and around the city of Baltimore, Maryland, which is about 40 miles northeast of Washington, D.C.

text: Among the numerous exteriors filmed in Baltimore, but set in Washington, D.C., are: Francis and Claire Underwood's residence, Zoe Barnes' apartment, Freddy’s BBQ Rib Joint, The Clean Water Initiative building where Claire works, The Washington Herald offices, the Washington Opera House, the Secretary of State's building, Hotel Cotesworth, The Georgetown Hotel, Werner's Bar, Tio Pepe's, the DuPont Circle Bar, as well as scenes set in other locations, including Peter Russo's campaign rally in Pennsylvania and The Sentinel (military academy)’s Francis J. Underwood Library and Waldron Hall in South Carolina.[26]

text: Most of the interior scenes in House of Cards are filmed in a large industrial warehouse,[27] which is located in Joppa, Maryland, also in Harford County, which is about 17 miles north east of Baltimore.[27][28] The warehouse is used for the filming of some of the most iconic scenes of the series, such as the full-scale reconstruction of most of the West Wing of the White House, including the Oval Office,[29] the Congressional offices and corridors, the large 'Slugline' open-plan office interior, and domestic interiors such as the large townhouse rooms of the Underwood residence and a large loft apartment.[27] Extensive filming for season 5 was also done at the Maryland Historical Society in Mount Vernon, Baltimore.

text: The series uses green screen to augment the live action, inserting views of outdoor scenes in windows and broadcast images on TV monitors, often in post-production. The Production Designer, Steve Arnold, also describes in detail the use of a three-sided green screen to insert street scenes outside car windows, with synchronized LED screens above the car (and out of camera shot), that emit the appropriate light onto the actors and parts of the car, such as window frames: "All the driving in the show, anything inside the vehicle is done on stage, in a room that is a big three-sided green screen space. The car does not move, the actors are in the car, and the cameras are set up around them. We have very long strips of LED monitors hung above the car. We had a camera crew go to Washington, D.C. to drive around and shoot plates for what you see outside when you’re driving. And that is fed into the LED screens above the car. So as the scene is progressing, the LED screens are synched up to emit interactive light to match the light conditions you see in the scenery you’re driving past (that will be added in post). All the reflections on the car windows, the window frames and door jambs is being shot while we’re shooting the actors in the car. Then in post the green screens are replaced with the synced up driving plates, and it works really well. It gives you the sense of light passing over the actors’ faces, matching the lighting that is in the image of the plate".[27]

text: In June 2014, filming of three episodes in the UN Security Council chamber was vetoed by Russia at the last minute.[30] However the show was able to film in other parts of the UN Building.[31] In August 2014, the show filmed a "mock-motorcade scene" in Washington, D.C.[31] In December 2014, the show filmed in Espanola, Santa Fe, and Las Vegas, New Mexico.[32][33]

text: Tax credits[edit]

text: According to the Maryland Film Office, the state provided millions in tax credits to subsidize the production costs.

text:
For season 1, the company received a final tax credit of $11.6 million. Production costs were $63 million, more than 1,800 Maryland businesses were involved, and nearly 2,200 Marylanders were hired with a $138 million economic impact.[34]
For season 2, the company was reported to expect to get a tax credit of about $15 million because filming costs were more than $55 million. There were nearly 2,000 Maryland businesses benefitting from the production and more than 3,700 Marylanders were hired with a $120 million estimated economic impact.[34]
For season 3, the company filed a letter of intent to film, and estimated costs and economic impact similar to season 2.[34] Under the 2014 formula, "the show would qualify for up to $15 million in tax credits."[34]

text: Release[edit]

text: Broadcast[edit]

text: In Australia, where Netflix was not available prior to 2015, the series was broadcast on Showcase, premiering May 7, 2013. Australian subscription TV provider Foxtel, and owner of Showcase, offered the entire first season to Showcase subscribers via their On Demand feature on Foxtel set top boxes connected to the internet, as well as through their Xbox 360, Internet TV, and mobile (Foxtel Go) services. Although the entire season was made available, it maintained its weekly timeslot on Showcase.[35] Season two returned to Showcase on February 15, 2014. As with season one, the entire season was made available on demand to Showcase subscribers while also retaining a weekly timeslot.[36] The series has also been made available to non Foxtel subscribers through Apple's Apple TV service. Prior to Netflix's Australian launch on March 28, 2015,[37] Netflix renounced Showcase's rights to House of Cards,[38] with season 3 premiering on Netfix at launch.[39]

text: In New Zealand, where Netflix was unavailable prior to 2015, season 1 premiered on TV3 in early 2014 followed immediately by season 2.[40] Netflix launched in New Zealand on March 24, 2015, and unlike Australia (which had Netflix launch on the same day) where House of Cards season 3 was available at launch,[37] the series was unavailable and the premiere date and network of season 3 is unknown.[41]

text: In India, where Netflix was unavailable prior to January 2016, House of Cards premiered on February 20, 2014, on Zee Café.[42] Seasons 1 and 2 were aired back–to–back.[43] The channel aired all 13 episodes of season 3 on March 28 and 29, 2015. This marked the first time that an English-language general entertainment channel in India aired all episodes of the latest season of a series together. The move was intended to satisfy viewers' urge to binge watch the season.[44] Although Netflix launched in India in January 2016, House of Cards was not available on the service until March 4, 2016.[45] All episodes of season 4 had their television premiere on Zee Café on March 12 and 13, 2016.[46]

text: House of Cards was acquired by Canadian superstation CHCH for broadcast beginning September 13, 2017, making the program available throughout Canada on cable and free-to-air in CHCH's broadcast region, which includes portions of the United States.[47]

text: Home media[edit]

text: Season 1 was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in region 1 on June 11, 2013,[48] season 2 was released on June 17, 2014,[49] season 3 was released on July 7, 2015,[50] and season 4 was released on July 5, 2016.[51]

text:
Season
Volume/Chapters
DVD Releases
Blu-ray Releases

Region 1
Region 2
Region 4
Region A
Region B

The Complete First Season
Volume One
Chapters 1–13

June 11, 2013

June 10, 2013

June 27, 2013

June 11, 2013

June 10, 2013

The Complete Second Season
Volume Two
Chapters 14–26

June 17, 2014

June 16, 2014

June 19, 2014

June 17, 2014

June 16, 2014

The Complete Third Season
Volume Three
Chapters 27–39

July 7, 2015

June 29, 2015

August 6, 2015

July 7, 2015

June 29, 2015

The Complete Fourth Season
Volume Four
Chapters 40–52

July 5, 2016

July 4, 2016

July 7, 2016

July 5, 2016

July 4, 2016

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical response[edit]

text:
Season
Critical response

Rotten Tomatoes
Metacritic

1
85% (34 reviews)
76 (25 reviews)

2
88% (40 reviews)
80 (25 reviews)

3
77% (48 reviews)
76 (24 reviews)

4
87% (30 reviews)
76 (17 reviews)

5
72% (25 reviews)
60 (11 reviews)

text: Season 1[edit]

text: The first season received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds a rating of 85%, based on 34 reviews, with an average rating of 8.3/10. The site's consensus reads, "Bolstered by strong performances — especially from Kevin Spacey — and surehanded direction, House of Cards is a slick, engrossing drama that may redefine how television is produced."[52] On Metacritic, the first season has a score of 76 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[53][54]

text: USA Today critic Robert Bianco praised the series, particularly Spacey's and Wright's lead performances, stating "If you think network executives are nervous, imagine the actors who have to go up against that pair in the Emmys."[55] Tom Gilatto of People Weekly lauded the first two episodes, calling them "cinematically rich, full of sleek, oily pools of darkness."[53] In The Denver Post, critic Joanne Ostrow said the series is "Deeply cynical about human beings as well as politics and almost gleeful in its portrayal of limitless ambition." She added: "House of Cards is a wonderfully sour take on power and corruption."[56]

text: Writing in The New York Times, critic Alessandra Stanley noted that the writing in the series sometimes fails to match the high quality of its acting: "Unfortunately Mr. Spacey’s lines don’t always live up to the subtle power of his performance; the writing isn’t Shakespeare, or even Aaron Sorkin, and at times, it turns strangely trite." Nevertheless, she lauded House of Cards as an entertainment that "revels in the familiar but always entertaining underbelly of government."[57] Andrew Davies, the writer of the original UK TV series, stated that Spacey's character lacks the "charm" of Ian Richardson's,[58] while The Independent praised Spacey's portrayal as a more "menacing" character, "hiding his rage behind Southern charm and old-fashioned courtesy."[59] Randy Shaw, writing for The Huffington Post, criticized House of Cards for glorifying "union bashing and entitlement slashing within a political landscape whose absence of activist groups or anyone remotely progressive resembles a Republican fantasy world".[60] Critics such as Time television critic James Poniewozik and Hank Stuever of The Washington Post compare the series to Boss.[61][62] Like the UK show and novel of the same name many critics have noted that it is heavily influenced by both Macbeth and Richard III,[63][64][65] In addition, some critics find elements of Othello, such as Iago's bitter ire.[66]

text: Season 2[edit]

text: The second season received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes the season has a rating of 88%, based on 40 reviews, with an average rating of 8.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "House of Cards proves just as bingeworthy in its second season, with more of the strong performances, writing, and visual design that made the first season so addictive".[67] On Metacritic the season has a score of 80 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[68]

text: But as the season progressed, reviews became more mixed.[69] Jen Chaney of Vulture wrote that the second season "felt kind of empty" and that "the closest it came to feeling emotionally rich was when it focused on Claire."[70] At the end of the second season, Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote that show is a "A ridiculous political potboiler that takes itself too seriously"; he gave the overall season a C-.[71]

text: Season 3[edit]

text: The third season received mostly positive reviews, although many critics noted it felt repetitive. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a rating of 77%, based on 48 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The site's consensus reads, "Season three introduces intriguing new political and personal elements to Frank Underwood's character, even if it feels like more of the same for some."[72] On Metacritic, the season has a score of 76 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[73]

text: Negative reviews came from Nick Gillespie of The Daily Beast who accused the writers of "descending into prosaic moralism" in season 3 and asserts that it deviates from the show's original intent,[74] and Michael Wolff of USA Today plainly asserts that "the third season of House of Cards is no good...not just no good, but incompetent, a shambles, lost."[75] IndieWire named the season one of the most disappointing shows of 2015.[76]

text: Season 4[edit]

text: The fourth season received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a rating of 87%, based on 30 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "House of Cards retains its binge-worthiness by ratcheting up the drama, and deepening Robin Wright's role even further."[77] On Metacritic, the season has a score of 76 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[78]

text: Ben Travers of IndieWire had a positive response to season four, calling it an upgrade from what he perceived as a "messy and unsatisfying melodramatic" third season, writing that "House of Cards is aiming at authenticity, and–for what feels like the first time–consistently finding it."[79]

text: Todd Van DerWerff of Vox had a mixed review to season four, criticizing the repetitive and predictable nature of the series, writing: "There's no such mystery with House of Cards, where you know exactly what will happen as surely as you do on NCIS. Obstacles will present themselves, but Frank (the hammy Kevin Spacey) and Claire (the almost perfect Robin Wright) Underwood will overcome. What you see is what you get."[80]

text: The choice to have Frank and Claire run as running mates was highly criticized by some reviewers. Jonathan Holmes of Radio Times wrote that "there are limits to the stupidity viewers are willing to accept, and with season four [House of Cards] may have stepped over the line. Claire demanding her selection as Frank’s running mate is stupid. Moronic. It turns a canny political operator into a ham-brained fish-eyed jar-opener."[81] Spencer Kornhaber of The Atlantic wrote that "in moments like this it’s good to remember that Cards really, fundamentally is a stupid TV show instead of a particularly cunning comment on political reality."[82]

text: Season 5[edit]

text: The fifth season received mixed to positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 72% based on 25 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "House of Cards enjoys a confident return to form this season, though its outlandish edge is tempered slightly by the current political climate."[83] On Metacritic, the season has a score of 60 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[84]

text: Accolades[edit]

text: For its first season, House of Cards received nine nominations for the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2013, to become the first original online-only web television series to receive major nominations.[85] Among House of Cards' nine nominations, "Chapter 1" received four nominations for the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards and 65th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards becoming the first webisode (online-only episode) of a television series to receive a major Primetime Emmy Award nomination: Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for David Fincher. This episode also received several Creative Arts Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series, Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series, and Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic).[85][86] Although Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series is not a category that formally recognizes an episode, Spacey submitted "Chapter 1" for consideration to earn his nomination.[87] At the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award presentation, "Chapter 1" and Eigil Bryld earned the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series, making "Chapter 1" the first Emmy-awarded webisode.[88][89] At the Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, Fincher won for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for directing the pilot episode "Chapter 1" in addition to the pair of Creative Arts Emmy Awards, making "Chapter 1" the first Primetime Emmy-awarded webisode.[90] None of the Emmy awards were considered to be in major categories.[91]

text: For the 71st Golden Globe Awards, House of Cards received four nominations.[92] Among those nominations was Wright for Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama for her portrayal of Claire Underwood, which she won. In so doing she became the first actress to win a Golden Globe Award for an online-only web television series.[93][94][95]

text: For its second season, House of Cards received 13 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, Kevin Spacey for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Robin Wright for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Kate Mara for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, and Reg E. Cathey for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.[96] At the 72nd Golden Globe Awards, the series was nominated for Best Drama Series and Wright was nominated for Best Drama Actress, while Spacey won for Best Drama Actor.


document_title: Potato

question_text: how many different types of potatoes in peru

question_tokens: how many different types of potatoes in peru

text: Potato

text: Etymology

text: The English word potato comes from Spanish patata (the name used in Spain). The Spanish Royal Academy says the Spanish word is a hybrid of the Taíno batata (sweet potato)  and the Quechua papa (potato).[13][14] The name originally referred to the sweet potato although the two plants are not closely related.  The 16th-century English herbalist John Gerard referred to sweet potatoes as "common potatoes", and used the terms "bastard potatoes" and "Virginia potatoes" for the species we now call "potato".[15]  In many of the chronicles detailing agriculture and plants, no distinction is made between the two.[16]  Potatoes are occasionally referred to as "Irish potatoes" or "white potatoes" in the United States, to distinguish them from sweet potatoes.[15]

text: The name spud for a small potato comes from the digging of soil (or a hole) prior to the planting of potatoes. The word has an unknown origin and was originally (c. 1440) used as a term for a short knife or dagger, probably related to the Latin "spad-" a word root meaning "sword"; cf. Spanish "espada", English "spade" and "spadroon". It subsequently transferred over to a variety of digging tools. Around 1845, the name transferred to the tuber itself, the first record of this usage being in New Zealand English.[17] The origin of the word "spud" has erroneously been attributed to an 18th-century activist group dedicated to keeping the potato out of Britain, calling itself The Society for the Prevention of Unwholesome Diet (S.P.U.D.). It was Mario Pei's 1949 The Story of Language that can be blamed for the word's false origin. Pei writes, "the potato, for its part, was in disrepute some centuries ago. Some Englishmen who did not fancy potatoes formed a Society for the Prevention of Unwholesome Diet. The initials of the main words in this title gave rise to spud." Like most other pre-20th century acronymic origins, this is false, and there is no evidence that a Society for the Prevention of Unwholesome Diet ever existed.[18][14]

text: Characteristics

text: Potato plants are herbaceous perennials that grow about 60 cm (24 in) high, depending on variety, with the leaves dying back after flowering, fruiting and tuber formation. They bear white, pink, red, blue, or purple flowers with yellow stamens. In general, the tubers of varieties with white flowers have white skins, while those of varieties with colored flowers tend to have pinkish skins.[19] Potatoes are mostly cross-pollinated by insects such as bumblebees, which carry pollen from other potato plants, though a substantial amount of self-fertilizing occurs as well. Tubers form in response to decreasing day length, although this tendency has been minimized in commercial varieties.[20]

text: After flowering, potato plants produce small green fruits that resemble green cherry tomatoes, each containing about 300 seeds. Like all parts of the plant except the tubers, the fruit contain the toxic alkaloid solanine and are therefore unsuitable for consumption. All new potato varieties are grown from seeds, also called "true potato seed", "TPS" or "botanical seed" to distinguish it from seed tubers. New varieties grown from seed can be propagated vegetatively by planting tubers, pieces of tubers cut to include at least one or two eyes, or cuttings, a practice used in greenhouses for the production of healthy seed tubers. Plants propagated from tubers are clones of the parent, whereas those propagated from seed produce a range of different varieties.

text: Genetics

text: There are about 5,000 potato varieties worldwide. Three thousand of them are found in the Andes alone, mainly in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, and Colombia. They belong to eight or nine species, depending on the taxonomic school. Apart from the 5,000 cultivated varieties, there are about 200 wild species and subspecies, many of which can be cross-bred with cultivated varieties. Cross-breeding has been done repeatedly to transfer resistances to certain pests and diseases from the gene pool of wild species to the gene pool of cultivated potato species. Genetically modified varieties have met public resistance in the United States and in the European Union.[21][22]

text: The major species grown worldwide is Solanum tuberosum (a tetraploid with 48 chromosomes), and modern varieties of this species are the most widely cultivated. There are also four diploid species (with 24 chromosomes): S. stenotomum, S. phureja, S. goniocalyx, and S. ajanhuiri. There are two triploid species (with 36 chromosomes): S. chaucha and S. juzepczukii. There is one pentaploid cultivated species (with 60 chromosomes): S. curtilobum. There are two major subspecies of Solanum tuberosum: andigena, or Andean; and  tuberosum, or Chilean.[23] The Andean potato is adapted to the short-day conditions prevalent in the mountainous equatorial and tropical regions where it originated; the Chilean potato, however, native to the Chiloé Archipelago, is adapted to the long-day conditions prevalent in the higher latitude region of southern Chile.[24]

text: The International Potato Center, based in Lima, Peru, holds an ISO-accredited collection of potato germplasm.[25] The international Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium announced in 2009 that they had achieved a draft sequence of the potato genome.[26] The potato genome contains 12 chromosomes and 860 million base pairs, making it a medium-sized plant genome.[27] More than 99 percent of all current varieties of potatoes currently grown are direct descendants of a subspecies that once grew in the lowlands of south-central Chile.[28] Nonetheless, genetic testing of the wide variety of cultivars and wild species affirms that all potato subspecies derive from a single origin in the area of present-day southern Peru and extreme Northwestern Bolivia (from a species in the Solanum brevicaule complex).[6][7][8] The wild Crop Wild Relatives Prebreeding project encourages the use of wild relatives in breeding programs. Enriching and preserving the gene bank collection to make potatoes adaptive to diverse environmental conditions is seen as a pressing issue due to climate change.[29]

text: Most modern potatoes grown in North America arrived through European settlement and not independently from the South American sources, although at least one wild potato species, Solanum fendleri, naturally ranges from Peru into Texas, where it is used in breeding for resistance to a nematode species that attacks cultivated potatoes. A secondary center of genetic variability of the potato is Mexico, where important wild species that have been used extensively in modern breeding are found, such as the hexaploid Solanum demissum, as a source of resistance to the devastating late blight disease.[30] Another relative native to this region, Solanum bulbocastanum, has been used to genetically engineer the potato to resist potato blight.[31]

text: Potatoes yield abundantly with little effort, and adapt readily to diverse climates as long as the climate is cool and moist enough for the plants to gather sufficient water from the soil to form the starchy tubers. Potatoes do not keep very well in storage and are vulnerable to moulds that feed on the stored tubers and quickly turn them rotten, whereas crops such as grain can be stored for several years with a low risk of rot. The yield of Calories per acre (about 9.2 million) is higher than that of maize (7.5 million), rice (7.4 million), wheat (3 million), or soybean (2.8 million).[32]

text: Varieties

text: There are close to 4,000 varieties of potato including common commercial varieties, each of which has specific agricultural or culinary attributes.[33] Around 80 varieties are commercially available in the UK.[34] In general, varieties are categorized into a few main groups based on common characteristics, such as russet potatoes (rough brown skin), red potatoes, white potatoes, yellow potatoes (also called Yukon potatoes) and purple potatoes.

text: For culinary purposes, varieties are often differentiated by their waxiness: floury or mealy baking potatoes have more starch (20–22%) than waxy boiling potatoes (16–18%). The distinction may also arise from variation in the comparative ratio of two different potato starch compounds: amylose and amylopectin. Amylose, a long-chain molecule, diffuses from the starch granule when cooked in water, and lends itself to dishes where the potato is mashed. Varieties that contain a slightly higher amylopectin content, which is a highly branched molecule, help the potato retain its shape after being boiled in water.[35] Potatoes that are good for making potato chips or potato crisps are sometimes called "chipping potatoes", which means they meet the basic requirements of similar varietal characteristics, being firm, fairly clean, and fairly well-shaped.[36]

text: The European Cultivated Potato Database (ECPD) is an online collaborative database of potato variety descriptions that is updated and maintained by the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency within the framework of the European Cooperative Programme for Crop Genetic Resources Networks (ECP/GR)—which is run by the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI).[37]

text: Pigmentation

text: Dozens of potato cultivars have been selectively bred specifically for their skin or, more commonly, flesh color, including gold, red, and blue varieties[38] that contain varying amounts of phytochemicals, including carotenoids for gold/yellow or polyphenols for red or blue cultivars.[39] Carotenoid compounds include provitamin A alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, which are converted to the essential nutrient, vitamin A, during digestion. Anthocyanins mainly responsible for red or blue pigmentation in potato cultivars do not have nutritional significance, but are used for visual variety and consumer appeal.[40] Recently, as of 2010, potatoes have also been bioengineered specifically for these pigmentation traits.[41]

text: Genetically engineered potatoes

text: Genetic research has produced several genetically modified varieties. 'New Leaf', owned by Monsanto Company, incorporates genes from Bacillus thuringiensis, which confers resistance to the Colorado potato beetle; 'New Leaf Plus' and 'New Leaf Y', approved by US regulatory agencies during the 1990s, also include resistance to viruses. McDonald's, Burger King, Frito-Lay, and Procter & Gamble announced they would not use genetically modified potatoes, and Monsanto published its intent to discontinue the line in March 2001.[42]

text: Waxy potato varieties produce two main kinds of potato starch, amylose and amylopectin, the latter of which is most industrially useful. The German chemical company BASF created the Amflora potato, which has been modified to contain antisense against the enzyme that drives synthesis of amylose, namely granule bound starch synthase.[43]  This resulting potato almost exclusively produces amylopectin, and thus is more useful for the starch industry. In 2010, the European Commission cleared the way for 'Amflora' to be grown in the European Union for industrial purposes only—not for food. Nevertheless, under EU rules, individual countries have the right to decide whether they will allow this potato to be grown on their territory. Commercial planting of 'Amflora' was expected in the Czech Republic and Germany in the spring of 2010, and Sweden and the Netherlands in subsequent years.[44] Another GM potato variety developed by BASF is 'Fortuna' which was made resistant to late blight by adding two resistance genes, blb1 and blb2, which originate from the Mexican wild potato Solanum bulbocastanum.[45][46]  In October 2011 BASF requested cultivation and marketing approval as a feed and food from the EFSA. In 2012, GMO development in Europe was stopped by BASF.[47][48]

text: In November 2014, the USDA approved a genetically modified potato developed by J.R. Simplot Company, which contains genetic modifications that prevent bruising and produce less acrylamide when fried than conventional potatoes; the modifications do not cause new proteins to be made, but rather prevent proteins from being made via RNA interference.[49][50][51]

text: History

text: The potato was first domesticated in the region of modern-day southern Peru and extreme northwestern Bolivia[6] between 8000 and 5000 BC.[7]  It has since spread around the world and become a staple crop in many countries.

text: The earliest archaeologically verified potato tuber remains have been found at the coastal site of Ancon (central Peru), dating to 2500 BC.[52][53] The  most widely cultivated variety, Solanum tuberosum tuberosum, is indigenous to the Chiloé Archipelago, and has been cultivated by the local indigenous people since before the Spanish conquest.[54][55]

text: According to conservative estimates, the introduction of the potato was responsible for a quarter of the growth in Old World population and urbanization between 1700 and 1900.[56] Following the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire, the Spanish introduced the potato to Europe in the second half of the 16th century, part of the Columbian exchange. The staple was subsequently conveyed by European mariners to territories and ports throughout the world. The potato was slow to be adopted by European farmers, but soon enough it became an important food staple and field crop that played a major role in the European 19th century population boom.[8] However, lack of genetic diversity, due to the very limited number of varieties initially introduced, left the crop vulnerable to disease. In 1845, a plant disease known as late blight, caused by the fungus-like oomycete Phytophthora infestans, spread rapidly through the poorer communities of western Ireland as well as parts of the Scottish Highlands, resulting in the crop failures that led to the Great Irish Famine.[30] Thousands of varieties still persist in the Andes however, where over 100 cultivars might be found in a single valley, and a dozen or more might be maintained by a single agricultural household.[57]

text: Production

text:
Potato production – 2016

Country

Production (millions of tonnes)

 People's Republic of China
99.1

 India
43.8

 Russia
31.1

 Ukraine
21.8

 United States
20.0

World
376.8

Source: FAOSTAT of the United Nations[58]

text: In 2016, world production of potatoes was 377 million tonnes, a mere increase of 0.004% over 2015 amounts and led by China with over 26% of the world total (see table). Other major producers were India, Russia, Ukraine and the United States. However, the local importance of potato is variable and rapidly changing. It remains an essential crop in Europe (especially eastern and central Europe), where per capita production is still the highest in the world, but the most rapid expansion over the past few decades has occurred in southern and eastern Asia.[3][58]

text: Nutrition

text: A raw potato is 79% water, 17% carbohydrates (88% is starch), 2% protein, and contains negligible fat (see table). In an amount measuring 100 grams (3.5 oz), raw potato provides 322 kilojoules (77 kilocalories) of energy and is a rich source of vitamin B6 and vitamin C (23% and 24% of the Daily Value, respectively), with no other vitamins or minerals in significant amount (see table). The potato is rarely eaten raw because raw potato starch is poorly digested by humans.[59] When a potato is baked, its contents of vitamin B6 and vitamin C decline notably, while there is little significant change in the amount of other nutrients.[60]

text: Potatoes are often broadly classified as having a high glycemic index (GI) and so are often excluded from the diets of individuals trying to follow a low-GI diet. The GI of potatoes can vary considerably depending on the cultivar or cultivar category (such as "red", russet, "white", or King Edward), growing conditions and storage, preparation methods (by cooking method, whether it is eaten hot or cold, whether it is mashed or cubed or consumed whole), and accompanying foods consumed (especially the addition of various high-fat or high-protein toppings).[61] In particular, consuming reheated or cooled potatoes that were previously cooked may yield a lower GI effect.[61]

text: In the UK, potatoes are not considered by the National Health Service (NHS) as counting or contributing towards the recommended daily five portions of fruit and vegetables, the 5-A-Day program.[62]

text: Comparison to other staple foods

text: This table shows the nutrient content of potatoes next to other major staple foods, each one measured in its respective raw state, even though staple foods are not commonly eaten raw and are usually sprouted or cooked before eating. In sprouted and cooked form, the relative nutritional and anti-nutritional contents of each of these grains (or other foods) may be different from the values in this table. Each nutrient (every row) has the highest number highlighted to show the staple food with the greatest amount in a 100-gram raw portion.

text:
Nutrient content of 10 major staple foods per 100 g portion,[63] in order of rank

Nutrient
Maize (corn)[A]
Rice, white[B]
Wheat[C]
Potatoes[D]
Cassava[E]
Soybeans, green[F]
Sweet potatoes[G]
Yams[Y]
Sorghum[H]
Plantain[Z]
RDA

Water (g)
10
12
13
79
60
68
77
70
9
65
3000

Energy (kJ)
1528
1528
1369
322
670
615
360
494
1419
511
8368–10,460

Protein (g)
9.4
7.1
12.6
2.0
1.4
13.0
1.6
1.5
11.3
1.3
50

Fat (g)
4.74
0.66
1.54
0.09
0.28
6.8
0.05
0.17
3.3
0.37
44–77

Carbohydrates (g)
74
80
71
17
38
11
20
28
75
32
130

Fiber (g)
7.3
1.3
12.2
2.2
1.8
4.2
3
4.1
6.3
2.3
30

Sugar (g)
0.64
0.12
0.41
0.78
1.7
0
4.18
0.5
0
15
minimal

Minerals

Calcium (mg)
7
28
29
12
16
197
30
17
28
3
1000

Iron (mg)
2.71
0.8
3.19
0.78
0.27
3.55
0.61
0.54
4.4
0.6
8

Magnesium (mg)
127
25
126
23
21
65
25
21
0
37
400

Phosphorus (mg)
210
115
288
57
27
194
47
55
287
34
700

Potassium (mg)
287
115
363
421
271
620
337
816
350
499
4700

Sodium (mg)
35
5
2
6
14
15
55
9
6
4
1500

Zinc (mg)
2.21
1.09
2.65
0.29
0.34
0.99
0.3
0.24
0
0.14
11

Copper (mg)
0.31
0.22
0.43
0.11
0.10
0.13
0.15
0.18
-
0.08
0.9

Manganese (mg)
0.49
1.09
3.99
0.15
0.38
0.55
0.26
0.40
-
-
2.3

Selenium (μg)
15.5
15.1
70.7
0.3
0.7
1.5
0.6
0.7
0
1.5
55

Vitamins

Vitamin C (mg)
0
0
0
19.7
20.6
29
2.4
17.1
0
18.4
90

Thiamin (B1) (mg)
0.39
0.07
0.30
0.08
0.09
0.44
0.08
0.11
0.24
0.05
1.2

Riboflavin (B2) (mg)
0.20
0.05
0.12
0.03
0.05
0.18
0.06
0.03
0.14
0.05
1.3

Niacin (B3) (mg)
3.63
1.6
5.46
1.05
0.85
1.65
0.56
0.55
2.93
0.69
16

Pantothenic acid (B5) (mg)
0.42
1.01
0.95
0.30
0.11
0.15
0.80
0.31
-
0.26
5

Vitamin B6 (mg)
0.62
0.16
0.3
0.30
0.09
0.07
0.21
0.29
-
0.30
1.3

Folate Total (B9) (μg)
19
8
38
16
27
165
11
23
0
22
400

Vitamin A (IU)
214
0
9
2
13
180
14187
138
0
1127
5000

Vitamin E, alpha-tocopherol (mg)
0.49
0.11
1.01
0.01
0.19
0
0.26
0.39
0
0.14
15

Vitamin K1 (μg)
0.3
0.1
1.9
1.9
1.9
0
1.8
2.6
0
0.7
120

Beta-carotene (μg)
97
0
5
1
8
0
8509
83
0
457
10,500

Lutein+zeaxanthin (μg)
1355
0
220
8
0
0
0
0
0
30
6,000[*][64] + 0[*]

Fats

Saturated fatty acids (g)
0.67
0.18
0.26
0.03
0.07
0.79
0.02
0.04
0.46
0.14
minimal

Monounsaturated fatty acids (g)
1.25
0.21
0.2
0.00
0.08
1.28
0.00
0.01
0.99
0.03
22–55[*][65]

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (g)
2.16
0.18
0.63
0.04
0.05
3.20
0.01
0.08
1.37
0.07
13–19

text:
A  raw yellow dent corn

B  raw unenriched long-grain white rice

C  raw hard red winter wheat

D  raw potato with flesh and skin

E  raw cassava

F  raw green soybeans

G  raw sweet potato

H  raw sorghum

Y  raw yam

Z  raw plantains

/*  unofficial

text: Toxicity

text: Potatoes contain toxic compounds known as glycoalkaloids, of which the most prevalent are solanine and chaconine. Solanine is found in other plants in the same family, Solanaceae, which includes such plants as deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna), henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) and tobacco (Nicotiana spp.), as well as the food plants eggplant and tomato. These compounds, which protect the potato plant from its predators, are generally concentrated in its leaves, flowers, sprouts, and fruits (in contrast to the tubers).[66] In a summary of several studies, the glycoalkaloid content was highest in the flowers and sprouts and lowest in the tuber flesh. (The glycoalkaloid content was, in order from highest to lowest: flowers, sprouts, leaves, skin[clarification needed], roots, berries, peel [skin plus outer cortex of tuber flesh], stems, and tuber flesh.)[11]

text: Exposure to light, physical damage, and age increase glycoalkaloid content within the tuber.[12] Cooking at high temperatures—over 170 °C (338 °F)—partly destroys these compounds. The concentration of glycoalkaloids in wild potatoes is sufficient to produce toxic effects in humans. Glycoalkaloid poisoning may cause headaches, diarrhea, cramps, and, in severe cases, coma and death. However, poisoning from cultivated potato varieties is very rare. Light exposure causes greening from chlorophyll synthesis, giving a visual clue as to which areas of the tuber may have become more toxic. However, this does not provide a definitive guide, as greening and glycoalkaloid accumulation can occur independently of each other.

text: Different potato varieties contain different levels of glycoalkaloids. The Lenape variety was released in 1967 but was withdrawn in 1970 as it contained high levels of glycoalkaloids.[67] Since then, breeders developing new varieties test for this, and sometimes have to discard an otherwise promising cultivar. Breeders try to keep glycoalkaloid levels below 200 mg/kg (200 ppmw). However, when these commercial varieties turn green, they can still approach solanine concentrations of 1000 mg/kg (1000 ppmw). In normal potatoes, analysis has shown solanine levels may be as little as 3.5% of the breeders' maximum, with 7–187 mg/kg being found.[68] While a normal potato tuber has 12–20 mg/kg of glycoalkaloid content, a green potato tuber contains 250–280 mg/kg and its skin has 1500–2200 mg/kg.[69]

text: Growth and cultivation

text: Seed potatoes

text: Potatoes are generally grown from seed potatoes, tubers specifically grown to be free from disease and to provide consistent and healthy plants. To be disease free, the areas where seed potatoes are grown are selected with care. In the US, this restricts production of seed potatoes to only 15 states out of all 50 states where potatoes are grown.[70] These locations are selected for their cold, hard winters that kill pests and summers with long sunshine hours for optimum growth. In the UK, most seed potatoes originate in Scotland, in areas where westerly winds prevent aphid attack and thus prevent spread of potato virus pathogens.[71][not in citation given]

text: Phases of growth

text: Potato growth is divided into five phases. During the first phase, sprouts emerge from the seed potatoes and root growth begins. During the second, photosynthesis begins as the plant develops leaves and branches. In the third phase, stolons develop from lower leaf axils on the stem and grow downwards into the ground and on these stolons new tubers develop as swellings of the stolon. This phase is often, but not always, associated with flowering. Tuber formation halts when soil temperatures reach 27 °C (81 °F); hence potatoes are considered a cool-season, or winter, crop.[72] Tuber bulking occurs during the fourth phase, when the plant begins investing the majority of its resources in its newly formed tubers. At this phase, several factors are critical to a good yield: optimal soil moisture and temperature, soil nutrient availability and balance, and resistance to pest attacks. The fifth and final phase is the maturation of the tubers: the plant canopy dies back, the tuber skins harden, and the sugars in the tubers convert to starches.[73]

text: Challenges

text: New tubers may start growing at the surface of the soil. Since exposure to light leads to an undesirable greening of the skins and the development of solanine as a protection from the sun's rays, growers cover surface tubers. Commercial growers cover them by piling additional soil around the base of the plant as it grows (called "hilling" up, or in British English "earthing up"). An alternative method, used by home gardeners and smaller-scale growers, involves covering the growing area with organic mulches such as straw or plastic sheets.[73]

text: Correct potato husbandry can be an arduous task in some circumstances. Good ground preparation, harrowing, plowing, and rolling are always needed, along with a little grace from the weather and a good source of water.[74] Three successive plowings, with associated harrowing and rolling, are desirable before planting. Eliminating all root-weeds is desirable in potato cultivation. In general, the potatoes themselves are grown from the eyes of another potato and not from seed. Home gardeners often plant a piece of potato with two or three eyes in a hill of mounded soil. Commercial growers plant potatoes as a row crop using seed tubers, young plants or microtubers and may mound the entire row. Seed potato crops are rogued in some countries to eliminate diseased plants or those of a different variety from the seed crop.

text: Potatoes are sensitive to heavy frosts, which damage them in the ground. Even cold weather makes potatoes more susceptible to bruising and possibly later rotting, which can quickly ruin a large stored crop.

text: Pests

text: The historically significant Phytophthora infestans (late blight) remains an ongoing problem in Europe[30][75] and the United States.[76] Other potato diseases include Rhizoctonia, Sclerotinia, black leg, powdery mildew, powdery scab and leafroll virus.

text: Insects that commonly transmit potato diseases or damage the plants include the Colorado potato beetle, the potato tuber moth, the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae), the potato aphid, beet leafhoppers, thrips, and mites. The potato cyst nematode is a microscopic worm that thrives on the roots, thus causing the potato plants to wilt. Since its eggs can survive in the soil for several years, crop rotation is recommended.

text: During the crop year 2008, many of the certified organic potatoes produced in the United Kingdom and certified by the Soil Association as organic were sprayed with a copper pesticide[77] to control potato blight (Phytophthora infestans).[78] According to the Soil Association, the total copper that can be applied to organic land is 6 kg/ha/year.[79]

text: According to an Environmental Working Group analysis of USDA and FDA pesticide residue tests performed from 2000 through 2008, 84% of the 2,216 tested potato samples contained detectable traces of at least one pesticide. A total of 36 unique pesticides were detected on potatoes over the 2,216 samples, though no individual sample contained more than 6 unique pesticide traces, and the average was 1.29 detectable unique pesticide traces per sample. The average quantity of all pesticide traces found in the 2,216 samples was 1.602 ppm. While this was a very low value of pesticide residue, it was the highest amongst the 50 vegetables analyzed.[80]

text: Harvest

text: At harvest time, gardeners usually dig up potatoes with a long-handled, three-prong "grape" (or graip), i.e., a spading fork, or a potato hook, which is similar to the graip but with tines at a 90° angle to the handle. In larger plots, the plow is the fastest implement for unearthing potatoes. Commercial harvesting is typically done with large potato harvesters, which scoop up the plant and surrounding earth. This is transported up an apron chain consisting of steel links several feet wide, which separates some of the dirt. The chain deposits into an area where further separation occurs. Different designs use different systems at this point. The most complex designs use vine choppers and shakers, along with a blower system to separate the potatoes from the plant. The result is then usually run past workers who continue to sort out plant material, stones, and rotten potatoes before the potatoes are continuously delivered to a wagon or truck. Further inspection and separation occurs when the potatoes are unloaded from the field vehicles and put into storage.

text: Immature potatoes may be sold as "creamer potatoes" and are particularly valued for taste. These are often harvested by the home gardener or farmer by "grabbling", i.e. pulling out the young tubers by hand while leaving the plant in place. A creamer potato is a variety of potato harvested before it matures to keep it small and tender. It is generally either a Yukon Gold potato or a red potato, called gold creamers[81] or red creamers respectively, and measures approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter.[82] The skin of creamer potatoes is waxy and high in moisture content, and the flesh contains a lower level of starch than other potatoes. Like potatoes in general, they can be prepared by boiling, baking, frying, and roasting.[82] Slightly older than creamer potatoes are "new potatoes", which are also prized for their taste and texture and often come from the same varieties.[83]

text: Potatoes are usually cured after harvest to improve skin-set. Skin-set is the process by which the skin of the potato becomes resistant to skinning damage. Potato tubers may be susceptible to skinning at harvest and suffer skinning damage during harvest and handling operations. Curing allows the skin to fully set and any wounds to heal. Wound-healing prevents infection and water-loss from the tubers during storage. Curing is normally done at relatively warm temperatures 50 to 60 °F (10 to 16 °C) with high humidity and good gas-exchange if at all possible.[84]

text: Storage

text: Storage facilities need to be carefully designed to keep the potatoes alive and slow the natural process of decomposition, which involves the breakdown of starch. It is crucial that the storage area is dark, ventilated well and, for long-term storage, maintained at temperatures near 4 °C (39 °F). For short-term storage, temperatures of about 7 to 10 °C (45 to 50 °F) are preferred.[85]

text: On the other hand, temperatures below 4 °C (39 °F) convert the starch in potatoes into sugar, which alters their taste and cooking qualities and leads to higher acrylamide levels in the cooked product, especially in deep-fried dishes. The discovery of acrylamides in starchy foods in 2002 has led to international health concerns. They are believed to be probable carcinogens and their occurrence in cooked foods is being studied for potentially influencing health problems.[a][86]

text: Under optimum conditions in commercial warehouses, potatoes can be stored for up to 10–12 months.[85] The commercial storage and retrieval of potatoes involves several phases: first drying surface moisture; wound healing at 85% to 95% relative humidity and temperatures below 25 °C (77 °F); a staged cooling phase; a holding phase; and a reconditioning phase, during which the tubers are slowly warmed. Mechanical ventilation is used at various points during the process to prevent condensation and the accumulation of carbon dioxide.[85]

text: When stored in homes unrefrigerated, the shelf life is usually a few weeks.[citation needed]

text: If potatoes develop green areas or start to sprout, trimming or peeling those green-colored parts is inadequate to remove copresent toxins, and such potatoes are no longer edible.[87][88]

text: Yield

text: The world dedicated 18.6 million ha (46 million acres) in 2010 for potato cultivation. The average world farm yield for potato was 17.4 tonnes per hectare, in 2010. Potato farms in the United States were the most productive in 2010, with a nationwide average of 44.3 tonnes per hectare.[89] United Kingdom was a close second.

text: New Zealand farmers have demonstrated some of the best commercial yields in the world, ranging between 60 and 80 tonnes per hectare, some reporting yields of 88 tonnes potatoes per hectare.[90][91][92]

text: There is a big gap among various countries between high and low yields, even with the same variety of potato. Average potato yields in developed economies ranges between 38–44 tonnes per hectare. China and India accounted for over a third of world's production in 2010, and had yields of 14.7 and 19.9 tonnes per hectare respectively.[89] The yield gap between farms in developing economies and developed economies represents an opportunity loss of over 400 million tonnes of potato, or an amount greater than 2010 world potato production. Potato crop yields are determined by factors such as the crop breed, seed age and quality, crop management practices and the plant environment. Improvements in one or more of these yield determinants, and a closure of the yield gap, can be a major boost to food supply and farmer incomes in the developing world.[93][94]

text: Uses

text: Potatoes are prepared in many ways: skin-on or peeled, whole or cut up, with seasonings or without. The only requirement involves cooking to swell the starch granules. Most potato dishes are served hot but some are first cooked, then served cold, notably potato salad and potato chips (crisps). Common dishes are: mashed potatoes, which are first boiled (usually peeled), and then mashed with milk or yogurt and butter; whole baked potatoes; boiled or steamed potatoes; French-fried potatoes or chips; cut into cubes and roasted; scalloped, diced, or sliced and fried (home fries); grated into small thin strips and fried (hash browns); grated and formed into dumplings, Rösti or potato pancakes. Unlike many foods, potatoes can also be easily cooked in a microwave oven and still retain nearly all of their nutritional value, provided they are covered in ventilated plastic wrap to prevent moisture from escaping; this method produces a meal very similar to a steamed potato, while retaining the appearance of a conventionally baked potato. Potato chunks also commonly appear as a stew ingredient. Potatoes are boiled between 10 and 25[95] minutes, depending on size and type, to become soft.

text: Other than for eating

text: Potatoes are also used for purposes other than eating by humans, for example:

text:
Potatoes are used to brew alcoholic beverages such as vodka, poitín, or akvavit.
They are also used as fodder for livestock. Livestock-grade potatoes, considered too small and/or blemished to sell or market for human use but suitable for fodder use, have been called chats in some dialects. They may be stored in bins until use; they are sometimes ensiled.[96] Some farmers prefer to steam them rather than feed them raw and are equipped to do so efficiently.
Potato starch is used in the food industry as a thickener and binder for soups and sauces, in the textile industry as an adhesive, and for the manufacturing of papers and boards.[97][98]
Maine companies are exploring the possibilities of using waste potatoes to obtain polylactic acid for use in plastic products; other research projects seek ways to use the starch as a base for biodegradable packaging.[98][99]
Potato skins, along with honey, are a folk remedy for burns in India. Burn centres in India have experimented with the use of the thin outer skin layer to protect burns while healing.[100][101]
Potatoes (mainly Russets) are commonly used in plant research. The consistent parenchyma tissue, the clonal nature of the plant and the low metabolic activity provide a very nice "model tissue" for experimentation. Wound-response studies are often done on potato tuber tissue, as are electron transport experiments. In this respect, potato tuber tissue is similar to Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans and Escherichia coli: they are all "standard" research organisms.
Potatoes have been delivered with personalized messages as a novelty. Potato delivery services include Potato Parcel and Mail A Spud.[102][103][104][105]

text: Latin America

text:
Peruvian cuisine naturally contains the potato as a primary ingredient in many dishes, as around 3,000 varieties of this tuber are grown there.[106]
Some of the more notable dishes include boiled potato as a base for several dishes or with ají-based sauces like in Papa a la Huancaína or ocopa, diced potato for its use in soups like in cau cau, or in Carapulca with dried potato (papa seca). Smashed condimented potato is used in causa Limeña and papa rellena. French-fried potatoes are a typical ingredient in Peruvian stir-fries, including the classic dish lomo saltado.

text: Chuño is a freeze-dried potato product traditionally made by Quechua and Aymara communities of Peru and Bolivia,[107]  and is known in various countries of South America, including Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile. In Chile's Chiloé Archipelago, potatoes are the main ingredient of many dishes, including milcaos, chapaleles, curanto and chochoca. In Ecuador, the potato, as well as being a staple with most dishes, is featured in the hearty locro de papas, a thick soup of potato, squash, and cheese.

text: Europe

text: In the UK, potatoes form part of the traditional staple fish and chips. Roast potatoes are commonly served with a Sunday roast, and mashed potatoes form a major component of several other traditional dishes such as shepherd's pie, bubble and squeak, and bangers and mash. New potatoes may be cooked with mint and often served with butter.[108]

text: The Tattie scone is a popular Scottish dish containing potatoes. Colcannon is a traditional Irish food made with mashed potato, shredded kale or cabbage, and onion; champ is a similar dish. Boxty pancakes are eaten throughout Ireland, although associated especially with the North, and in Irish diaspora communities; they are traditionally made with grated potatoes, soaked to loosen the starch and mixed with flour, buttermilk and baking powder. A variant eaten and sold in Lancashire, especially Liverpool, is made with cooked and mashed potatoes.

text: Bryndzové halušky is the Slovakian national dish, made of a batter of flour and finely grated potatoes that is boiled to form dumplings. These are then mixed with regionally varying ingredients.

text: In Germany, Northern and Eastern Europe (especially in Scandinavian countries), Finland, Poland, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, newly harvested, early ripening varieties are considered a special delicacy. Boiled whole and served un-peeled with dill, these "new potatoes" are traditionally consumed with Baltic herring. Puddings made from grated potatoes (kugel, kugelis, and potato babka) are popular items of Ashkenazi, Lithuanian, and Belarusian cuisine.[109] German fries and various version of Potato salad are part of German cuisine. Bauernfrühstück (literally farmer's breakfast) is a warm German dish made from fried potatoes, eggs, ham and vegetables.

text:
Cepelinai is Lithuanian national dish. They are a type of dumpling made from riced potatoes (see Potato ricer) and usually stuffed with minced meat, although sometimes dry cottage cheese (curd) or mushrooms are used instead.[110]
In Western Europe, especially in Belgium, sliced potatoes are fried to create frieten, the original French fried potatoes. Stamppot, a traditional Dutch meal, is based on mashed potatoes mixed with vegetables.

text: In France, the most notable potato dish is the Hachis Parmentier, named after Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, a French pharmacist, nutritionist, and agronomist who, in the late 18th century, was instrumental in the acceptance of the potato as an edible crop in the country. The pâté aux pommes de terre is a regional potato dish from the central Allier and Limousin regions.

text: In the north of Italy, in particular, in the Friuli region of the northeast, potatoes serve to make a type of pasta called gnocchi.[111] Similarly, cooked and mashed potatoes or potato flour can be used in the Knödel or dumpling eaten with or added to meat dishes all over central and Eastern Europe, but especially in Bavaria and Luxembourg. Potatoes form one of the main ingredients in many soups such as the vichyssoise and Albanian potato and cabbage soup. In western Norway, komle is popular.

text: A traditional Canary Islands dish is Canarian wrinkly potatoes or papas arrugadas. Tortilla de patatas (potato omelette) and patatas bravas (a dish of fried potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce) are near-universal constituent of Spanish tapas.

text: North America

text: In the US, potatoes have become one of the most widely consumed crops and thus have a variety of preparation methods and condiments. French fries and often hash browns are commonly found in typical American fast-food burger "joints" and cafeterias. One popular favourite involves a baked potato with cheddar cheese (or sour cream and chives) on top, and in New England "smashed potatoes" (a chunkier variation on mashed potatoes, retaining the peel) have great popularity. Potato flakes are popular as an instant variety of mashed potatoes, which reconstitute into mashed potatoes by adding water, with butter or oil and salt to taste. A regional dish of Central New York, salt potatoes are bite-size new potatoes boiled in water saturated with salt then served with melted butter. At more formal dinners, a common practice includes taking small red potatoes, slicing them, and roasting them in an iron skillet. Among American Jews, the practice of eating latkes (fried potato pancakes) is common during the festival of Hanukkah.

text: A traditional Acadian dish from New Brunswick is known as poutine râpée. The Acadian poutine is a ball of grated and mashed potato, salted, sometimes filled with pork in the centre, and boiled. The result is a moist ball about the size of a baseball. It is commonly eaten with salt and pepper or brown sugar. It is believed to have originated from the German Klöße, prepared by early German settlers who lived among the Acadians. Poutine, by contrast, is a hearty serving of French fries, fresh cheese curds and hot gravy. Tracing its origins to Quebec in the 1950s, it has become a widespread and popular dish throughout Canada.

text: Potato grading for Idaho potatoes is performed in which No. 1 potatoes are the highest quality and No. 2 are rated as lower in quality due to their appearance (e.g. blemishes or bruises, pointy ends).[112] Potato density assessment can be performed by floating them in brines.[113] High-density potatoes are desirable in the production of dehydrated mashed potatoes, potato crisps and french fries.[113]

text: South Asia

text: In South Asia, the potato is a very popular traditional staple. In India, the most popular potato dishes are aloo ki sabzi, batata vada, and samosa, which is spicy mashed potato mixed with a small amount of vegetable stuffed in conical dough, and deep fried. Potatoes are also a major ingredient as fast food items, such as aloo chaat, where they are deep fried and served with chutney. In Northern India, alu dum and alu paratha are a favourite part of the diet; the first is a spicy curry of boiled potato, the second is a type of stuffed chapati.

text: A dish called masala dosa from South India is very notable all over India. It is a thin pancake of rice and pulse paste rolled over spicy smashed potato and eaten with sambhar and chutney. Poori in south India in particular in Tamil Nadu is almost always taken with smashed potato masal. Other favourite dishes are alu tikki and pakoda items.

text: Vada pav is a popular vegetarian fast food dish in Mumbai and other regions in the Maharashtra in India.

text: Aloo posto (a curry with potatoes and poppy seeds) is immensely popular in East India, especially Bengal. Although potatoes are not native to India, it has become a vital part of food all over the country especially North Indian food preparations. In Tamil Nadu this tuber acquired a name based on its appearance 'urulai-k-kizhangu' (உருளைக் கிழங்கு) meaning cylindrical tuber.

text: The Aloo gosht, Potato and meat curry, is one of the popular dishes in South Asia, especially in Pakistan.

text: East Asia

text: In East Asia, particularly Southeast Asia, rice is by far the predominant starch crop, with potatoes a secondary crop, especially in China and Japan. However, it is used in northern China where rice is not easily grown, with a popular dish being 青椒土豆丝 (qīng jiāo tǔ dòu sī), made with green pepper, vinegar and thin slices of potato. In the winter, roadside sellers in northern China will also sell roasted potatoes. It is also occasionally seen in Korean and Thai cuisines.[114]

text: Cultural significance

text: In art

text: During the late 19th century, numerous images of potato harvesting appeared in European art, including the works of Willem Witsen and Anton Mauve.[115]

text: Van Gogh's 1885 painting The Potato Eaters portrays a family eating potatoes. Van Gogh said he wanted to depict peasants as they really were. He deliberately chose coarse and ugly models, thinking that they would be natural and unspoiled in his finished work.[116]

text: Jean-François Millet's The Potato Harvest depicts peasants working in the plains between Barbizon and Chailly. It presents a theme representative of the peasants' struggle for survival.  Millet's technique for this work incorporated paste-like pigments thickly applied over a coarsely textured canvas.

text: The potato has been an essential crop in the Andes since the pre-Columbian Era. The Moche culture from Northern Peru made ceramics from earth, water, and fire. This pottery was a sacred substance, formed in significant shapes and used to represent important themes. Potatoes are represented anthropomorphically as well as naturally.[117]

text: In popular culture

text: Invented in 1949 and marketed and sold commercially by Hasbro in 1952, Mr. Potato Head is an American toy that consists of a plastic potato and attachable plastic parts such as ears and eyes to make a face. It was the first toy ever advertised on television.[118]