- Humans have cultivated potatoes since 8,000 B.C.
- Easy to grow in most climates, potatoes have been incorporated into the cusines of many cultures.
- Seaweed shaker fries are sold at McDonalds in Singapore, but they're often made at home, too.
Humans have been cultivating potatoes for 10,000 years. Beginning in South America in 8000 BC, potatoes have taken root in almost every culture on the planet. A super-versatile vegetable, potatoes can be found in Belgium's salty, crispy fries; Indonesia's sweet and spicy sambal goreng kentang; and Ecuador's fluffy, cheesy llapingacho. Let's take a look at the crunchiest, cheesiest, and most delicious potato recipes from 28 countries around the world. Chorrillana is quintessential pub food: crispy, salty fries topped with sweet caramelized onions, meat like grilled steak, and a perfectly fried egg. Lore has it that fries were invented in Belgium in 1680 when a river froze over, making it impossible to fish, and innovative cooks fried potatoes instead. Today, chip shops in Belgium serve thick-cut fries, crisp and crunchy on the outside, plump and soft on the inside, with a slew of savory sauces. Llapingacho are potato pancakes spiced with onions, cumin, and achiote, which has a peppery flavor and turns the whole dish orange, then stuffed with queso fresco. The pancake is panfried until golden brown with an ultra-crispy exterior and a creamy, smooth interior. Crash hot potatoes are a cross between smashed and loaded potatoes. Whole potatoes are boiled, then smushed until flat, dressed with fresh herbs and grated cheese, then baked until crispy all around. Dum aloo means "steam-cooked potatoes," though the dish is way more complex than that name suggests. An aromatic blend of onions, tomatoes, ginger, chili, coriander, and other herbs and spices are blended with yogurt and left to simmer until it becomes thick and creamy. Potatoes are cooked in the masala to soak up all that flavor. Potato kibbeh can be made a bunch of different ways. It's one of those recipes grandmas love to pass down. But at its heart, potato kibbeh is a mix of mashed potatoes and bulgur wheat filled with ingredients like mincemeat, dried fruit, nuts, and caramelized onions. Potato kibbeh can be layered and baked or rolled into a football shape and deep-fried. Batatas a murro means "punched potatoes," which alludes to the look of this smashed-potato dish. Potatoes are boiled, then lightly smashed and mixed with garlic, herbs, and caramelized onions, then smothered with cheese and baked until bubbling and golden brown. Poutine has been a signature French Canadian dish since the 1950s, and today you can find it at dive bars, fast-food chains, and even fine-dining restaurants. Potatoes are fresh-cut and deep-fried, then topped with brown gravy and melty cheese curds. Kumpir is a super-popular Turkish street food. A baked potato hot out the oven is sliced open and mixed with butter and cheese until the inside is creamy, then topped with things like sliced beets, sausage or bacon, pickled cabbage, or even more cheese. Khabizgina is a delicious, cheesy, stringy pull-apart bread. Mashed potatoes are mixed with cheese and butter and encased in a yeasted dough. After it's baked, the bread is coated with even more butter and served piping hot. Curry potatoes are the perfect, slightly spicy side to grilled poultry, fish, or beef. Potatoes are cooked down with ingredients like tomato paste, cayenne, thyme, coriander, and turmeric, which turns the whole dish a bright yellow. The light and fluffy potatoes are bright and aromatic, with a light kick. It's up for debate whether potato chips were actually invented in the States, but one thing is clear: Americans love chips more than any country in the world. With classic American flavors like barbecue, sour cream and onion, and ranch, there's a chip flavor for every single occasion. Pakora are vegetables or other mains dredged through a batter of gram and rice flour with bold spices like chili, ginger, cardamom, and turmeric, then deep-fried. Aloo, or potato, pakora only takes about 20 minutes to make, which works out, because once you try this deep-fried fritter, you won't be able to stop. Papa rellena translates to "stuffed potato." A potato-based dough is filled with beef, onions, eggs, olives, and some traditional herbs and spices, then rolled into a ball, dredged through flour, and deep-fried. The crisp but light exterior gives way to a savory, meaty stuffing for the perfect portable app. Batata harra literally means "spicy potatoes" in Arabic. Fried or roasted potatoes are tossed in a spicy, tangy marinade of herbs and spices like coriander and turmeric and as much red chili as your taste buds can take. It can be served plain or in a pita with tomatoes, pickles, and fresh parsley. Perkedel are a take on the Dutch meatball, but even better. Ground beef is mashed together with potatoes and shallots, dredged through egg, and deep-fried. These fritters can be found anywhere from street vendors all the way up to fine-dining restaurants. There are countless types of potato salad, from cold and mayo-based to room temperature with vinegar. But in Germany, where it's thought to have been invented, the dish is served warm with potatoes dressed in vinegar, sugar, onion, and fresh herbs for a perfect blend of sour, sweet, and savory. Stamppot is one of the oldest staple dishes in the Netherlands. It's a heavy dish consisting of mashed potatoes mixed with a vegetable, most commonly incorporating kale long before kale was trendy or even bitter endives. It's finished off with crisp, caramelized smoked-sausage slices. Gromperekichelcher are savory potato fritters. Grated yellow potato, shallots, garlic, and fresh parsley are held together with flour and eggs, then rolled into a ball and smashed into a pancake before they're deep-fried. They're often served as a side dish but are perfect as a snack all on their own with a little apple compote. In the Kenyan tribe Kikuyu, irio just means "food" but often refers to this go-to simple yet tasty comfort dish. Corn and peas are mixed into mashed potatoes until they turn green and yellow. The final dish is crispy and slightly sweet and typically served with grilled goat or beef. Pudding and souse is a go-to lunch on Saturday afternoons in Barbados. For the pudding, grated sweet potatoes are mixed with thyme, marjoram, and Scotch bonnets, then steamed until tender and aromatic. It's paired with souse, which are pickled pork trimmings. Hasselback potatoes were invented in Sweden in the 1950s and have since become a staple pub snack around the globe. A potato is sliced thin, almost, but not quite, all the way through, until it looks like an accordion, then doused with butter or olive oil, salt, and pepper and a little garlic and roasted until crispy on the outside and smooth and creamy on the inside. Gratin Dauphinois is a centuries-old rich and creamy side dish. Thinly sliced potatoes are mixed with heavy cream and spices like nutmeg, then topped with sharp cheese and baked until the potatoes are soft under a blanket of dark brown and crispy burnt cheese. A Spanish omelet, or tortilla Española, isn't the thin, folded egg dish you're likely picturing. Instead, sliced potatoes and a little onion are mixed into whisked eggs, poured into a deep frying pan, and cooked on each side until crispy on the outside and plush on the inside. Served hot or cold, the dish is a favorite for anything from barbecues to picnics. Aloo paratha starts with mashed potatoes that are flavored with spices like ginger, red chili powder, chaat masala, and garam masala for a spicy kick. The potato's encased in whole-wheat dough, then cooked in a tandoori oven until the bread is bubbled and blackened. Despite the name, tattie scones aren't baked goods. Instead, they're a soft and fluffy addition to a full Scottish breakfast. Mashed potatoes are mixed with butter, flour, and a pinch of salt until a thick dough forms, then rolled thin and sliced before the scones are panfried until golden brown and piping hot. Seaweed Shaker Fries are sold at McDonald's in Singapore, but they're often made at home these days too. Matchstick fries are tossed in a sweet and salty coating of chili flakes, sesame seeds, garlic, and nori flakes. Served as a side dish for breakfast or dinner, rösti is so simple almost anyone can make it. Grated potatoes are mixed with a generous helping of butter, then smushed flat into a disc shape. The fritter is baked until crisp on all sides and served with a little more butter and some fresh herbs. So, which potato dish do you want to try? Are there any we missed? Let us know in the comments below.