ninme

The TImes - Save the world and keep eating those spuds, by Damian Whitworth

Shortly after the world learnt that Benazir Bhutto had been assassinated I heard a news bulletin in which it was reported that the UN Security Council had gone into emergency session to discuss the developments. I found myself snorting derisively: what on earth would that achieve? I was a little surprised that my opinion of the United Nations had sunk so low.

But never mind. That should change this year. For the UN has taken time out from wringing its hands about international terrorism, shocking genocide, modern-day slavery and the status of the nuclear programmes of its more awkward members to make a big announcement: 2008 is the International Year of the Potato.

giggle

People, we need to eat more potatoes. For my parents’ generation a meal wasn’t a meal without potatoes. But today the popularity of pasta, rice, noodles, couscous and other staples is crowding out this hitherto unsung starch. When did you last eat any? Exactly. Apart from a couple of packets of ready-salted crisps in the pub last night, I’d have to go all the way back to yesterday lunchtime to find the last time I had potatoes as part of a meal. Sometimes a whole day goes by without me eating a single potato-based dish.

To help to give the potato a boost the UN must focus on encouraging people to find new ways to broaden their appeal. At the moment they suffer from a lack of versatility: the only options being to bake, roast, boil, fry, sauté or mash them, or turn them into chunky chips, French fries, home fries, wedges, waffles, skins, hash browns, dauphinoise, gnocchi, pancakes or dumplings. Somebody thinking of employing a potato in their cooking is faced with limited choices: should it be in the starter or the main course, a salad or a side dish? One ingredient of the meal or the meal itself? The UN may be able to help the potato to expand its repertoire.

But we’re not here to dwell on recipes. This is not a cookery column but a forum for discussing the serious affairs of the day. A highlight of the year will be a conference in Dundee in August, where delegates from around the world will discuss hot potato issues. The convention will be hosted by the Scottish Research Institute, keeper of the Commonwealth Potato Collection.

Hehehehe.

I had a bit of potato yesterday lunchtime. A bit of leftover massamun curry. Anyway, he points out that this is a program that started in 1960, to shine the spotlight “on many important causes for humankind.” The first time I took Peter to Canada, there were banners hung around Canmore’s lightposts celebrating The Year of Fresh Water. I don’t think Peter’s ever reacted as strongly to anything in his life. Anyway, it started out in 1960, with The Year of Refugees. I think we can all finally agree that the UN has run out of ideas and is now just grasping at anything to keep themselves busy?