Irish Potatoes

An Irish potato is an edible tuber from the Solanum tuberosum plant, which is actually native to South America, not Ireland. Irish potatoes are named after Ireland because they are closely associated with the Irish potato famine, a historical famine caused by a mold infestation of the Irish potato crop. You may also know an Irish potato as a “white potato;” Irish potatoes are probably one of the most commonly abundant forms of this popular tuber, and they are of the major sources of starch worldwide.