No-nonsense, no-frills potato news stories from around the world
In this satirical commentary, the humble potato “responds” to FIFA’s decision to award Donald Trump a so-called ‘peace prize’. From its vantage point in the soil and the storage bin, the potato contrasts manufactured, fake medals with the unglamorous daily work of feeding people, stabilizing communities, and weathering climate and market shocks – quietly arguing that true peace is measured in full plates, not televised ceremonies and in futures worth fighting.
In this tongue-in-cheek forecast from the Spudwire Weather Service, a nervous potato meteorologist confronts an unprecedented Potato Cloud and a Yukon Gold heatwave officially classified as “Fry Heat.” As butter drizzle warnings and mash slide alerts roll in, farmers, agronomists and local cafes scramble to adapt, wondering if their crops will stay cool – or end up crispy – under the world’s first fry weather emergency for spud lovers everywhere.
The Spudictionary introduces a fresh potato vocabulary that blends humor with purpose. From spudfluence to spudspiration, these coined terms reflect the crop’s cultural impact, farmer resilience, and role in global food security. More than clever wordplay, they frame serious conversations about sustainability, advocacy, and innovation. By redefining how we talk about potatoes, the industry highlights its creativity, adaptability, and enduring importance in shaping diets and communities worldwide.
An article by Veeksha Dechamma in Jumpstart discusses five unconventional startups that challenge traditional business ideas, highlighting Potato Parcel as an example. Founded in 2015, this company lets customers send messages on potatoes, an idea that gained traction after featuring on Shark Tank. Potato Parcel, now worth US$1.75 million, offers various customizable options and encourages recipients to plant the potatoes they receive.
McDonald’s Japan has unveiled a limited-edition perfume collection inspired by their iconic fries, with aromas like plum nori seaweed salt, and garlic black pepper mayo. The inventive packaging resembles McDonald’s distinctive fry boxes. Announced on their social media, this release adds to their history of unique collaborations, extending their food legacy into fragrance.
The Idaho Potato Museum in Blackfoot, Idaho, is notable for housing the world’s largest Pringles potato crisp, according to the World Record Academy. The Pringle crisp was created by Procter & Gamble in 1991 and measures 25 inches in length, 14 inches in width, and weighs 5.4 ounces. Besides this exhibit, the museum also showcases ancient Peruvian vessels used for potato storage 1,600 years ago and manages a hall of fame that recognizes significant contributions to the potato industry.
In a world filled with conflicts and tragedies, it’s crucial to find moments of joy and humor at times. A TwitterX account, “I Might Be Funny – Honest observations on life and parenting”, offers a delightful twist on parenting with humorous anecdotes. Curated by Janene, a mom who humorously shares her quirks, the account showcases hilarious quips from kids.
Walkers has created the world’s biggest-ever ‘billboard’ – a 73,532 square foot ‘cropvert’ – created in a British potato field. Yorkshire-based potato farmer Tim Rodwell helped the crisp brand turn roughly 30,000 potato plant into its biggest and most unusual campaign to date. The artwork is so big it’s visible from space, and outsizes the biggest standing billboard in the world – which covers 67,382 square feet.
Dear readers of Potato News Today: I just saw this wonderful piece, and feel to share it with you. It has apparently been circulating online for quite some time by now. Still, it is really worth a read – or a second read (and some thought) for that matter… Apparently there are many versions of it, but credit for the original version goes to former judge and Texas State Legislator Roy English, a popular author of several books featuring his wit and no-nonsense humor.
From an airplane to an ancient ruin, yes, you can get fries with that, writes Sam Lin-Sommer, Gastro Obscura Editorial Fellow in this article. For a chain that prides itself on conformity, McDonald’s boasts some rebels among its franchises, Lin-Sommer writes. In Taupo, New Zealand, kids eat Happy Meals inside a red-and-silver 20-seater airplane from 1943. Sometimes, the chain’s deep fryers sit atop historical artifacts.
“You’ve got your foodies, you’ve got your chefs and then the category of bloody good cooks. But somewhere in there are the foodsters, people who simply like food and prefer to eat it without deep fried grapes, sun dried pansies or a jus,” writes Diane Cassere in a tongue-in-cheek article published by the Daily Maverick. In her opinion, “the most prevalent abuse of a vegetable is that of the potato. Manipulate the potato at your peril, it is the start of a moral decline let alone a crime against foodstuffs…”
Robertson, the small New South Wales village that is home to film stars such as Miriam Margolyes and the movie Babe, has had its biggest win yet. The town’s Big Potato sculpture has officially been named Australia’s Sh*ttest Big Thing. The large icon was described by competition organisers as “looking like it’s been up for three days straight”.
Happy Fathers Day to all Spud Dads out there! I received a copy of a delightful little piece sent to a good friend of mine by his kids, and I translated it into English. I hope you enjoy it as well? It is titled “My Dad is an Iron Man”…
Cold french fries are bad enough. But cold, old french fries are even worse. That’s the surprise from Ronald McDonald that one Illinois couple stumbled upon during home renovations, as Sara Smart reports for CNN. Researching the logo on the bag they discovered, the couple learned it was used in McDonald’s production from 1955 to 1961.
In a video shared by a Reddit user earlier this week, it is shown how an adorable dog is enthusiastically assisting two men to plant potatoes. “I can help with potatoes too,” reads the caption. The video has since gone viral and accumulated more than 48,000 upvotes on Reddit since it was shared and the numbers are quickly increasing.
Potato company Albert Bartlett in the UK is on a mission to track down #DougsLittleBro after the ‘world’s largest spud’ was discovered. Colin Craig-Brown, from Hamilton, New Zealand, found the huge 7.9kg potato in his vegetable garden last August, which went on to become a local celebrity in its hometown. Now the Airdrie-based potato brand have launched their #Dougslittlebro to dig up the spud’s sibling.
Canada’s spud conundrum is no small potatoes and it’s causing quite the commotion on Twitter. On Friday, January 21, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) tweeted a call-out asking for feedback. As Sarah Anderson writes on dished, they want to know: is it ok if they change the size of cubed and diced potatoes sold in cans?
This past Friday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) posted this following on its Twitter feed @InspectionCan: “We want to hear from you! We’re seeking comments from Canadians on a proposed change to the size of diced white #potatoes sold in cans. Our consultation is open until February 21, 2022.” The response from Twitter users was swift and ongoing.
A massive Kiwi potato that is in the running to claim a world record has gone viral after the man who found it gave a hilarious interview to British TV. Waikato man Colin Craig-Brown in New Zealand spoke to former NZ broadcaster Philip Schofield on his popular This Morning breakfast show about the trials and tribulations of securing official recognition for his giant potato.
Colin and Donna Craig-Brown were having a bit of a cleanup in their vegetable garden in late August, to get ready for their usual flurry of spring planting. So he dug around it with a fork until he dug up the large root vegetable – which he realised, after poking it with the garden fork and tasting it, was a potato.
Accounting classes have never been this fun! Professor Ryan Ball, 47, has been teaching at The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business for more than nine years. This summer, he was teaching a master’s level class and decided to spice things up: He used the potato filter while teaching on Zoom, and his students loved it…
In Manhattan’s Upper East Side, a $200 plate of french fries stretches the definition of haute cuisine. The restaurant Serendipity 3 already claims world records for the most expensive burger ($295) and ice cream sundae ($1,000), so if the question is, “You want fries with that?” its answer is a resounding yes…
The picture above was spotted on British based cycling website, road.cc. The caption reads: “Gels and bars stuck to the top tube? Fine, we’ve seen it before. French bikepackers bundling baguettes back in their pockets? All good. Pizza slices taped to the top tube? That’s a new one… and as for raw potatoes packed into a pouch for a crunchy mid-ride snack… Well…
According to an article by Morgan Cutolo, published by Reader’s Digest, the Queen is privy to only the very best potatoes, to such an extent that every single one served to her is hand measured beforehand to ensure it’s suitable…
After the huge success of the inaugural competition last year, the Potato Photographer of the Year returns for 2021. The competition may not take itself too seriously, but like last year its proceeds will go to a very worthy cause – helping to tackle food poverty in the UK. Last year’s winner was Ray Spence, thanks to his inspired image ‘End of lockdown’.
