Why the potato is sure to remain a Canadian culinary cornerstone

The diversification of Canadian cuisine has been a huge feature of the last few decades, as immigration has brought in more recipes and ingredients from around the world and indigenous food is starting to achieve greater prominence.

All that might have diminished the dominance of more traditional dishes, but there is one ingredient we can be sure is here to stay - the potato.

Of course, in Canada, as so many places around the world, this is a non-native vegetable that has become a staple. Once the preserve of Latin Americans, European colonists soon established the value of the vegetable, which became such a key part of diets in English-speaking countries like Britain and Ireland, not to mention more far-flung places like Russia, where vodka emerged as a new use for it.

Canada remains one of the world's greatest potato producers, and for good reasons too. The climate and vast space the country possesses are two reasons, but, as potato lover Glenda Bartosh noted in an article for Pique News Magazine, there is also the small fact that there are over 400 registered kinds of potato in Canada. Variety will never be a problem. 

Then there is the value of such foods. As farm manager Anna Helmer told Ms Bartosh: "The thing about potatoes is that you can practically live on them. They contain just about everything you need except vitamin D - protein; carbohydrates; vitamins, minerals and fibre; and more potassium than bananas."

Small wonder Andy Weir's fictional astronaut Mark Watney - star of the book and film The Martian - was able to survive on them for so long. 

The average Canadian eats around 100 pounds of potatoes a year, so there is no way this time-honoured vegetable is going away anytime soon.

Indeed, the sheer versatility it offers is a key benefit; while it may end up in simple fast food such as fries, roast, mashed or boiled potatoes can combine well with red meat, poultry or fish. 

Another great advantage of the potato is that it is, after all, a vegetable. That means the growth of vegetarianism and veganism in Canada will have no negative impact on consumption levels; indeed, the reverse may be true given its capacity to replace many of the proteins found in meat. 

Of course, the Canadian potato farming sector is not all about supplying homes and restaurants on the domestic market. There are big export markets and amid all the sabre-rattling of the trade-war obsessed White House, it may come as no surprise that even potatoes are not immune. Senators from both parties in the US have accused Canadian farmers of 'dumping' extra potatoes on the market and the government of subsidising them. Canada's farmers have hit back, saying a favourable exchange rate is their only advantage at present.

It might be suggested that nobody can blame our neighbours if they like our potatoes, for the quality and variety help make them a true food institution. The flag might suggest maple syrup is the most patriotic thing to eat, but maybe the best thing of all is to be found in many a ploughed field.

There may not be many potatoes in Indian or Japanese restaurants, but the humble spud still has a big place at the heart of the Canadian culinary scene.