Year of The Potato

The Potato's origins are worth fighting for.

LIMA (AFP) - The Irish hungered after it, Dan Quayle couldn't spell it, Russian cooks swear by it and China is its biggest producer -- and now the potato is at the root of an Andean war of words over where exactly it originated.

Peru and Chile, longtime rivals, are each laying claim to the humble vegetable, which experts agree is indigenous to South America and was spread to Europe by Spanish colonists in the 16th century.

At stake is the reflected glory of being the home of the "patata" (or "papa" in the Quechua language of the Andes), celebrated this year in the UN Year of the Potato.

Chile brought the dispute to a boil by disputing the bulk of scientific evidence -- and the UN potato website -- suggesting the spud was first cultivated near Lake Titicaca in southern Peru around seven millennia ago.

The cheflovesbeer editorial staff has always believed the potato originated in Peru, but you never know.

Even as the row sizzles on between Peru and Chile, it looks like a third chef could muscle into the kitchen to stir the pot.

Bolivia is now making its own bid to be known as the progenitor of the potato after uncovering traces of what it says was a spud that pre-dated those of its neighbors.