Not many natural foods can be used for a multitude of different dishes. Some food is only good in its natural, raw state while others only a have a few recipes in which they are delectable in, but there is one food that can stand alone, as well as still be delicious with other ingredients: potatoes.

Potatoes were first found four centuries ago along the western coast of South America, near the Andes. Potatoes are the fourth largest crop group in the world, right after corn, wheat, and maize. Potatoes are especially important in Europe, and more recently in Asia, where now, one-third of the annual crop of potatoes is harvested.

Potatoes can be prepared in many different ways, from extremely easy to rather difficult. One of the most basic forms is just a baked potato. Baked potatoes can be made in either the oven or microwave and go nicely with butter, sour cream, and cheese.

Leftover baked potatoes can also be easily remade into a different form. You can take the potatoes and cut them into thin slices. Then, take a pan and roast the potatoes on a stove and add salt and pepper to them.

Another easy form of potatoes is mashed potatoes. To start making mashed potatoes, one needs to boil potatoes with the skin peeled off until cooked all the way through. Then, simply add milk and butter and smash the potatoes together until they are smooth enough. A way to take a spice up from just regular mashed, is to roast a head of garlic in the oven for an hour and then add it to the potatoes to make garlic mashed potatoes.

Also, you can make healthier fries with potatoes at home. In order to do this, take a potato and cut into rectangular pieces. Then take a baking sheet, put a piece of foil on it and drizzle olive oil on the foil. After, putting the slices onto the sheet, sprinkle with a thicker salt than table salt, and bake in the oven until baked all the way though.

Potatoes are by far one of the most versatile foods in our world today.