Author: Pixie Tan

Tato-tato, potato! Pan-fried potatoes, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes – we just can’t get enough of them! And apparently, so can’t the world. Did you know the French have been munching on blended cheese with mashed potatoes all this while? Or that the Koreans have a delicious spicy soup served with potatoes, ribs, and vegetables mixed in?

Dig into the best potato dishes around the world here!

1. Aligot

Image credit: Tastemade

Aligot is pureed potato dish with generous helpings of cheese, cream, and butter mixed into it. Typically served in the Aubrac region of France, it’s so thick and creamy that it’s often compared to fondue.

2. Riivinkropsu

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A traditional Finnish dish, Riivinkropsu is essentially a kind of potato casserole. The bare essentials needed for this dish would be milk, eggs, and butter, which are all mixed with grated potatoes and baked. However, other ingredients such as mushrooms and garlic are sometimes included in the dish as well.

3. Poutine

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Ah, the classic Canadian Poutine. Golden french fries, covered with cheese curds and beef gravy. Yummy! Did you know that, despite the amazing taste of this simple dish, it was actually once used as a way to stigmatise citizens of Quebec, but has since become a celebrated dish. Poutine has even inspired other dishes, such as sandwiches, dumplings and soups.

4. Potato Croquette

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Croquettes have been adopted into so many different cultures that it could almost be considered an international cuisine. The original recipe for making croquettes came from a French chef named Monsieur Escoffier, and was originally stuffed with beef, but have since been stuffed with many different types of ingredients, including… you guessed it, potatoes.

5. Aloo Gobi

Image credit: Veg Recipes of India

A popular Indian dish, aloo gobi consists of potatoes, cauliflower and tumeric. Other ingredients are often added into the dish as well, such as onions and tomatoes. India offers many other dishes that use potatoes as their main ingredient, such as Sag-Aloo and aloo-gosht. (Aloo means potato)

6. Chorrillana Fries

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Somewhat similar to poutine, Chorrillana fries is a Chilean dish that consists of french fries, but is different in the sense that it is topped with slices of beef, caramelised onions and some fried eggs. There are many variations of the dish, including adding sausages, tomatoes, and even bananas!

7. Bryndzové halušky

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Directly translated into English, Bryndzové halušky means potato dumplings with sheep cheese. Small pieces of grated potatoes are mixed with flour and boiled into dumplings, which are later topped with bryndza cheese, and occasionally fried bacon cubes. Fun fact, this is one of Slovakia’s national dishes!

8. Chuño

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Freeze-dried potatoes? During the 13th century, Chuño was invented by leaving potatoes out in the freezing temperatures of the nights at southern Peruvian highlands, and then exposed to intense heat from the sun the next day. These potatoes were consumed by Inca soldiers on marches due to its nutritional properties and portability,and are still eaten today by Peruvians in dishes such as Chairo and Bolivian soups.

9. Duchess Potatoes

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Ooh la la, what a fancy name– and it looks amazing! A classic item in French cuisine, duchess potatoes are essentially dollops of mashed potatoes, butter and egg yolk that is popped into the oven and baked. Before baking, don’t forget to use star-pointed piping bags to give this delicacy its signature unique shape!

10. Gamjatang

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Are you a fan of Korean food and potatoes? You’ll love Gamjatang then! A spicy soup that’s comprised of potatoes, pork ribs, and various kinds of vegetables, this dish is very popular in Incheon, but also simple enough to be made at home.

11. Halal Snack Pack

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The halal snack pack goes by many names all over the world, including ‘kosher snack pack’, meltdown, and ‘mixed plate’ in Australia, ‘kebabtallrik’ in Sweden, and ‘gyro chips’ in the United States. Made up of halal-certified kebab meat and fries, it is often topped with lots of sauce, be it barbeque, ketchup, chilli, mayonnaise, or all of those sauces. Jalepeno peppers, youghurt, and hummus are added according to the diner’s taste.

12. Raclette

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Have you ever seen cheese melting in front of your eyes? Well, if you get Raclette in a Swiss restaurant, you will! Traditionally eaten as a meal for mountain-dwellers, the cheese would be heated up at a campfire and scraped onto bread. Nowadays however, raclette is often served with a side of potatoes, and often enjoyed with a cup of tea.

13. Stegt flæsk

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Here’s Denmark’s official national dish! Potatoes served with fried pork belly, topped by a white sauce and sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley, this dish has not only won the hearts of the citizens in Denmark, but was also sung about by various Danish artists.

14. Tater tots

Image credit: Pillsbury

Who hasn’t heard of tater tots? Well, if you don’t know them, maybe you’ll know them by another one of this dish’s many names– ‘tasti taters’ in Canada, ‘potato gems’ in New Zealand and Australia respectively. A famous side dish in the US, tater tots are simply grated potatoes deep fried to a golden brown colour.

15. Brændende kærlighed

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Another delicacy from Denmark, Brændende kærlighed is literally translated to burning love– which probably says more about the reception of the meal than the meal itself. Popular due to its simplicity, Brændende kærlighed is made up of mashed potatoes, topped with bacon and onions, and occasionally served with pickled beetroot.

16. Colcannon

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If mashed potato and gravy is too bland for your tastes, maybe you’d like to try colcannon, or also known as Irish mashed potatoes. Instead of boring old mash, colcannon mixes in a special ingredient– kale, or cabbage. Being a traditional Irish recipe, this is often served up as a dish during St Patrick’s Day.

17. Pierogi

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The origins of this dish is a bit muddled. Some say it’s from Poland, but others say it came from China. Either way, we can all agree that these potato dumplings are amazing. Typically filled with cheese and potatoes, these dumplings are fried and sometimes consumed with sour cream or browned butter.

18. Tortilla Espanola

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Egg, potatoes, onions, and ta-da! It may sound very simple, but it boy does this dish pack a flavour punch. Unlike many other delicacies, the tortilla Espanola is usually served at room temperature, adding to the uniqueness of this tapas.

19. Clapshot

Image credit: londoneats

Last but not least, clapshot. This Scottish dish consists of potatoes (of course), onions, and turnips. It’s essentially the Scots’ version of mashed potato, and gives a special twist to the stereotypical mashed potato.

Well, now that you’ve been around the world in 19 potato dishes, which one do you think will taste the best? If you think we’ve missed any of your favourite dishes, do tell us in the comments and we promise to check it out!