Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew.
Chew 'em, swallow 'em, turn 'em into poo!
Gollum!
And you can make a cannon out of PVC pipe that can fire potatoes at lethal speeds into your enemies’ faces.
Or their genitals.
Hmm yes I suppose you could fire their genitals out of the cannon too.
Iirc, some nutritionist a while back did an experiment where they ate only potatoes for X number of days and proved that you can survive indefinitely off of only potatoes. You can also bury a piece of a potato and it willl grow into a potato plant. They’re basically an infinite food glitch.
potatoes are awesome but you can have a bad harvest
or a blight affecting all of your region’s potatoes.
AKA “the English”
I like how this comment has more upvotes than the starting one, a rare occasion
Or heavy metal in the soil.
If my memory serves it was over a year, and the only thing he needed was B12 tablets.
I only recall the guy that did it for 60 days but he had to eat 7-8 pounds of potatoes a day to hit minimum protein requirements. His health markers were also very misleading because he went into the experiment as an unhealthy person. His bloodwork showed improvement because he was only eating potatoes rather than junk. Potatoes don’t have fat, so you’re not getting any essential omegas and along with the B12, there is little to none of: A, D, E, K, B2, B7, selenium, calcium, zinc, and a couple essential aminos
Those deficiencies would lead to muscle wasting, loss of sight, hormone imbalances, weak bones, permanent nerve damage etc.
If you put someone who is in good health on a potato diet for a year, even with B12, they would likely be looking at multiple organ failure by the end of that year
Eggs, cheese, onions, and a bit of cooking oil really complete most of the missing nutrients. Rather cheaply as well
You’ll be missing at least 6 essentials with that list. The shortest list with potatoes to hit everything at sustainable levels is potatoes, sardines, eggs, and a leafy green.
So they’re like whippets
Dogs may be goobers but they aren’t spuds and not acceptable foodstuffs either way. Regardless of breed. You monster.
I believe potatoes and cheese ultimately provide all the nutrition the body actually requires for average daily modern life.
Like, you can actually be physically healthy and well by eating nothing else.
Mentally speaking the jury is still out regarding the health of a person who chooses to live on nothing but potatoes and cheese, but daily nutritional requirements are absolutely met.
Maybe I DO need to change my diet to potatoes and salted butter. Really makes ya think
I’m thinking about reasoning myself into a poutine diet, right now.
Poutine is the canadian thing with gravy and cheese,right? I really have to search for a recipe or something, because it sounds rather tasty tbh.
Be careful with that diet 😬
Pretty sure that’s due to masturbation. Its Victorianian morals that make it necessary to blame superfood for it.
I’m autistic sure, but I also like actual flavor. Potatoes and cheese aren’t the tastiest foods by themselves.
Man this comment has me craving some potato soup with cheese
Definitely need some multivitamins too though.
Even on mars!
A quick search brings up a couple people who have done this (Ireland notwithstanding). I remember this guy doing it, but there are others.
In your face, Neil Armstrong!
Wasn’t that experiment done on Mars, out of necessity, in a book?
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You really have to define what “only potatoes” means, because most potato dishes also have a bunch of other ingredients
Eggs are even more versatile though, both about 200 ways to cook and prepare them, but also about 2 million recipes that use them
Yeah… but where is the egg based alcohol?
Literally 4 different ones exist: Eggnog, Ajerkoniak, Rompope, Advocaat
(though none use fermented eggs, it’s a liqueur of spirit + egg + spice, that makes an alcoholic custard)
Also, egg white is often used in cocktails, whisked with simple syrup, to make a foam, such as in a Whisky Sour
In my fridge. I make some every year.
Eggnog?
is this ai
No clue. I found it with an image search
The same could be said about corn. It’s in fucking everything in some form or fashion.
Food and Drink
• Direct Foods: Sweet corn, popcorn, hominy, grits, cornmeal, corn flour, and tortilla chips. • Sweeteners: High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), corn syrup, dextrose, and maltose found in sodas, candies, and baked goods. • Additives and Thickeners: Cornstarch, maltodextrin, xanthan gum, citric acid, and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) used in sauces, gravies, and processed foods. • Beverages: Beer, whiskey, and soft drinks.
Animal Feed and Agriculture
• Livestock Diet: The majority of grain corn grown in the U.S. is fed to cattle, pigs, poultry, and dairy cows, producing the meat, milk, and eggs we consume.
Fuel and Industrial Products
• Ethanol: Renewable fuel blended into gasoline. • Bioplastics: Biodegradable PLA (polylactic acid) used in cups, food containers, and packaging. • Adhesives & Household Goods: Glues (like Elmer’s), envelope gum, drywall mold inhibitors (made with cornstarch), hand soap, and laundry detergents
Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics, and Everyday Items
• Medicines and Vitamins: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, aspirin binders, and glucose/dextrose used in IV solutions. • Personal Care: Toothpaste, diapers, baby powder, shampoo (citric acid), and cosmetics. • Miscellaneous: Chewing gum (sorbitol/xylitol), crayons, matchsticks, fireworks (as a binder), and toilet paper.
Ethanol: Renewable fuel blended into gasoline.
When I was living in Nebraska for a few years, I was surprised to find that Super Unleaded gasoline was always cheaper at the pump than regular Unleaded.
Turns out, since Nebraska’s largest export is corn and corn products, they end up with tons of ethanol byproduct left over. So Super Unleaded, which has more ethanol than regular, is cheaper so they can get rid of it all. Supply and demand.
I’m sorry you had to live in Nebraska for a few years.
A lot of that has to do with decades of US government subsidies.
Bamboo is crazy - you can eat it, make floors out of it, make clothing out of it, bowls and plates. And apparently beer as well. I don’t want it anywhere near my house because one of the reasons it’s so useful is its ultra rapid growth rate. But it is amazing.
its invasive because it grows fast.
It’s not as hard as you think to get rid of. It does take 3 seasons though, so it’s a long process…
You basically just have to starve the rhizome and you can do it without chemicals even. You wait until the shoots start developing leaves and cut them all down, then just keep repeating that process. If your lucky the rhizome will start rotting by year 2, but it generally takes 3 years. You need to ensure it spends as much energy as possible shooting and don’t let it get any sunlight from leaves.
My favorite is breakfast potatoes. Or at least that’s what I call it. Other people usually call it vodka.
well, you did put some orange juice in?? that counts.
*fist bump*
Beeakfast potatoes are great. Roasted potatoes with eggs, ham, cheese, and salsa or taco sauce. Mighty tasty breakfast.
Soy is also super versatile with soy sauce, tofu, miso, edamame, tempeh, soy milk, Natto, soybean oil, etc.
Though soy sensitivity/allergies are a lot more common
true, i only get a reaction from it when i have a flareup of chelitis, caused by another allergen, so its not direct cause per ce.
Ice cream! And it was not made from soy milk.
It can also power a flashlight!
If you think potatoes are versatile wait till you hear about corn!
Came here just to say corn.
But what you said makes even more sense.
Rice is pretty versatile too. It’s just that western countries only use rice as an alternative to mashed potatoes with meat. That’s basically the only purpose for rice in the west. Doesn’t have to though. Just check what they’re doing with rice in Japan.
Most of the southeast of the US would like a word. It was a cash crop down there for a long time, no thanks to slavery of course but true nonetheless. Most notable in Cajun cooking especially nowdays, but there are a lot of traditional rice based dishes in the Carolinas and other southeastern states. I eat hoppin john on new years for the black eyed peas good luck :)
What I meant to say is that rice tends to keep its form in the West. It’s cooked and mixed with a variety of different things. What you see on the plate can immediately be identified as rice.
Asian countries get very creative by turning it into flour or paste and using that like any other ingredient. Just like butter, sugar, or salt could be encountered anywhere, rice can hide just about anywhere. You would never know unless you made that food.
I like rice
can you give some examples?
Mochi: Japanese. The steamed rice is pounded into paste and molded into the desired shape. Also Koreans do something similar.
Rice noodles: Uncooked rice is ground into flour and then rebuilt into a new shape.
Rice paper: Vietnamese thing. Same idea, different shape.
Puffed rice: Popular in many countries.
Rice crackers: East Asian, cooked rice flour
Arròs negre: Spanish thing, squid ink + rice
Nian gao: Chinese new year cakes
Arancini: Italian rice balls
Appam: South Indian pancakes
Jiuniang: Chinese fermented sweet soup
There are also many alcoholic beverages made of rice.See also: OMG, there are so many
Don’t forget about Risotto! Saffron risotto, etc etc
Yes, there are European rice meals too. Most of them keep the original shape of rice and serve it all the usual foods. Risotto is no exception. It’s just a slight variation to the familiar theme. The foods I put on that list are highly unusual by western standards as the food doesn’t actively remind you of its origin.
Rice wine and vinegar.
i like rice noodles.
Shout out also to tteokbokki.
That’s a good example. Doesn’t look anything like rice.
It’s from India, not Japan, but biryani is amazing.
looks like just rice but with stuff added to me
maybe I don’t understand rice
I mean… yeah. What are you expecting?
I dunno man
I’m in a thread where potatoes are praised for their versatility
someone says rice is too
and then it’s all just rice with something added to it
I mean, you have to add to potatoes too if you want to get real flavor out of them. That versatility means little without salt and pepper. Frying can help but you can fry rice too.
Sake is fermented rice wine, as smooth as a good vodka in my opinion.
One of my favorite rice based dishes is a rice and coconut pancake from south India called appam. Paired with the right curry it’s the perfect balance of savory with just a touch of sweetness.
Staples are staples for a reason. They’re all incredibly versatile.
- Rice noodles
- Rice wine
- Rice Pudding
- Rice flour
- Rice starch
- Rice paper (
eggspring roll wrappers) - rice vinegar
Horchata
rice porridge when you are sick, and cant handle solids.
Sugar Smacks
Honey Smacks (formerly known as Sugar Smacks, known simply as Smacks in some international markets) is a sweetened puffed wheat breakfast cereal.
It’s Japan, so probably some wild kinky shit.
Rice paper?
“The west” is litterally the greatest Global Village in the world with a bit of everyone from everywhere. Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian restaurants abound, and it doesn’t stop there. Let’s not gatekeep rice like it’s some strange mystery.
Sure but we also should not exaggerate the inclusivity of “the West” The availability of international restaurants has little influence on what people outside of diaspora groups are making in their kitchen. Consumption is one thing but when it comes to household cooking a lot of the perception of rice here is limited to risotto at best and Uncle Ben’s at worst. That’s not even getting into the fact that a lot of the cuisines you listed were looked down upon in the West until as recently as thirty years ago (and some still are).
I can’t relate to this at all. Sure, its annecdotal, but in Toronto, our restaurant diversity is second to none. My neighbourhoods grocers, in addition to the Canadian staple oligopolies, also has an abundance of smaller ethnic grocers within walking distance of my house. Chinese, Indian, African, Middle-Eastern etc.
As a white dude, I literally shop the world and cook the world using imported products and ingredients. Though I admit, we are lucky to be at the forefront of this globally.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/18/travel/toronto-ethnic-food.html
https://www.blogto.com/eat_drink/2026/09/torontos-food-shoutout-new-york-times/
We’re spoiled here. Unlike say, the US where immigrant communities Americanize ethnic foods to cater to the local palate, our food scene is by expats, for expats and everyone else is welcome to join them. Dishes are as authentic as they can be right down to regional variations. E.g. Gudjarati Vegetarian, Hyderabad biryani, Chettinad cuisine, Cantonese, vs Taiwanese vs Hakka, Japanese or Korean and pretty much everywhere else.
I’ll admit you have a point but only in that when travelling, “The West” is not a monolith., Most of Europe is quite a bit behind us in this regard; France, Germany and Poland, Portugal etc. They have such excellent local cuisines, authentic ethnic is limited to enclaves and has a slight homoginization with local traditions. A special shoutout to the UK who have reliably great Indian and Carribean cuisine even way outside of London. Then the US is generally a disaster as almost everything is Americanized and authenticity is murdered.
Its a broad generalization with exceptions of course, but as a Canadian, especially from Toronto, your characterizations sound silly from my perspective.
Yes I have lived and dined in Toronto. I remember Ossington street very fondly. But I consider these to be exceptions as you have rightfully acknowledged as anecdotal. You have a decent chance of getting authentic international cuisine in cities like NYC, Toronto and London but this is not where most Westerners live. Most Westerners live where they’re in some way getting a watered down version of international cuisine.
I’ve lived in smaller Canadian and American cities also. You’ll be fine if you’re ok with pizza, burgers (nothing wrong with that) and Americanized Chinese/Mexican of significantly variable quality. Once you go outside of those bounds it’s an adventure and often not a pleasant one.
We will have to disagree. NYC is interesting, but little is authentic. I traveled frequently for business.
As for Canada, it has spread to most cities over the last 20 years. You can get great Indian and Chinese in North Bay, Kingston, London, Windsor, Surrey, Burnaby, Winnipeg, Prince George and Beyond. Nothing like the GTA and Vancouver, but miles ahead of anywhere else. The UK is in second place with diverse authentic options in and more importantly outside of London.
None of this is to pick a fight exactly, just to say “Westerners don’t get rice” doesn’t resonate. Replace westerners with Americans and I won’t argue.
It’s available, but generally speaking people don’t even realize what it could be used for. Many westerners have actually eaten rice in a variety forms because of the reasons you mentioned.
When you eat at an Indian restaurant, you’ll just eat the strange little cakes without realizing that they’re actually made of rice. That’s not what people think when they hear the word rice.
I married a Filipina. Rice is in the cooker 24/7.
And does it end up on a plate as plain rice?
Yep! Mostly.
Now I’m curious about the rare occasions when that doesn’t happen. Do you make rice noodles, rice cakes or something else?
She rarely mixes rice into other dishes, but it’s almost always a side dish.
Don’t forget Lembas Chips
Milk is pretty amazing, animals turn something that we can’t eat and we turn it into cheese and if you it put on a pizza it gets turned back into a vegetable
and unlike pretty much every other food, you let mold grow on it and it gets even tastier (and healthier too, apparently the mold is great for gut microbes)
for cheese but they use specific bacteria, i wouldnt trust mold/bacteria on bread or veggies, different species of fungi can produce nasty toxins, some are pretty deadly.
Lactase Persistence though only is 10% of all the population of the world
A high number of cheese types can be eaten by people with lactose intolerance because the process of creating cheese reduces lactose a lot or even completely.
wut
I can consume milk no issue. Yes, I’m northern European descendant so it’s what it is.
