Irish Potatoes

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Irish Potatoes (Swahili : viazi)

***** Location: Kenya
***** Season: Cold dry season
***** Category: Plant

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Explanation

Irish potatoes are abundantly available in the cold dry season.
However, in Nairobi, we still have them in smaller quantities during the other seasons as well, since all fresh farm produce is brought to the huge Marikiti Market for sale all year round. In some rural areas, like Rift Valley or Western, Irish potatoes are only available during the cold dry season, i.e. May to August.

Patrick Wafula

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The potato was first introduced into Kenya by Irish missionaries, for whom this was the staple food -- hence the common name "Irish potato".
They grow well in the highlands of Kenya and have become part of the staple diet of the highlands people, such as Kikuyus and their neighbours. Potatoes are not normally eaten on their own, but mixed into vegetable dishes (together with cabbage and carrots) as well as into githeri. As climate change takes hold of Kenya and drought periods lengthen, Kenya's favourite staple, maize, is partially being replaced with potatoes, which seem to be more drought resistant.

Kenya also has many native starchy root crops, among them the sweet potato (Kikuyu : ngacî).
Isabelle Prondzynski


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Worldwide use

Japan

. Potato (jagaimo) 　


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Things found on the way



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HAIKU

Irish potatoes
peeping from an overstuffed sack --
a sweating cart man

Patrick Wafula


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another dawn --
his back curves under
a potato sack

Catherine Njeri Maina



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Related words

***** Sweet potatoes (satsumaimo, Satsuma imo ) Japan


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