TRY THE WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE POTATO

Us mere mortals are used to expensive food, like caviar, being completely out of our reach. But, the humble potato has made it to onto our shopping list every month. We really hope things aren’t about to change.

On a tiny French island called Noirmoutier, there’s a rare potato referred to as the king of potatoes.

The island is located off the French coast in the Atlantic Ocean, and the potato in question is only available on the island.

So, what makes this potato so very special? According to one of the island’s potato farmers, the answer lies in the soil. The soil is very sandy (uhm, no comments from our side just yet) and during autumn, they mix seaweed into the soil to modify it and help to potato to grow (OK, that’s worth commenting on – wow!).

A lot of the islanders are employed by the company responsible for planting, farming, washing, packing and exporting the expensive potatoes to the rest of Europe.

Because the potato is so fragile, it can only be harvested by hand. The entire harvest season is two weeks long and they’re only edible for a maximum of 10 days after they’ve been harvested.

Because of the labour intensive process as well as the soil preparation, Noirmoutier’s potatoes are the most expensive in the entire world. They’re especially popular in fancy restaurants across France.

The islanders love the king of potatoes so much that they hold an annual festival around harvest time.

Watch the A Great Big Story video below to see how the world’s most expensive potato is celebrated.

Image credit: The Guardian