March | April 2022
1. Executive Foreword
The rustling falling of leaves, sparkly raindrops, and falling temperatures reassure us that Autumn is upon us. As nature prepares to hibernate and consciousness levels awake to new heights, I am drawn to the realisation of potatoes as comfort food. < The taste, versatility and convenience of potatoes – along with their health attributes – reinforce the reasons why they are South Africa’s favourite veggies. From the hearty warmth of potato soups, spicy mash to cost-effective potato dishes; potatoes show up and claim the season while standing up to fight food insecurity.
This newsletter edition presents members of the Potato Nation with front-row seats into what has been happening in the spudtacular kingdom. Join in as we give you a glimpse into the Potato Industry Forum 2022 and take you along to a potato planting trial in rural Limpopo, an event spearheaded by Potatoes SA’s Transformation initiatives. We link up with a New York based accomplished food journalist and bring it home with our local informal-trader feature showcasing a business deeply rooted in potatoes. Your presence here is truly appreciated – and we hope to connect with you even more on our social media platforms.
Hanrie Greebe,
Potatoes SA: Communications Manager
2. Letter from the Editor
An elderly woman instinctively reached out her hand to prop me up before I could fall. While concentrating on taking photos of the potato planting lessons presented by Potatoes SA’s Transformation Department at Lovely Farm, in rural Limpopo, I tripped over the heaped plantation ridges. Yet, before I could fall to the ground, elderly women of the community sustained me. – And that, right there, captures the heart of potatoes – and this incredible Potato Nation that I get to call my family.
Potatoes – like Potato Nation – are deemed “humble spuds” yet blend in with other vegetables and ingredients to bring the very best out of the plate, for the enrichment of all. As the cold rises, we see the breaking of silos and showcase the outstanding work of others in our kingdom, who are an integral part of the value chain. We celebrate international foodies and unknown local informal traders alike because we know that together, we are.
Let us raise our spuds to salute Immaculate Zinde, Potatoes SA’s former Marketing & Produce Promotion Manager – and welcome Hanrie Greebe, Potatoes SA’s Communication Manager into our newsletter. There is always place at the table for one more. One more heart to forge meaningful connections. One more serving. One more person. One more potato. – Be that one.
Your spud,
Phindiwe Nkosi
Potatoes SA: Marketing Specialist
3. Foodie Feature
Exclusive: Face-to-face with renowned NY-based food journalist, Aly Walansky
While Potato Nation goes all out to promote the taste, versatility, and convenience of South African potatoes – that are always fresh, and always in season – the innate passion and connection of potato lovers surpasses geographical divides. In this exclusive interview, Potato Nation connects with New York-based travel and food journalist, Aly Walansky.
She is a seasoned contributor who has contributed to Forbes, Today.com, AllRecipes, Food Network, INSIDER, Her Money, Orbitz, EatThis.com, theKitchn.com, Clean Plates, Men's Journal, Tasting Table, The Spruce, Vegetarian Times, and many more! We find out about her favourite potato dish, winter comfort food tips and what makes her tick.
Potato Nation (PN): What is your favourite potato dish – and why?
Aly Walansky (AW): I LOVE super rich and creamy garlic mashed potatoes. It's so good with steak or fried chicken or even a nice piece of grilled fish. I mean obviously I love a great order of fries, but there's nothing like a good mash.
PN: What do people not know about you?
AW: I hate sour cream. So, if I eat a baked potato, it's butter all the way.
PN: With winter approaching, do you have any comfort food tips?
AW: Use your slow cooker! It's a great way to make big hearty meals that you can batch out and freeze for the week.
PN: How can our Potato Nation community get in touch with you?
AW: Follow me on Instagram – I’m always cooking 😉
For 500+ exciting potato-infused recipes and more featured celebrity potato-lovers from all over the world, sign up to Potato Nation’s newsletter. We regularly run competitions and also have ample potato nutritional fun-facts online. Let’s connect for one more potato!
4. NEW! Kota-to-Fine Food Feature
NEW! Kota-to-fine food feature
Kota. Sphathlo. Bunny chow. – One popular dish in Mzansi is called by many names and most loved, wherever it is prepared. In as much as our foodies have created various breakfast kotas and many others – Potato Nation caught up Rounah Bogopa (39), whose family business of kotas in Mamelodi has been going strong since 2009.
The kota family business is managed by Rounah’s mom, Lovely Sheila Bogopa (59). According to Rouna, a kota is not a kota without slap chips. At the very basic of this kasi favourite, lies potato chips and atchar – and this can be topped up with an egg, cheese, Russians, palony and more. Her kotas range from R12 to R25 – and were praised for offering a traditional classic potato-infused street food at an affordable price.
To make sure that they never run out of kotas, they predominantly stock up their potatoes at a local informal trader who sells 10kg bags of potatoes by the side of the road. “Potato informal traders empower other informal traders like my mom. We are all interconnected – and through them, we can empower ourselves and better our lives,” concludes Rounah Bogopa.
5. Information Day: Limpopo Potato Planting
“Potatoes SA believes that if you have a patch of potatoes in your backyard, you will never grow hungry. While our main goal is to help potato farmers to become commercial, we are also serious about doing our part to show that potatoes can advocate for food security. That’s why we are here, to show you how to plant potatoes with what you have at home,” said Nomvula Xaba, Transformation Manager at Potatoes SA, to a captivated audience at Lovely-Farm, Limpopo – during the live potato trial demonstrating the planting of potatoes on 24 March 2022.
Cooked with their skin on*:
- Potatoes* are high in carbohydrates, are naturally free of fat and naturally very low in sodium
- Potatoes* are high in the mineral chromium
- Potatoes* have the highest level of potassium when compared to other vegetables and starchy foods
- Potatoes* are versatile and can be cooked in a number of ways. The best way to cook a potato is cooked/boiled/baked with the skin on, and served with low-fat, low-sugar fillings. One can also roast them lightly covered in oil.
6. Potato Industry Forum (PIF) 2022
You asked and we listened! We’re inundated with queries from spud lovers asking us to showcase a few faces behind our spudnificant royal family. One such event shows the unity and relentless strides of the potato industry that is hard at work 24/7.
Potato Nation was present at the Potato Industry Forum (PIF) 2022 held on 26 April 2022 at Woodhill Country Estate in Pretoria. The event, which was hosted by Potatoes SA, was also LIVE streamed on social media and the website. It was well attended in person (and online) by various captains of industry, media and other role players.
Among the highlights of this interactive event was a panel discussion titled: "In order to remain sustainable and relevant, how can the agricultural industry participate in the clarification of government policies/master plans / action plans / blended financing." It is events such as these, that facilitate the meeting of leading minds behind the scenes so as to connect farmers to consumers, and make sure that Mzansi always has a fresh serving of South Africa's favourite vegetable.
7. Featured Recipes
We look forward to staying in touch with you and hope that you will continue to connect with us on our website, via email and on social media.