"Space Potatoes" Are Big Valentine's Day Hit In China
a fresh new take on an old staple: the potato. The latest culinary fad is called the Purple Orchid Three potato, which due to a mutation while aboard a space mission, turned the vegetables purple in color and slightly sweet in taste.
Haikou Purple Orchid Co. Ltd., which grows the potatoes from seeds altered during an October 2005 voyage on the Shenzhou VI manned spacecraft, is offering the unique food items as a special Valentine's Day promotion. Purple is considered by the Chinese to signify romance and nobility, and the purple colored potatoes have been widely popular so far.
The potatoes, which are chewier and thicker than traditional potatoes, are served crispy fried, and have garnished salads, desserts, and even iced drinks.
According to the report, restaurants in China have gone through hundreds of pounds of the potatoes since the start of the Valentine's Day promotion.
