Archaeological and genetic evidence together indicate that all potatoes originated from South America--including sweet potatoes, Idaho potatoes and even these lovely purple Vitelottes.
Vitelotte Potatoes: unpeeled on the left, peeled on the right. Photo by Stephane8888
Potatoes were first domesticated in the Andean highlands of Peru or Bolivia more than 10,000 years ago, and they were introduced to the rest of the world by the Spanish explorers and colonizers. Although not all of today's varieties are as vividly colored as the Vitelotte, all are members of the Solanum family, along with tomatoes, eggplants and chili peppers.
Read More about Potato History and its Solanum Relatives
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