Potato

The bulba is the heart of Belarusian cooking – grated into draniki, babka and kalduny – and Belarusians are jokingly called “bulbashi”.

The potato is a perennial of the nightshade family, grown as an annual for its tubers – swollen underground shoots rich in starch. It has pinnate leaves with an odd terminal leaflet and white, pink or purple flowers, followed by green, poisonous berries. Domesticated in the Andes, it reached Europe in the 16th century and became widespread in what is now Belarus in the 18th and 19th centuries. The tubers are a source of starch, vitamin C and potassium, and are processed industrially into starch, spirits and animal feed.

Significance in the country

Belarus has one of the highest per-capita potato consumption rates in the world, and draniki – grated potato pancakes served with sour cream – are regarded as the national dish. Potato babka, kalduny and “bulba” stewed with mushrooms and pork cracklings are also popular.

Where it grows

Grown throughout the country – both on large farms and in household plots, which supply a significant share of the harvest.

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