What’s taters precious ?
“What’s taters, precious, eh, what’s taters?
In the Lord of the Rings : Two Towers a rather perplexed and confused Gollum asks the brave Samwise Gamgee what taters were.
‘Po — ta — toes,’ said Sam. ‘The Gaffer’s delight, and rare good ballast for an empty belly.”
86 days ago (on 14th February, 2026 ) I too found myself asking the same question. I had been selected as an intern for the Borlouge-Ruan Internship (amazing valentine’s gift though). The research centre where I was to do my internship ?
CIP : International Potato Center.
An organisation so amazing they not only seek to reduce poverty and achieve food security, but also work with NASA to grow potatoes on Mars!
Though I can say I am a bit better off now since that email came. Not as nervous and unsure. I read more about potatoes and biotechnology and the many stories both carry.
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Here are some fun facts you may like !
- There are over 4,000 edible varieties of potato, mostly found in the Andes of South America.
- Potato is the third most important food crop in the world after rice and wheat in terms of human consumption.
- There is a potato called the “Vivaldi Potato”. Wonder why ? It’s because it is resistant to several different potato viruses and other diseases, hence making it available to be planted across all “Four seasons” ( a reference to the composition by Antonio Vivaldi )
Still, with each passing day I realise how much more there is to learn, how many things I still have to find and discover. I don’t even know what I don’t know.
I wait patiently for Nairobi to enlighten me.
Here’s looking at you, Summer in Nairobi!
