By Jessica Domel

Taters. Spuds. No matter what you call them, millions around the world eat them every day.

These starchy tubers can be cut into French fries, sliced into potato chips and, if I’m lucky, smashed into my aunt’s potato salad.
I’m celebrating all things potato this week. Here’s five fun facts about Texas taters:

1) Not all taters are created equal. Some are perfect potato chip makers. Others are better suited for baking.

2) No seeds needed. Potato plants will grow from chunks of potatoes harvested in a previous year as long as they’re preserved and untreated.

3) They’ll have you seeing green. If left exposed, potatoes will turn green in the sunlight.

4) Potatoes bloom! Their flowers can be white, pink, red, blue or even purple—depending on the variety.

5) All air? If it seems like you’re not getting enough chips in your bag, the potatoes may be to blame. Chip bags are filled by weight. Denser potatoes take up more room in bags than lighter chips, causing some bags to feel emptier than others.

Hundreds of thousands of potatoes are grown and harvested each year by farms like Black Gold Farms in Pearsall. They’re transported to grocers, packing plants and chip makers the same day they’re harvested to ensure optimum freshness for consumers.

YUM!