The potato is the term which applies either to the starchy tuberous crop from the perennial plant Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, or to the plant itself. They are the world's most widely grown tuber crop, and the fourth largest food crop in terms of fresh produce — after rice, wheat, and maize ('corn'). Potatoes originated in the area of modern day Peru[1] and then spread from South America to Spain and from there to the rest of the world after European colonization in the late 1400s and early 1500s. In the Southern Bolivian town of San Andreas, as many as 300 varieties may be showcased at the town's annual potato festival.

They soon became an important food staple and field crop. For instance, the potato was a staple food for sailors in Spanish ships. After the wreck of the Spanish Armada in 1588, Irish coastal villagers rescued potatoes and planted them. In 1845, a fungal disease, Phytophthora infestans, also known as late blight, spread rapidly through the poorer communities of western Ireland, resulting in the Great Irish Famine. Unfortunately the local population had come to rely heavily on the potato and when crops failed, year after year, huge numbers of people died. Others emigrated, largely to the United States, blaming the British government for the situation. The potato is also strongly associated with Idaho, Maine, North Dakota, Prince Edward Island, Ireland, Jersey and Russia because of its large role in the agricultural economy and history of these regions.