The Potato (Modern Marvels)
Modern Marvels
It is among the most versatile, nutritious, and varied foodstuffs in the world. The potato is the ultimate comfort food. We'll travel from the potato's mysterious origins in the South American Andes to the ethnic enclaves of New York's lower east side for some tasty potato knishes. In northern Maine we'll discover a farmer of exotic potatoes: blue, green, pink, and dark purple varieties. We'll reveal how large-scale potato producers in Idaho and Pennsylvania slice, dice, freeze, and dehydrate millions of pounds of spuds annually. We'll learn how to mass-produce Tater Tots and kettle potato chips. Potato vodka now scores near perfection in international tasting competitions--and we'll visit a Maine distillery at the top of their game. Finally, we'll pay tribute to the iconic Mr. Potato Head, and then round out the show with an explosive visit to the makers of some of the world's most sophisticated spud guns. Distributed by A&E Television Networks. (48 minutes)