Great Famine Spud Returns!

With St. Patrick's Day just a week away I thought this an interesting time to share some news I learned about the Lumper.  Hmmm, it's not ringing a bell?  Well, the Irish Lumper was the potato species behind the Great Hunger.  And the Lumper is in the news again! Thankfully, the news is not dreadful.  On the contrary, the Lumper is making a comeback after 170 years!

The Irish Lumper was known for it nutritional value.  It was introduced to Ireland in the early 19th century, and, as you all know, met a dire fate with the onset of the blight that wiped out the Lumpers in the 1840s.  A farmer decided to try to bring back the Lumper five years ago.  Last summer Michael McKillop of Glens of Antrim Potatoes took the Lumper to the Delicious Ireland consumer show and was amazed by the positive reception it recieved.

The Irish Famine was one of the worst environmental/agricultural disasters in history.  Who could imagine that the Lumper would ever be found on tables again?

Read more about the Iris Famine in Susan Campbell Bartoletti's book, Black Potatoes.  And keep an eye out for the Lumper  -- you might find it at a grocery store soon.