Are 'Up To Date Potatoes' really worth the hype?
They say UTD potatoes are the way to a girl's heart. Is this true? Well, Carmen challenged the boys to whip up their best potato dish - and this is what went down.
Monday mornings are usually a blur of bad coffee and passive-aggressive emails, but this week, Carmen showed up to work armed with a 10kg bag of potatoes.
Not just any potatoes, though… these were Up-To-Date potatoes. According to her, these spuds are basically the Beyoncé of the potato world.
Some of us had never even heard of these mystical tubers. Apparently, they’re a thing in Durban. A big thing.
A “gravy-soaker” level of important thing.
What are UTD potatoes?
For those of us who aren’t fluent in Potato Culture, Up-To-Date (or UTD) potatoes are oval-shaped, slightly flattened spuds with light, off-white skin.
These potatoes were originally developed in Scotland (because of course, the Scots would perfect a potato).
They’ve since made their way to South Africa, Australia, Burma, and the hearts of Durbanites everywhere.
These bad boys are famous for two things: Making next-level mashed potatoes and soaking up gravy like a champion; hence the affectionate Durban nickname: gravy-soakers
Here’s where things got interesting. Carmen didn’t just bring potatoes for the vibe. Oh no. She came with a challenge.
She dared Darren, Sky, and WR to whip up their best potato dishes using these magic spuds.
Like a true Kitchen Drill Sergeant, she rationed out the potatoes to each contestant and opened up the challenge to see who can make the best Up-To-Date potatoes.
Here’s what went down:
Darren and Anna teamed up for their signature 'Bouef Bourguignon' (which sounds French but basically means ‘stew with a fancy accent’).
Carmen herself stayed loyal to the classics with a fiery 'Lamb Curry and Potato'. Obviously.
Sky and Clarise went old-school with 'Ouma’s Roast Potatoes'; a nostalgic, comforting dish that tastes like fluffy potato goodness.
WR pulled a wildcard move with 'Janika se Aartappeltert'; a creamy, cheesy, bake-up that had everyone questioning their life choices up until now.
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So… who won?
Well, according to absolutely nobody because we didn’t actually judge it, we’re all winners when UTD potatoes are involved.
However, those gravy-soakers lived up to the hype.
Based on the pics above, who's your winner?
If you loved this, check out what the team did with cookies.
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