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For the love of potatoes!

December 14, 2023, 11:00 a.m. (EST)

Claim your seat at the table, because we’re about to dig in and indulge in a feast of one of the country’s most versatile vegetables: potatoes!

As the holiday season is upon us, it’s a safe bet that potatoes will be on the table. From scalloped potatoes to Shepherd’s pie, the potato in all its forms is a part of our traditions.

Did you know that there are nearly 400 varieties of seed potatoes registered in Canada? With so many to choose from, we can’t pick our favourite potato, can you?

One thing is for sure: in Canada, we know how to enjoy our fair share of chips and French fries.

But we don’t stop at just plain French fries; add a few cheese curds and a little gravy and you have the perfect mix of the quintessential Canadian cuisine—poutine! This dish has become known around the world as a Canadian staple, tracing its roots back to the province of Quebec. 

This holiday season, we’ll be trying out a new spin on this Canadian classic: the leftovers poutine. French fries topped with turkey, stuffing, cheese curds and a heap of gravy. This one is made for the true poutine fanatics, looking for a creative way to finish off those holiday leftovers.

In 2023, Canadian farmers planted 395,389 acres of spuds (up 2.7% from 2022), and over one-fifth (21.4%) of that acreage was in Prince Edward Island. A whopping 128.1 million pounds of Canadian potatoes were produced from 385,368 harvested acres of land. From the east coast to the west coast, we are lucky to have such a bountiful harvest of potatoes in Canada!

Mashed, baked, or air-fried, potatoes take centre stage in some of our favourite dishes. Whichever way you choose to enjoy them, we wish you a potato-filled, happy holiday season!

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Contact information

For more information, contact the Statistical Information Service (toll-free 1-800-263-1136514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).