La Bonnotte - the world's most expensive potato

Think of the most expensive foods in the world. You might think of White truffles, Saffron, maybe Kobe beef from Japan.

But would you ever think: potatoes? Of course not.

Believe it or not, the La Bonnotte potato variety is one of the most expensive foods in the world. Dubbed as the King of the potato, a single kilogram could cost you as much as USD 700. This may seem preposterous, but it’s a potato fact.

The La Bonnotte potato variety can only be grown on the Isle Noirmoutier, an island off the west coast of France. Annual production is in the region of just 3,800-4,500 tons. Small chips in the world of potatoes. But still, why so expensive?

The tubers of this potato variety are so fragile they must be planted and harvested by hand. During the growing season, these plants are also traditionally fertilized from algae and seaweed hand picked from the shores of the island, a practice which gives La Bonnotte potatoes a distinctive salty taste.

Potatoes are planted in February each year and harvested in May. Everything must be done by hand uniformly or simultaneously, from planting, to fertilizing, and finally to harvest.

Delivery of the potatoes to market should also be done on the same day throughout the world. This is to maintain both the integrity and freshness of the potato and ensure a uniform taste when eaten throughout the world.

For me, the standard white potatoes I get from my local store are good enough, but if you're fortunate enough to earn enough money that all sense and perspective fly out of the window, then this potato is right up your alley.

They probably make a really nice mash.