AN RTÉ DOCUMENTARY airing tonight will aim to find out just how a potato becomes King of the Spuds.
The latest edition of Gliondar investigates An Spud-Off Mór or The Great Spud-Off, a very different kind of competition that’s been on the go for the last four summers on the Dingle peninsula in Kerry.
In this contest locals battle it out to try to win the proud title of “King of the Spuds” (or “Rí an Phráta”). The brain child of Aengus Murphy, the only competition requirement is that you have grown the potato yourself and that you’re living in one of the nine eligible parishes around the Dingle area.
Judging is taken seriously, with marks given for the spud’s appearance, texture, taste and overall satisfaction as can be seen in this clip.
(RTÉ/YouTube)
The competition has grown in size each year and last year it was part of a wider Féile an Phráta (Festival of the Potato). The Spud-Off competition itself took place over the course of three days in June.
Competitors’ potatoes were boiled, peeled, sniffed, buttered and blind tasted in preliminary parish competitions. The winner from each went forward to represent their parish at the grand finale. The programme goes inside the battle to claim the crown of best potato in Kerry.
A number of locals, with potato growing pedigree going back generations are profiled in the show.
Gliondar: Spud-Off, is broadcast at 7.30pm on RTÉ One.
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