Ozette potato facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Potato 'Ozette'
'Ozette' potato tubers
Species	Solanum tuberosum
Cultivar	'Ozette'
Origin	Washington, USA

The Ozette potato, sometimes called Makah Ozette or Anna Cheeka's Ozette, is a very old type of potato grown in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. It's a small, long, and thin potato, known as a "fingerling." For over 200 years, the Makah tribe, who live in Washington, grew this special potato. It was "found again" by others in the late 1980s. The name "Ozette" comes from one of the original villages of the Makah tribe.

What Does the Ozette Potato Look Like?

The Ozette potato has a unique look. Its tubers (the part we eat) are usually between 3 and 7 inches long. They have an uneven, stretched-out, and slightly bumpy shape.

The skin of the Ozette potato is thin and tan-colored. It often has small brown spots and deep "eyes" (the little dents where sprouts can grow). Inside, the potato's flesh is a creamy white color and feels firm.

When you cook an Ozette potato, it becomes dense but also creamy. It has a rich, slightly sweet, and earthy taste. Some people say it tastes a bit like roasted chestnuts.

How Did the Ozette Potato Get Here?

Historians and tribal stories suggest that the Ozette potato first came to the Pacific Northwest from Spaniards. This happened at the end of the 1700s.

In 1792, a Spanish fort was built by Salvador Fidalgo in a place now called Neah Bay. This area is on the northwest coast near the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The Spanish planted a garden at the fort. They grew several crops from the "New World," like potatoes and tomatoes. These plants were brought directly from South America on Spanish ships.

It's believed that the Makah tribe either traded for these potatoes or got them in another way from the Spanish. This happened before the fort was left empty the next spring.

The Ozette Potato's Journey

In the 1860s, a schoolteacher named James G. Swan lived with the Makah tribe. He wrote that potatoes were a very important food for them. They ate potatoes along with fish, seal, and whale oil.

For a long time, the Ozette potato was only grown in Makah gardens. It wasn't grown by others until the 1980s. At that time, a seed seller in Idaho started selling it. They called it the "Ozette."

In 1988, the Makah's potato was added to a special collection of potatoes in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. It was first mistakenly called the Swedish Colony. People thought it came from an old Swedish settlement near Ozette Lake.

Since 1990, samples of this potato have been kept safe. This was done with the help of the Makah tribe. They are preserved in a special lab in Prosser. This lab is part of the United States Department of Agriculture.

In 2006, different groups came together to help grow more Ozette potatoes. They also wanted to tell more people about this special potato. These groups included the Slow Food Association's Seattle chapter, the Makah Nation, local farmers, and chefs.

Where Did the Ozette Potato Come From?

The Ozette is a traditional type of potato. This means its exact genetic background isn't fully known. However, scientists at Washington State University studied its genes. They found that the Ozette potato came directly from South America. This is different from most other potato types grown in the United States. Most other US potatoes originally came from Europe.