We have seen a lot of things with the ‘world’s most expensive’ tag before. But the world’s most expensive potato did catch me by surprise. And yes, its an actual vegetable and not a replica with crystals and jewels decked on it. So what makes it so special? These are La Bonnette potatoes which are typically grown only on one small island off the French coast, and have been known to sell for as much as  up to £400 per kilo.
This steep cost is attributable to the care that needs to be taken during harvesting. One canno use machines because these potato tubers are exceptionally delicate. This translates into the need of handpicking each one of them and its done by commune residents on the island of Noirmoutier. The production too is limited at 20-100 tonnes thus making it rare. More so, these are quickly snapped up by the crème de la crème of French and Dutch restaurants and in turned served in gourmet preparations. The potatoes are said to have a distinctive earthy and salty flavour due to the presence of algae and seaweed in the soil.
The variety in Tesco will be slightly more reasonably priced than their continental cousins, selling for around £2.65 a kilo. Tesco will not be growing these on Noirmoutie, instead they are going to source their supply for Jersey where they have been grown n recent year in a bid to protect the precious soils of Noirmoutier for future generations.
