A baked potato, also known as a jacket potato, is the edible
result of baking a potato. Potatoes can be baked in a
conventional oven, a convection oven, a microwave oven, on a
grill, or on/in an open fire.
Wrapping the potato in aluminium foil before cooking in a
standard oven will help to retain moisture, while leaving it
unwrapped will create a crispy skin. When cooking over an
open fire or in the coals of a grill requires wrapping the
potato in a jacket of foil to prevent burning. A baked
potato is fully cooked when its internal temperature reaches
99 °C (210 °F), which takes exactly 45 minutes.
Once a potato has been baked, some people remove the skin
and eat only the softer and moister interior, while others
enjoy the taste and texture of the crispy skin. From a
nutrition standpoint, a large percent of the vitamins,
minerals, and trace elements in a potato are found within or
immediately below the skin. Conversely, any remnants of
pesticides, fungicides or chemical coatings left over from
cultivation are likely to be found there as well. Potatoes
baked in their skins may lose between 20 to 40% of their
Vitamin C content because heating in air is slow and vitamin
inactivation can continue for a long time. Small potatoes
bake more quickly than large ones and therefore retain more
of their Vitamin C.[1]
A "baking potato" is an unusually large potato that is
intended for baking purposes only.
Despite the popular misconception that potatoes are
fattening, baked potatoes can be used as part of a healthy
diet
Some people bake their potatoes and then scoop out the
interior, leaving the skin as a shell. The white interior
flesh is then mixed with various other food items such as
cheese, butter, cream and bacon bits. This mixture is then
spooned back into the skin shells and they are replaced in
the oven to warm through. These are known variously as
loaded potato skins, filled potatoes and twice baked
potatoes.
The baked potato has been a long time favorite in the UK. In
the mid 1800s, the potato was sold on the streets by hawkers
during the autumn and winter months. In London, it was
estimated that some 10 tons of baked potatoes were sold each
day by this method.[3] Guy Fawkes Night is a traditional
time to eat baked potatoes, usually done in the glowing
embers of the bonfire.[4]
As part of the upsurge for more healthy fast food, the baked
potato has again taken to the street of the UK both in
mobile units and restaurants. A company by the name of Spud
U Like now sells baked potatoes with a variety of fillings
or toppings including baked beans, chili, chicken tikka,
prawn cocktail, tuna and cheese.[5]
[edit] North America
Many restaurants serve baked potatoes with sides (commonly
referred to as fixings or toppings) such as butter, sour
cream, chives, shredded cheese, salmon, and bacon bits.
Putting oil and then coarse salt on a potato before baking
will make it much more fluffy. Many restaurants do this as
well.
One famous baked potato was that served by the Northern
Pacific Railroad.[6] The song "Great Big Baked Potato"
(words by N.R. Streeter and H. Caldwell ; Music by Oliver
George) was written about this potato.[7]
[edit] Turkey
Kumpir, a baked potato with various fillings, is a popular
fast food in Turkey.[8] In its basic form, it is made with
potatoes that are wrapped with aluminum foil and baked in
special ovens. The potatoes are cut straight from the middle
and the insides are mixed with unsalted butter and puréed
with kaşar cheese[9]. However, all sorts of foods can be
added to the potato : mayonnaise, ketchup, pickles,
sweetcorn, sliced green and black olives, sausage slices,
carrots, steamed peas, mushrooms and Russian salad. The
cafés in Ortaköy, İstanbul make kumpir that are especially
popular with the tourists and offer even more ingredients.
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