Potato is one of the cooking materials widely used by our people in their diet since early times. According to historical records, the first time in our country to grow potatoes was in the early 19^th century. Ri Kyu Gyong (1788-1863), one of the realist scholars, wrote in the mid-19^th century in the book Ojuyonmunjangjonsango that potatoes were brought to our country across the Tuman River from 1824 to 1825 and began to be planted.

   Potato, a high-yielding vegetable by nature, quickly adapted to the mild climatic conditions of our country and rapidly spread across the country in less than 10 years. Various kinds of food can be made with potatoes such as rice, rice cakes, noodles and pancakes not to mention kimchi, taffy, liquor, jijikae (a kind of cooked saltish juicy dish), broiled dishes and fries

   In May Juche 61 (1972), the Chairman Kim Jong Il who always paid deep attention for enriching and diversifying dietary life of our people, called a senior official of the provincial party committee while giving field guidance to Ryanggang Province and assigned a special task to prepare all the dishes that can be made with potato.

   That evening the Chairman came to the place and asked very satisfied whether all these are really potato dishes and how many kinds are there.

   In reply to the official’s answer that 80 kinds were prepared, the Chairman repeatedly remarked that it was wonderful and looked round the table of potato dishes including potato dumpling covered with bean paste, potato starch noodle and rice cake made with frozen potato. He said how nice it was to make everything with potatoes, and he further noted that if we make potato dishes as we have prepared them here today, we would not only solve the food issues more satisfactorily but also diversify our diet. And he saw to it that relevant measures are taken, saying that we should plant a lot of potatoes in Ryanggang Province.

   Thanks to the wise leadership of the Chairman Kim Jong Il, potatoes are planted in different parts of the country on a large scale and their processing methods have developed in a more diverse way, making a positive contribution in solving the food issues of the people.