# What is a ware potato? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 12, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-ware-potato/535805 "2010-04-12T03:09:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-ware-potato/535805/1 "2010-04-12T03:09:59Z")
I’m researching some potato variates and there is a designation of ware potato. What is the significance of this designation? ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-ware-potato/535805/2 "2010-04-12T03:26:56Z")
I might be one… When there’s a full moon, I sit on the couch and post to a message board. Sorry–What I meant to say was “I wish I could help you, but I’m not familiar with the term, or potatos”. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-ware-potato/535805/3 "2010-04-12T05:31:56Z")
It’s a potato (for commercial markets) that isn’t early. [Specifications for early and ware potatoes.](http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:sfGJYyE1gX8J:www.cci-fed.org.lb/Library/Files/Uploaded%2520Files/Potatoes.pdf+ware+potato+definition&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgwAaJLK0mFVNvfHzth9rU4edq7rS7bSvWecrQMKwe5WgA3V_uVJ3Yai_fPxShfPUBgEB78siuGuS6-rYcGvtK2eDzymhu__WxmZ4TRerI07QOPwrYMK6q6bclz5-LmP8bPmBX-&sig=AHIEtbS6E78ZPMIEcEmPNmHAtoVORSccjA) ETA: Oh, and it also means that it’s an eating-type of goods (e.g., “said Simple Simon to the pieman, let me taste your **ware** ”) rather than a seed potato. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-ware-potato/535805/4 "2010-04-12T08:38:27Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > ETA: Oh, and it also means that it’s an eating-type of goods (e.g., “said Simple Simon to the pieman, let me taste your **ware** ”) rather than a seed potato. Ware doesn’t specifically mean something is edible - it just happened that the pieman’s wares were edible. ‘Wares’ is just another way of saying merchandise or goods. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-ware-potato/535805/5 "2010-04-12T09:20:20Z")
Thanks for the answer. I thought it was some variety characteristic I would want to know about. It’s just a quantitative label for grading for sale. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-ware-potato/535805/6 "2010-04-12T09:31:32Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Sorry–What I meant to say was “I wish I could help you, but I’m not familiar with the term, or potatos”. You are Dan Quayle and I claim my £5. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-ware-potato/535805/7 "2010-04-12T17:06:18Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Ware doesn’t specifically mean something is edible - it just happened that the pieman’s wares were edible. Right in general, but in the specific case of potatoes the term “ware” **does** signify that the goods are edible: i.e., potatoes to be sold for eating rather than for seed. And I’m not sure somebody named **Mangetout** should be regarded as any kind of an authority on edibility anyway. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-ware-potato/535805/8 "2010-04-12T18:57:08Z")
[Potato production: Rural Northern Ireland](http://www.ruralni.gov.uk/index/bussys/organic_production/organic_cropping/potato.htm) > [@](#): > > Ware Potato Production > Ware, or eating, potatoes are a traditional crop in Northern Ireland, and are of potential interest to many organic producers because: > > ``` > * There is good interest from consumers > > ``` The Irish have generally had good luck growing ware potatoes. Well, there was that _one_ year where they planted were-potatoes because of an unfortunate typographical error. What the Harvest moon saw that year was _not a pretty sight_, but we try not to talk of such things. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-ware-potato/535805/9 "2010-04-12T18:59:22Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Right in general, but in the specific case of potatoes the term “ware” **does** signify that the goods are edible: i.e., potatoes to be sold for eating rather than for seed. > > And I’m not sure somebody named **Mangetout** should be regarded as any kind of an authority on edibility anyway. 😛 In this context, yes - but only really because nobody sells throwing potatoes, architectural construction potatoes and jewellery-grade potatoes - their retail is limited to seed and eating - so ‘ware’ does mean eating potatoes, but so would ‘commodity potatoes’, if that term happened to be common. likewise in the pieman cotext, ‘wares’ only means things for eating because pies happen to be edible. you could, for example, ask to see the wares of a sillversmith (silverware) or of a glassblower (glassware), but don’t eat either of these. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-ware-potato/535805/10 "2010-04-12T19:01:49Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > ware potato? [Marty Feldman] There potato. [/Marty Feldman] ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-ware-potato/535805/11 "2010-04-12T19:02:42Z")
“ware potatoes” … It’s a rather archaic warning that someone is about to attack with a spud gun … ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-ware-potato/535805/12 "2010-04-12T19:05:40Z")
_Even a man who goes to church by day Und says his prayers by night May become a POTATO When the moon is full und bright!_ And you can’t blind them, because they have a thousand eyes. The only way to kill them is to cut them up and fry them, then cover them with ketchup. Or vinegar. Or mayonnaise, if you’re Canadian. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-ware-potato/535805/13 "2010-04-12T19:06:47Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > nobody sells … jewellery-grade potatoes Next time you’re in Twin Falls Idaho, stop in the museum next to the gorge where, in addition to learning all about Evel Knievel’s fateful jump, you may purchase a beautiful potato necklace for your wife, as I did for mine. Matching earrings are also available. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-ware-potato/535805/14 "2010-04-12T19:08:10Z")
It’s a potato which is vewy hard to find because there awen’t vewy many of them. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-ware-potato/535805/15 "2010-04-12T19:14:47Z")
The Death’s Head hawk moth is associated in large numbers with potato fields. That’s about as scary as reality gets with potatoes. ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-ware-potato/535805/16 "2010-04-12T22:25:48Z")
[![](http://www.spudstravels.com/Spud%27s%20Stuff/Stuff%20images/chewy-web.jpg) ](http://www.spudstravels.com/Spud%27s%20Stuff/Stuff%20images/chewy-web.jpg) :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2010, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-ware-potato/535805/17 "2010-04-13T00:03:19Z")
> [@Jamicat](#): > > [http://www.spudstravels.com/Spud's%20Stuff/Stuff%20images/chewy-web.jpg](http://www.spudstravels.com/Spud%27s%20Stuff/Stuff%20images/chewy-web.jpg) > :dubious: That potato obviously had plastic surgery.🙂