Balts and Poles top EU potato-lover table

Residents of the three Baltic states and Poland are the biggest potato-lovers in the European Union, Estonia's statistics office said Monday.

"Latvian residents eat 274 grammes of potato a day, Poles 248 grammes, Lithuanians 234 grammes and Estonians 188 grammes," senior statistician Piret Tikva told AFP, citing EU-wide research.

Potatoes have long been a staple of the region's cuisine, and the consumption compared with an average 134 grammes per day across the 27-nation bloc, she said.

Italians came bottom of the table, eating just 76 grammes a day.

"The data shows only potatoes bought by people, but in addition many people in Baltic States also grow potatoes themselves," said Tikva.

"Eating potatoes is very traditional in this region, and potatoes are eaten a lot because they are also a cheap food," she added.