Making potato a staple in China: Steamed Potato Buns

Steamed buns made of potato have emerged on the Chinese market following a national strategy to convert the potato into a staple of Chinese people's daily diet.

The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences has spent two years developing the steamed bun made of potato powder and wheat powder.

Three loafs of potato bread weighing 350 grams cost 4.2 yuan, two times higher than commonly found steamed buns.

One woman who came out to get a first taste of the buns said she wanted to try the buns due to their nutritious value.

"I saw the news on TV so I came here especially to buy some. It is expensive, I know. But I think it's more nutritious."

The Ministry of Agriculture has said that the potato will soon become a staple after rice, wheat and corn, and 50 percent of the annual potato production will be consumed as staple food by 2020.

Sun Junmao, researcher at the Ministry of Agriculture, says potato provides a new choice as a staple food since the whole population of China is still rising.

"It is a new alternative concerning food security. As the population is increasing, our demand for food is also rising. So a very important plan for the 2020 to 2030 period is to improve the per unit yield. Compared to rice, corn and wheat, potato's per unit yield is higher."

By this October, potato bread will be available in more than 500 supermarkets in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. Researchers are still developing more kinds of staple made of potato.