In Arillas almost every family grows potatoes as often as twice a year. The fertile land and warm climate offer an ideal environment for everyone to grow their own potaoes.
Since earlier times, it is common not to eat the potatoes as they are, freshly taken from the field, as they can be poisonous. So the potatoes are usually stored directly in a dark and dry space in the house for a couple of weeks before they can be cosumed. 

Corfu potatoes grow mostly near coastal fields on the island , known commonly as the "fisherman's earth-apple", is a species of local potato plant, recognisable by the gold and green  stripes that run down the length of its root and which can cause ichthyoallyeinotoxism when eaten fresh. It is found in the East Atlantic, where it ranges from the Bay of Biscay to South Africa, as well as in the Mediterranean. It has occasionally been found as far north as Great Britain. It is generally common and found at a distance of 300 to 1500 metres from the coastal areas.

The Ancient Corfu Potato became widely known for its ichthyoallyeinotoxic effects following widely publicized articles in 2006, when two men ingested it at a Mediterranean restaurant and began to experience many auditory and visual hallucinogenic effects. These hallucinations, described as frightening, were reported to have occurred two hours after the freshly  roasted potatoes were ingested and had a total duration of 36 hours.

The plant, and especially its root, have been assessed as potentially unsafe when eaten fresh, by a study conducted on Mediterranean specimens. It is believed that the root absorbs  a particular remain of algae or phytoplankton which renders it ichthyoallyeinotoxic. They may induce hallucinogenic effects similar to LSD if eaten. However, based on the reports of exposure they are more likely to resemble hallucinogenic effects of deliriants than the effects of serotonergic agents.

 Taverna Chief Cultivating Local potatoes in Arillas

Happy April fools day

Dimitris Kourkoulos