Taking a potato and getting it right is one of those cooking mysteries that takes practice. There are about 5,000 potato varieties worldwide and 3,000 of them are found in the Andes, mainly in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, and Colombia. Apart from the 5,000 cultivated varieties, there are about 200 wild species and subspecies, many of which can be cross-bred with cultivated varieties. Potatoes are simply the perfect vegetable given they are moderately alkaline forming in the body yet they serve other purposes when trying to manage gut over growth.

source: wikipedia