The potato is the Swiss army knife of the culinary world. Potatoes can be baked, boiled, mashed or turned into bread. They can also be made into an alcoholic beverage: vodka. The potato has a high-starch content and a good energy source. One medium potato contains, on average, 44 grams of carbohydrates, but potatoes also have proteins, vitamin C and other nutrients. Potatoes are tubers, a kind of stem that grows underground. Sweet potatoes are also tuber with a fleshy orange meat.