Spud mystery - Vegetable, animal or mineral?

The revelation that only one-in-three children under seven know what chips are made of is almost a perfect opportunity for a certain kind of Col. Blimp rant but in reality it must be a cause for a kind of almost hopeless sadness and resignation.

How could something as central to our culture, such a foundation stone in our diet, become so anonymous and unknown? How could even a parent not transmit such basic knowledge to a child, even if unknowingly?

The spud is not the only food mystery confounding our young children. Research has revealed that nearly one third could not name a red pepper and that a staggering 85% could not identify a leek. If this ignorance was only a matter of not being able to identify staples in our five-a-day — hopefully — diet that would be be bad enough but the research suggests that these children are not getting the help they need in forming what, after all, will be the dietary habits of a lifetime. Masterchef may not be required viewing for our young children but surely they should have some idea, no matter how vague, about how to feed themselves properly?