Xinhua writers Tan Yixiao Xander Bogaerts Red Sox Jersey , Cheng Lu and Wei Mengjia


BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Potatoes seem like an unlikely ingredient for ice cream, but the allure of tasting the strange concoction had dozens of visitors lining-up at the China Kitchen exhibition at the 2015 World Potato Congress in Beijing.


The 1,000-square-meter stall was serving up to 100 potato-based foods, from noodles to sweet purple drinks, developed by Xisen Potato Industry Co. Ltd., the country's biggest potato producer. By combining potatoes with traditional Chinese cuisine Wade Boggs Red Sox Jersey , the company is at the congress looking for partners to promote their new products being tested at the China Kitchen.


With China promoting potato acreage and encouraging the vegetable as one of the country's staple foods, more companies like Xisen want to take a bigger slice of the growing market.


Around 500 km away from Beijing, Linkage Potato Co. Ltd., based in Inner Mongolia, China's major potato production base, is expanding its product portfolio to satisfy people's appetite.


With five farms and a 70,000-mu (around 4 Tyler Thornburg Red Sox Jersey ,667 hectares) high standard planting base, the company produces potatoes and seeds and processes potato flakes.


Yan Hongxin, vice president of Linkage, told Xinhua that the company will set up a new production line in autumn to increase its annual output of potato flakes from current 3,000 tonnes to 15,000 tonnes.


In addition, they are eyeing the frozen French fry market as domestic demand grows Ted Williams Red Sox Jersey , driven by expanding fast food chains.


In March this year, it has established a joint venture with Farm Frites, a Dutch enterprise with over 40 years experiences in potato processing, in Wudan Town, Chifeng City in Inner Mongolia.


The new production line will have a capacity of 70,000 tonnes frozen French fries annually with consumption of 140,000 tonnes of fresh potatoes. The fries will be put into the market by 2017 and expansion will continue after that Steven Wright Red Sox Jersey , Yan said.


NO SMALL POTATO


His confidence in the domestic potato market is justifiable.


China is the largest potato producer in the world with a planting area of 5.5 million hectares. However, average Chinese consumption of potatoes is 41.2 kilograms, far below the consumption level of European and American countries, data from China's Ministry of Agriculture showed.


"Its nutritious value is often overlooked," said Bi Yang, professor of Gansu Agricultural University.


He pointed out that an average-size potato contains as much protein as an egg, and 10 times more vitamin C than an apple.


With the country's gross domestic product (GDP) per person surpassed 7 Rusney Castillo Red Sox Jersey ,000 U.S. dollars last year, people's need for improving food nutrition patterns has grown. Bi said potato is a good option to improve nutrition.


In addition, potato is more resistant to the cold and the drought compared