Oñê’âvy kwe oneîki

Oñê’âvy kwe oneîki, or Salt potatoes, as the name suggests, are potatoes boiled in salted water that are commonly enjoyed both in Ta'aroha and across the Vatupic subcontinent.

History
This style of potato has deep roots in Ta'arohan history. For millennia, salt pans could be found along Ta'aroha's southern coast, where communities would boil large amounts of seawater to sell the salt off to inland communities. According to tradition, workers began bringing bags of potatoes with them and adding them into the boiling pans. Historians believe that, in some regions, salt potatoes comprised most of a salt worker's daily diet. Soon, the potatoes became a staple. The earliest record of salt potatoes being served outside the context of a salt works is a 1538 letter written mentioning that salt potatoes were served as a banquet as a side dish. It is known that they had become standard tavern fare by this point, thanks to their cheap ingredients and appealing taste.

Today, Ta'arohans (as well as peoples in neighboring countries such as Riyata) enjoy the potatoes out of taste rather than necessity. Often, grocery stores sell bags of potatoes with the necessary amount of salt included. They're often served accompanied by a traditional sauce called okê, made by mixing chilis, garlic, various spices, and a generous amount of butter or oil. The potatoes are commonly eaten either as an appetizer, side, or snack, and can be found in virtually any eatery across the nation. In 2021, a historical marker was erected near an archaeological site in Moroita Province commemorating the dish and the workers credited with its invention.

Preparation
Salt potatoes are bite-size "young" potatoes scrubbed and boiled in their skins. According to a recipe in Pirami Times, the cooking water contains salt in a ratio of two cups of salt to eight cups of water, giving the dish its name, unique flavor, and texture. Other standard recipes focus the ratio on the potatoes, prescribing one pound of salt for every four pounds of potatoes. After cooking, the water is removed and the potatoes are briefly left in the pot on the stove to dry off, until they become shriveled with a fine salt crust. After cooking, salt potatoes are served with melted butter or chili sauce. The resulting potatoes are creamy, as the starch in the potatoes cooks more completely due to the higher boiling temperature of the extra-salty water. The salty skin stands up particularly well to both herbed and plain melted butter.