The seasonal desert that is neither Irish nor potatoes.

Irish potatoes are a desert made to look like little potatoes fresh from the ground. They’re a sugary mix of coconut cream & cream cheese coated in cinnamon. Some companies add cocoa powder to the cinnamon coating, some add pine nuts to look like potato eyes, but the basic premise is that they are little candies made to look like potatoes.

While sometimes sold in other places they are mostly regional to the Philadelphia area. Irish Potatoes are seasonal to the weeks around Saint Patrick’s day, giving candy makers an additional holiday to turn a profit.

Irish-ish

Like the origin of the candy cane, no one is sure who first invented Irish potatoes. Multiple Philadelphia sources place their invention sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century and, while not invented in Ireland, were possibly invented by Irish immigrants.

Late 19th century Philadelphia was home to the highest percentage of candy makers in America. Some of those companies still exist such as Asher’s Chocolate Co., Whitman’s, Stutz Candy Company, and the Shane Candy Company. The city was a major trading port which gave it access to sugar, coconut and other ingredients. Today multiple companies produce Irish potatoes in the lead up to Saint Patrick’s Day, with Stutz and Oh Ryan’s Irish potatoes being the most well known.

Added info: Irish potatoes are not the only curiosity that is heavily regional to the Philadelphia area. Sports team loyalties, the word “jawn”, “hoagies”, and Mischief Night all are extremely localized.

Philadelphia also gave us another seasonal treat: candy corn. Candy corn was invented by the Wunderle Candy Company in Philadelphia around 1898.