{
  "id": 16016710,
  "title": "WHAT’S COOKING: Throwback Thursday: Ash-baked potatoes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/whats-cooking-throwback-thursday-ash-baked-potatoes",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-22T08:18:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Maverick",
    "slug": "daily-maverick",
    "url": "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-10-22-throwback-thursday-ash-baked-potatoes/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Throwback to the days of cooking potatoes in coals, as featured in a piece originally published in 2022. In the past, before the widespread use of tinfoil, people would simply place whole, unpeeled potatoes directly into the braai coals. This method, learned from the author's youth in Oranjemund, involved building a large fire and waiting for the coals to become red hot before placing the potatoes. The coals were then piled high over the potatoes, concealing them entirely. This technique was popular until concerns about carcinogens from charring led to a shift away from the practice.\n\nHowever, recent scientific research has proven that the levels of acrylamide found in charred food are not high enough to cause cancer. With this newfound understanding, the method of cooking potatoes in coals has made a resurgence. To prepare the potatoes, they must be large enough to form a thick, hard crust due to the close proximity to the intense heat. Once cooked, the potatoes are removed from the coals and sliced in half, with butter and salt added for flavor. Some prefer to add sour cream and chopped garlic chives for an extra touch. While foil-wrapped potatoes are also popular, cooking them directly in the coals provides a unique and delicious ashy flavor.",
  "summary": "Have a fresh look at potatoes baked in the coals, in this Throwback Thursday piece first published in 2022. Go back a few decades to the way potatoes used to be cooked in the coals. Right in there, uncovered, for a true taste of the ashy fire in the soft fluffy centres.",
  "key_points": [
    "Ash-baked potatoes return to popularity after scientific reassurance.",
    "Potatoes cooked directly in coals develop thick, hard crust.",
    "Butter, salt, sour cream, and garlic chives enhance flavor."
  ],
  "editors_take": "New scientific findings regarding acrylamide levels are reviving traditional ash-baking techniques that were previously abandoned due to long-standing health concerns about charred food.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}