Nearly one in three Brits has no idea how common fruit and vegetables are grown, as researchers have found that three out of ten adults can't explain how potatoes are produced, while one in ten think tomatoes are harvested from the ground.
Even more worryingly, one in five Brits believe melons grow in the earth and that parsnips thrive on trees.
On top of that one in twenty Brits thinks Granny Smith's is a variety of potato, and 20% have never heard of a King Edward or a Maris Piper.
The research, which was carried out among 2,000 adults, was commissioned by the Potato Council to celebrate the launch of a new potato classification system.
Caroline Evans from the Potato Council said:
''Our research shows that some British adults need to brush up on their foodie knowledge.
''It's worrying to think that there are people out there who believe types of apples to be potatoes and that well known varieties of British grown spuds are unheard of
''There is plenty of information available, such as our new potato classification guide, so they can read up - especially if children are inquisitive enough to ask where food comes from.''
It also emerged one in twenty adults are completely embarrassed by their lack of knowledge and a quarter said they regularly come unstuck when kids ask them where certain food comes from.
Cooking is an issue too - despite being one of the nation's favourite ingredients, one in twenty adults still admit to struggling to cook potatoes.
Half claim that their roasts aren't fluffy enough, 28% say their mash isn't smooth enough and 34% struggle to get their boiled potatoes to hold their shape.
The study found the hardest vegetable to cook was asparagus, followed by the swede.
Caroline Evans added:
''Potatoes are one of the most versatile foods - they can be used to create so many tasty dishes and being naturally fat free, they're a nutritious base for lots of meals too.
''To get great results you need to pick the right type. Varieties are a good guide but, as the survey shows, not everyone is aware of them, so our classification system has been introduced to make it even easier for you to pick the potato that's right for your dish every time.''
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