Would you like a lump of unsalted, uunflavored starch? No? What if we slice it open and dump in a lot of heavy flavor ingredients and spices? That way you can overwhelm your taste buds in the first few forkfuls, and the remaining unflavored mass will taste even blander by comparison!
Who invented this and what did they have against dicing the potato in appropriately sized chunks to absorb and distribute the flavor?
OK, you mentioned earlier eating it pure. Rice as a side dish is common all over.
well I would not exactly call it a side dish as its like the major part of the meal. honestly bake potatoes are more often a side item or appetizer.
It’s a side not because of bulk, but because it complements the main dish. The name of the dish isn’t rice for the same reason.