There are some mysteries in videogames that are exciting; that get players crafting theories and discussing in forums. Who is the enigmatic G-Man in Half-life? Where is Raxxla in Elite Dangerous? What the heck is a jacket potato? That's the question bothering Minecraft players right now, and it's started discussions to rival those surrounding Herobrine and the Nether Realm. But how did it all start, and what are the answers? It may seem obvious to some players, but for many, it's a tuberous mystery of epic proportions.
The latest mystery in Minecraft comes at the hands of players who have accidentally changed their language settings and found that the humble baked potato had changed its name. In Britain we call potatoes by all manner of names - spuds, taters, etc. - and we cook them in numerous ways, too. Boiling them, mashing them, sticking them in stews, and indeed baking them.
As one of the best survival games ever made, Minecraft has near endless consumables, one of which is the baked potato. Simply pop a potato into a furnace, campfire, or block of molten lava, and you'll have a delicious baked potato. Or, in some cases, a jacket potato.
Players who noticed the funny name took to social media to question it. Is it some funny reference, a mystery to be solved? Unfortunately, it's just a cultural difference that players have encountered after accidentally changing their language settings to British English.
A jacket potato is what British people call a baked potato. That's it. The skin goes all crispy and delicious during the baking process, forming a little jacket around the luscious interior. It's a cute name, and I'm honestly quite glad that some non-British Minecraft players have stumbled across this Britishism and brought it to light.
If you fancy trying a jacket potato for yourself, you know what to do. It won't restore any more HP or give you a jacket to keep you warm, but you will get to put on a funny accent as you heal HP.
If you're into making Minecraft weirder or more British (let's be honest, they're the same thing), try out some of the best Minecraft mods. You can also have loads of fun with the best Minecraft seeds, ensuring you get a great start to your pixel-based potato baking career.
What do you call a baked potato? What's your favorite way to eat a potato? I think mine is hash browns, but roast potatoes are right up there. Come and prove me wrong by starting a potato-based conversation in our Discord server with staff and other readers.