As the nation battles a legitimate potato shortage due to extreme weather conditions, the production of potato scallops has also been devastatingly affected.
It's in the heart of the nation's capital, that fish and chip owners have been hardest hit. Shops having no option but to turn to frozen goods in tough times.
It's been a rough year as the country battled a potato shortage that was caused by extreme weather conditions that damaged crops and in turn, delayed harvests.
Fish and chip shop owner Kerry Spanos spoke to the Canberra Times to say a lot of them have given up, having to use frozen scallops instead of that fresh Aussie potato.
"A lot of the shops are buying them frozen now. The prices have gone through the roof," the Watson Takeaway owner said to the paper.
'We can't get any': the Canberra potato scallop shortage of 2017https://t.co/R064pISAmK pic.twitter.com/0W2LAMMpI9
— Canberra Times (@canberratimes) January 30, 2017
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the shortage came after heavy rain and a particularly cold winter. This led to crop damage, tight supply and inflated prices.
"Pretty much every state got affected in some way. We probably only just broke even," potato farmer Anthony Failla told SMH.
"We can't get any potato scallops whatsoever. We've been to all of them mate - every supplier in Canberra that supplies takeaway shops and none of them's got scallops," Owner of The Corner Takeaway in Queanbeyan said to The Canberra Times.
"I used to sell 1000 scallops a week and I'm not picking up $1000 elsewhere," they quite heartbreakingly added.
Food supplier Bidfood who's said to supply a whopping 80% of Canberra's takeaway shops has been out of potato scallops for a whole two months, the paper reports.
If you are a bit confused to why potato scallops were hit so hard. We can confirm, so were we. But basically potato scallops need a large potato to make those big, juicy slices.
In a potato shortage of this size, it turns out these can be an extremely rare thing to find in an abundance. So, there you have it.
What is a potato scallop?
Macquarie Dictionary calls it "a thin slice of potato dipped in batter and deep-fried".
It requires one long, thin slice of a large potato. There's been significant debate over whether it should be referred to as a potato cake.
It's not to be confused with a sea scallop which is a type of shellfish.
There's even been a Twitter debate about the real name of the potato scallop. Many people are speculating that they should be called potato cakes.
THERE IS NO "DEBATE" THEY ARE POTATO CAKES. #auspol
— PatriciaKarvelas (@PatsKarvelas) January 30, 2017
The real debate should be why anyone would order a battered slice of potato when hot chips are being freshly cooked RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. https://t.co/dmCeyhOwng
— Adam Liaw (@adamliaw) January 30, 2017
Will @PatsKarvelas finally put an end to the potato scallops vs. potato cakes debate?#rndrive https://t.co/uCUfH7GdvJ
— Stephanie Anderson (@stephanieando) January 30, 2017
You o don't get it @adamliaw
— Wendy Harmer (@wendy_harmer) January 30, 2017
Just think salty,hot potato cake doused in brown vinegar AND chips... Since when did it become an either/or?
My partner is from Sydney and has accepted they are cakes. It's obvious. #Potatoes
— PatriciaKarvelas (@PatsKarvelas) January 30, 2017
@JonathanFoye @PatsKarvelas I'm more hard line. I believe we should build a #scallop wall along the Murray #DrainTheSpuds
— Permanent COAM (@cuntofamood) January 30, 2017
I order potato scallops in Sydney. At Barwon Heads in Vic I order cakes - otherwise I get actual scallops. Is fine. https://t.co/1KqlCMmwaG
— Chris Wallace (@c_s_wallace) January 30, 2017
Cake or scallop? Who cares. There's a serious shortage here, people. Hopefully the potato gods will answer our carb loving prayers. Stat.
ALSO ON HUFFPOST AUSTRALIA