Fried potato with 'face of Jesus Christ' for sale on eBay

A restaurant in southern Sweden has put a potato up for auction after staff discovered what they believed to be the face of Jesus Christ in a spud that "hopped out of the frying pan" earlier this week.

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Restaurateur Sylvia Szepanski told The Local that she witnessed the first appearance of the "holy" vegetable first hand in the kitchen of her restaurant at the Söderslätt Golf Club, 20 kilometres south of Malmö.

"Our chef was frying some potatoes when suddenly one of them hopped out of the frying pan and set itself apart from the others."

But opinions differed initially as to the nature of the alleged apparition. Szepanski's voice turned to one of wonder as she reenacted the moment.

"I said, 'Look, it's the face of a child angel'.

"But the chef said, 'No, it's the face of Jesus'."

Szepanski soon agreed that there was indeed something Christlike about the shapes visible in the fried peel and news of the potato Jesus was fed to the local media.

"We've had people coming here asking to see the potato. We have set it up in a sort of plastic crib in the kitchen," she said.

But with business brisk, Szepanski said staff did not have time to welcome curious visitors into the kitchen. Instead the "miracle" root vegetable has been put up for auction on eBay, where there have so far been no bids.

Bishop of Lund Antje Jackelén was not immediately available for comment regarding the Lutheran Church of Sweden's view on whether everyday items could attain a form of religious significance.