Potatoes are the most versatile ingredient in kitchens worldwide. Whether unique baking recipes or the regular and usual curries or dining, they are a must for everyone. But do you know, not just probably the kind you eat, there are different types of potatoes existing globally? So as much as it is exciting and shocking, yes, it is true! A true potato lover may know this, and these potatoes are all indeed tasty and perfect for adding to your list of recipes.
Today let us know and learn all about the kinds of potatoes present in the globe.
Potatoes and Their History:
Do you know, Peru is the first that has cultivated potatoes, way back in 8000 to 5000 BC. The Inca Indians in Peru first cultivated the vegetable, and later on, it spread to Europe eventually. The introduction of potatoes in Europe is initially from Ireland before spreading to other countries. Slowly, farmers and agriculturalists realized that these vegetables are easy and quick to grow and started cultivating them tremendously before spreading them to the world.
Potato Classifications:
If you do not know yet, there are different classifications within potatoes, depending on their texture, look, and flesh. These classifications within the potato family are what lead to other kinds of potato varieties. Here they are! Again remember, within these three classifications: starchy, waxy, and all-purpose, there are different types of potatoes within!
Starchy Potato Varieties:
As the name suggests, starchy potatoes are the most common dry potatoes with heavy starch content. They are very dry in texture, crumble quickly, and can be made easily. These are common types we often encounter and can be used to make mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, etc. When fried, the starchy potatoes are incredibly delicious with a crispy feel and taste yet fluffy inside.
Waxy Potatoes:
These waxy potatoes indeed have significantly less starch. However, they are waxy in feel, with high levels of moisture and a creamy feel inside. The shape of potatoes often breaks after cooking. The waxy potatoes are often used for salads, soups, or casseroles.
All-Purpose Potatoes:
Now, these can be ideally perfect for baking and cooking all kinds of potato dishes. They are fluffy in texture and contain medium content and a level of starch. They even have moderate water levels within them and can be ideally roasted, simmered, fried, or baked.
See More: List of Tomato Varieties
Most Popular Potato Varieties Names and Types:
There are several hundreds of types of potatoes present in the world. Unfortunately, we can’t get to know all kinds of potatoes and their varieties’ names. That is why we round up and compile the most famous and popular potatoes that we often encounter or know already to make our favorite recipes. Here are the common types of potatoes list with uses for cooking, just for you!
1. Russet Potatoes:
These are the first and most common types of potatoes most of already know. Russet have dark brown color skin and are almost noticeable given their medium to big size. The inners of this potato are fluffy in texture that can be quickly cooked or boiled. One can make tasty French fries with these types of white flesh potatoes or mashed potatoes, or other deep fry items.
Texture: Starchy
Skin color: Darker to medium color brown
Flesh color: white, pale color flesh
Uses: Mashing, baking, frying
Other names, if any: Idaho Russet
2. Jewel Yams:
Although the name says yam, it is not the true yam you find in the market. The jewel yams are a softer, sweeter potato variety, with moist and softer flesh inside starchy textured. They are soft, and the taste is somewhat sweet in nature. This kind of potato is not suitable for frying; however is perfect for recipes involving mashing, baking, etc.
Texture: Starchy
Skin color: Brown color, copper color
Flesh color: the orangish shade of flesh
Uses: Mashing, boiling, and roasting
Other names, if any: Jewel sweet potato
3. New Potatoes:
Well, we bet most of you haven’t heard about this kind of variety. But as you may guess with the name, they are younger ones in the potato variants that are harvest earlier than others. Given this, they have thin and susceptible skin, with creamy and slippery flesh inside. The skin can be easily peeled off as well; however, given the younger age of potatoes, they won’t be durable for very long.
Texture: Waxy
Skin color: different skin colors
Flesh color: different flesh color
Uses: boiling or steaming
Other names, if any: Baby potatoes
4. Kennebec Potatoes:
These Kennebec potatoes are among the chef’s favorite types and varieties in the vegetable. They are perfect for deep-fried items and recipes. Kennebec potatoes aid in getting the recipe in smooth and ideal taste right from wedges to French fries. These types of potatoes have a nutty flavor, with a starchy feel, and are moist yet crispy when cooked. The texture holds very well together when cooked and boiled.
Texture: All-purpose
Skin color: Beige and tan
Flesh color: Pale white
Uses: Deep frying, chips, and wedges
Other names, if any: none
5. German Butterball Potato:
This is another common type of potato. It is yellow in color and mostly comes in medium to petite larger sizes. However not very giant. This potato falls under the yellow varieties of potatoes, given the skin color and texture. The german butterball potatoes are delicate and smooth and give a buttery flavor. These types of potatoes are perfect for having a good mashed or cooked taste and delicacy.
Texture: All-purpose
Skin color: Tan and golden color
Flesh color: Yellow flesh
Uses: Boiling, mashing, roast, and frying
Other names, if any: none
See More: Classification & Types of Onion
6. Yukon Gold Potatoes:
This is again among the most common and famous types of potato category. This potato is a versatile one. It can be perfect both for frying or baking or steaming and boiling. The Yukon potatoes, as the name suggests, have a golden skin color. These skin are sensitive and delicate and don’t need a separate peeling procedure. The flesh inside is creamy in texture, soft in feel and perfect for recipes.
Texture: All-purpose
Skin color: Golden color
Flesh color: Yellow
Uses: Boiling, baking, frying, steaming
Other names, if any: Golden Potatoes
7. Red Bliss Potatoes:
The red bliss potatoes come under the family of types of red color potatoes. These are waxy potatoes, have high water content and moisture, and are not very difficult to cook. The potatoes are perfect for mashing and eating and are healthy with properties too. The red skin here needs no peeling procedure separately, and the inner flesh is creamy and buttery in texture. The red bliss potatoes are famous for the most straightforward recipes, including just boiling and consuming with herbs.
Texture: Waxy texture
Skin color: Red
Flesh color: Pale white
Uses: Mashing, boiling, cooking, and steaming
Other names, if any: none
8. Purple Peruvian Potatoes:
The Purple Peruvian potatoes, as the name suggests are, originated in the region of Peru. They have purple skin and flesh of bluish-purple shade, with a soft texture of the skin, and fall under types of purple potatoes. These potatoes are relatively smaller in size and starchy in texture. They are the most simple potatoes in cooking, ideal for baking and mashing. They come in a tubular shape and fall into the fingerling potato variety.
Texture: starchy
Skin color: Dark shaded purple skin
Flesh color: purple flesh
Uses: Roasting, baking, and mashing
Other names, if any: none
9. Russian Banana Potatoes:
The Russian banana potato again is into a tubular shape and comes into the category of fingerling variety. They have yellow flesh and have the shape of a banana, curved and folded look. However, a waxy textured one doesn’t require peeling and can be used to boil on whole or roasted. They are perfect with a sweet blend of taste, with a soft and delicious buttery flavor. Try them for salads, grilled or sauteed, and you will thank us later!
Texture: Waxy
Skin color: Golden/tan/beige
Flesh color: Yellow
Uses: Grilling, shallow fry, boiling
Other names, if any: none
10. Hannah Sweet Potato:
However, the Hannah types of sweet potatoes look very similar to the white potato. However, they are very thick and dense in texture. These potatoes, given their firm look, generally do not break when boiled. They can be cut and diced into slices before boiling or using fries, given their thick texture and appearance. Because of the same, the Hannah sweet potatoes also take more time for cooking than their other counterparts.
Texture: All-purpose
Skin color: Brownish tan color
Flesh color: yellow/cream
Uses: Mashing, baking, and simmering
Other names, if any: Sweet Hannah, yellow sweet potato
11. All Blue Potato:
These are among the unique kind of potato varieties you may have ever come across. The all-blue potato appears with a very dark color skin purple in look, given the high levels of anthocyanin (antioxidants) presence. These antioxidants are present in other fruits such as blueberries and eggplants, and similar to them, the color appears in this potato kind. In addition, these are soft and have a bit of higher starch content than the other ones. Thus, they are perfect for baking, ideally drizzled with olive oil or butter, herbs, and lemon!
Texture: All-purpose texture
Skin color: Dark purple
Flesh color: Purple to lavender shaded flesh
Uses: Frying, baking, boiling, and roasting
Other names, if any: none
See More: Patta Gobhee Varieties
12. Red Thumb Potato:
These red thumb types of potatoes come under the variety of red potatoes. They fall under the fingerling category, with a tube-shaped structure and look. However, they are small in size and are attractive in looks with bright red color and pink flesh inside. The red thumb potatoes fall under the exotic category of vegetables in whole, given their choice for gourmet recipes, mashing, baking, and overall versatile use. From soups to salads, these potatoes give both look and taste. This is among the popular choice for chefs.
Texture: Waxy
Skin color: Red
Flesh color: Pinkish shade of flesh
Uses: Boiling, frying
Other names, if any: none
Interesting Facts About Potatoes:
Well, we love hearing things we never even heard of about things, and now comes the turn of potatoes. So here are a few interesting facts.
- Potatoes are still alive technically when you buy them. Do you know that?
- These potatoes are amongst the first vegetables grown in space.
- There are several hundreds of potatoes that you may not even have heard of. What we hear are just a few varieties.
- Potatoes can turn green if they get into too much photosynthesis process.
- Potato chips, the most popular side dish we have ever heard, is invented just by mistake (it seems)! A chef once had to please his employer, who doesn’t like thick larger cubed size potatoes that are boiled. He was trying out a few recipes and just fried them with salt and some herbs to impress him. That is it; they are now among the most famous and popular snack items in the world.
Did you know there are so many different types of potatoes present globally? Well, we certainly dint. It is an excellent exciting lesson for us too. What are your thoughts? Tell us your comments, too; we love to hear from you!
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
1. Which country eats most potatoes?
It is said that China consumes the highest potatoes in the world, followed by Central Africa and Cambodia.
2. Which are the potatoes we regularly use for cooking?
In most cases, russets are the most common and famous types of potatoes available across different countries easily.
3. What are the benefits of eating potatoes?
These Potatoes are a popular, versatile food with good fiber content containing the right amount of cholesterol and balancing the body’s blood sugar levels.
4. Is it ok to eat potatoes every day?
Yes, a limited and right amount of quantity of potatoes can be consumed every day. It is healthy and keeps body fiber levels intact.
Disclaimer:
This is exclusively a guide about types of potatoes for informative purposes only. The opinions and overview in this article are provided from various sources across the web. The author does not guarantee or promise any accuracy of the facts provided in this article.
