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Arnold
Lara MPotato - the ultimate staple food
November 16th 2007 22:00
The humble potato is an important food staple and field crop dating back to the late 1400s.
Today, the potato is cultivated commercially as a row crop using seed tubers, young plants or microtubers and may mound the entire row. Potatoes have been bred into many standard or well-known varieties and are generally categorised into a few main groups such as Russets, Reds, Whites, Yellows (aka Yukons), and Purples based on common characteristics.
A variety of different potatoes can be found in markets and supermarkets these days with the most popular being:
- Désirée (Pink skin and yellow flesh. Great for boiling.)
- King Edward (White flesh. Great for roasting, boiling and mashing.)
- Kipfler (Finger shaped with creamy-coloured flesh. Great boiled/steamed and in potato salads and for presentation purposes.)
- New
- Nicola (Yellow flesh. Great for mashing and gnocchi and good for boiling, chips and roasting. It has a very buttery flavour.)
- Pink Eye (A very nutty flavour. Good for roasting, boiling and salads.)
- Pink Fir Apple (Great for salads)
- Red Pontiac (All-rounder)
- Russet Burbank (All-rounder and great for frying)
- Spunta (Yellow fleshed and all-rounder)
In Australia, there were previously only two varieties of potato - new and old; however, things have come a long since those days and we are spoilt for choice now with different potatoes for different occasions and cooking methods.
Generally speaking, bintjes, desirees, King Edwards, nicolas, and russet burbanks are our favourites for mashing - one of the most common ways of serving potatoes which involves mashing boiled potatoes (peeled or unpeeled) with a potato ricer or similar device.
Other ingredients such as milk, cream, butter, vegetable oil, garlic, cheese, diced bacon or sour cream are added to add flavour and improve texture.
Pink Eyes, Pink Fir, Kipfler and Patrone are best for potato salads; Delaware and King Edwards for roasting/baking; Desiree and Patrone for boiling/steaming and Nicolas for gnocchi, a type of Italian pasta.
Perhaps the most common way of serving potatoes are in the form of french fries and chips which involves cutting pieces of potato into batons (roughly the size of a finger) and deep-fried or deep-fried in very thin slices. The Bintje, Russet Burbanks and Sebago are best for these applications.
Potatoes are also one of the main ingredients in a variety of regional dishes such as papa a la huancaina, shepherd's pie, gnocchi, papas arrugadas and many more.
Today, the potato is cultivated commercially as a row crop using seed tubers, young plants or microtubers and may mound the entire row. Potatoes have been bred into many standard or well-known varieties and are generally categorised into a few main groups such as Russets, Reds, Whites, Yellows (aka Yukons), and Purples based on common characteristics.
A variety of different potatoes can be found in markets and supermarkets these days with the most popular being:
- Désirée (Pink skin and yellow flesh. Great for boiling.)
- King Edward (White flesh. Great for roasting, boiling and mashing.)
- Kipfler (Finger shaped with creamy-coloured flesh. Great boiled/steamed and in potato salads and for presentation purposes.)
- New
- Nicola (Yellow flesh. Great for mashing and gnocchi and good for boiling, chips and roasting. It has a very buttery flavour.)
- Pink Eye (A very nutty flavour. Good for roasting, boiling and salads.)
- Pink Fir Apple (Great for salads)
- Red Pontiac (All-rounder)
- Russet Burbank (All-rounder and great for frying)
- Spunta (Yellow fleshed and all-rounder)
In Australia, there were previously only two varieties of potato - new and old; however, things have come a long since those days and we are spoilt for choice now with different potatoes for different occasions and cooking methods.
Generally speaking, bintjes, desirees, King Edwards, nicolas, and russet burbanks are our favourites for mashing - one of the most common ways of serving potatoes which involves mashing boiled potatoes (peeled or unpeeled) with a potato ricer or similar device.
Other ingredients such as milk, cream, butter, vegetable oil, garlic, cheese, diced bacon or sour cream are added to add flavour and improve texture.
Pink Eyes, Pink Fir, Kipfler and Patrone are best for potato salads; Delaware and King Edwards for roasting/baking; Desiree and Patrone for boiling/steaming and Nicolas for gnocchi, a type of Italian pasta.
Perhaps the most common way of serving potatoes are in the form of french fries and chips which involves cutting pieces of potato into batons (roughly the size of a finger) and deep-fried or deep-fried in very thin slices. The Bintje, Russet Burbanks and Sebago are best for these applications.
Potatoes are also one of the main ingredients in a variety of regional dishes such as papa a la huancaina, shepherd's pie, gnocchi, papas arrugadas and many more.
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