Types of Potatoes

The way potatoes are cooked is only limited by the cook's imagination. However, not all ways of cooking suit all types of potatoes; so the Types of Potatoes you buy should depend on how you plan to cook them.

Extensive research is being undertaken around the world and there are now literally hundreds of varieties: white, yellow, red, purple and lilac. What is available in your grocery store depends on where you live, however, as different varieties are grown in different countries.

Many people know the potatoes they boy only by the classifications or 'red', 'old', and 'new'. Red are usually a red-sinned type, such as Pantiac, but old and new refer to the stages of growth: new potatoes are the latest season's crop; old potatoes are from the previous year.

The following is a short list of some of the more popular varieties available:

Bison --- good for frying, baking and mashing, but not French fries.

Chieftain --- a good all-purpose red-sinned potato.

Desiree --- a yellow-fleshed type, excellent for baking, frying, boiling and mashing.

Irish Cobbler --- an old standby with good flavor.

Katahdin --- white-skinned type, suitable for general cooking and frying.

Kennebec --- excellent for frying and boiling.

Norland --- high-quality all-rounder.

Pontiac --- red-skinned type; one of the best for mashing and boiling.

Russet Butbank --- a long, white-skinned type developed in the United States; the best potato for frying, used by McDonald's throughout the world for its French fries.

Sebago --- white-skinned type, used for French fries, mashing and baking.

Sequoia --- common variety of new potato, ideal for boiling.

Superior --- all purpose, good shape-keeping quality.

Yukon Gold --- a wonderful baking potato with gold flesh.

Nomenclature can be confusing as it varies from country to country and sometimes represents variety, experts would like to see potatoes reclassified, according to such things as starch content.