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Types of Potatoes Information

There are no less than 15 different main types of potatoes on the planet which have at least 200 varieties backing them. These 15 plus potato types can further be classified under three broad categories namely starchy, waxy and all-purpose potatoes.

Since potatoes are for eating, this further classification is useful in indicating the suitability of certain potatoes to do certain things from a culinary perspective. In this guide, we list the various potato types and delve deeper into what they literally bring to the table.

The scientific name for potatoes is Solanum tuberosum. Potatoes are a starchy vegetable that was first cultivated in South America in Peru and northeastern Bolivia sometime between 8,000 BC and 5,000 B.C. Historical data associate the domestication of potatoes with the Inca Indians of Peru. 

This rich potato history has provided ample time for their study which has eventually led to their professional classification to better our understanding. Furthermore, more varieties have been developed in recent years in Europe, the United States and Canada.

Starchy Potato Types – Ideal for Frying or Baking

The first category we shall look at are starchy potatoes. Starchy potatoes are best utilised for frying and baking. There are at least four types of potatoes under this category. These are Russet, Jewel Yum, Japanese Sweet and Hannah Sweet. One of the ways to easily identify a starchy potato is that when you cut it, it releases a milky white residue which is essentially the starch. Let’s take a brief look at each one of these.

Russet Potato 

Russet Potato type

The Russet potato is the number one consumed potato in the United States, thanks to the french fries. It is also among the top ten crops grown around the world. In the United States, among other places, Russet potatoes are grown in Washington, Oregon/California border and Idaho. Sandy loamy soils tend to support the production of Russet potatoes very well. This type of potato, fries and bakes much better than most other potato types. It is full of flavour too.

There are two main varieties under the Russet potato type. These are the Russet Burbank potato and Norkotah Russet potato. The other less common varieties worth mentioning are Frontier Russet, Russet Nugget, Centennial Russet, Rio Grande Russett, Silverton Russet and Ranger Russet potatoes. 

If looking for smoother skin and a consistent shape to the potato, it is likely to be found in the Norkotah Russet potato. It looks better on the plate and restaurants tend to go with this variety for this reason. Furthermore, the Norkotah Russet potato yields better for the grower and has less disease problems which is a good thing all around; for the grower and the consumer.

Jewel Yum Potato

The Jewel Yum Potato is another starchy potato type. It is an orange-fleshed sweet potato, botanical name Ipomoea batatas, with a generally clean skin. This potato type is egg-shaped and cylindrical in shape and reduces in thickness at the ends. Before we lose anybody, yum is the common name for sweet potatoes in the United States. 

The Jewel Yum can be covered in small hairs and shallow eyes all around. This sweet potato lives up to its family name by being sweet in flavour. Furthermore, when baked it maintains its orange color and is known for remaining moist, starchy with a fluffy texture. Yum!

Japanese Sweet Potato

Japanese Sweet Potato type

Better known as Satsumaimo in Japan, the Japanese sweet potato is a potato variety characterized by red toned purple skin with a pale cream inside. This variety tastes scrumptious when baked and gives a creamy yellow color when cooked. This potato arguably tastes the best when baked at low temperatures which forces the breakdown of the starch into more sugars resulting in a sweet lovely taste.

For the growers, the Japanese sweet potato is grown by burying it in the soil leaving the pointed end protruding from under the soil. You may also grow the potatoes from vines by cutting slips off and planting them directly into the ground. The potatoes are ready for harvest about 3 to 5 months after planting.

Hannah Sweet Potatoes

photo by specialityproduce

Also known as Yellow Hannah or Sweet Hannah, this type of potato typically has a lightly colored tan skin. It has a white interior. Just like the Jewel Yum, the Japanese Sweet potato also has tapered ends and is cylindrical in shape.

Nutritional value of Hanna Sweet Potatoes include Vitamins A and C, fiber, potassium, and iron. Being a starchy potato, Sweet Hannah is usually prepared by baking and deep-frying. It can also be stuffed and even used in stir-fries. It has a sweet, wonderful flavour. 

In the United States, Yellow Hannah is mostly grown in California. Home growers can easily grow this potato type from slips cut off from the vine.

Waxy Potato Types – Ideal for roasting or boiling

Apart from the starchy potato varieties that we have been considering, the next class of potato types is waxy. Waxy potatoes have a thin, paper-like skin which is easily peeled off using your nails. They are distinctly different from the starchy varieties in that they have a significantly lower starch content. Instead they have a waxy texture hence the name. The waxy texture of the potatoes enables them to remain firm when cooked. Waxy potatoes also tend to be smaller. 

Under the waxy class, you have varieties such as Red Bliss, French Fingerling, Russian Banana, Red Thumb, La Ratte, and Austrian Crescent. All these are fingerling varieties. Fingerling refers to a variety of potatoes which have pink, yellow, blue, or light tan skin and flesh. Let’s take a brief look at each one of these.

Red Bliss Type of Potato

photo by epicurious

Red Bliss Potatoes or simply Red Potatoes are small to medium size and maintain an oblong to round shape. Being a member of the waxy class, true to form, they have a thin skin and present white flesh when cut open. On taste, they have a subdued sweet taste and are commonly served roasted, boiled, mashed or in salads. 

Red potatoes have a lower starch content and are considered a complex carbohydrate which is far more nutritious than simple carbs. Furthermore, red potatoes provide no less than 10% of the daily recommended intake of Vitamin B6.

Historically, red potatoes were introduced to Europe by Spanish explorers in the 1560s from Peru, the cradle of potatoes. The presence of anthocyanin, a pigment, in the skin of the potato is what causes the potatoes to turn red. This is the similar process as found in purple cabbage also known as red cabbage.

French Fingerling Potatoes

photo by goodeggs

French Fingerling potatoes have what has been referred to as a rose-red skin color. The skin is thin and smooth and may have some shallow eyes scattered on the surface. The flesh of the potato is deep yellow and may have a red ring close to the edges. 

Just like the Red Bliss, the French Fingerling variety was introduced to Europe by Spanish sailors. From Europe the variety found its way by intentional export to North America. Legend has it that the variety was actually smuggled to America in the nosebag of a horse. For this reason it was initially known in the United States as Nosebag potatoes before the name was dropped in preference of French Fingerling. Something more appealing.

Vitamin C and potassium is the nutritional value brought to the table by this variety. Roasting, baking and steaming is also the ideal method of cooking this type of potato. 

For growers, French Fingerlings tubers are known to resist scab. They can easily be planted using eyes from cut up chunks of the potato or as whole potato. The fact that they are easily adaptable makes it very easy to grow them in a home garden in the ground or in pots.

Russian Banana Fingerling Potatoes

Known for their extremely smooth and thin skin, Russian Banana Fingerling potatoes are slim and lengthy at about 7cm. They have a khaki skin color and gold or buttercream looking interior which is soft and dense. Being a waxy type of potatoes, they should ideally be served boiled or roasted. When cooked they give a nutty taste, are fluffy and maintain their composure due to the waxy texture. This allows for nice looking slices especially for presentation.

Nutritionally, this potato type offers Vitamin C and potassium. The cultivar for the Russian Banana Fingerling started in the Baltic region of Europe around the 1700s. The variety eventually arrived in the United States courtesy of Russian sailors.

For growers, Russian Banana Fingerling potatoes can be planted in the same way as the French Fingerling potatoes using eyes cut from whole potatoes or covering full potatoes in soil. It is also possible to plant both varieties alongside each other. The above video shows an impressive harvest of both varieties grown together in a home garden.

Red Thumb Fingerling Potatoes

photo by harvesting-history

Red Thumb Fingerlings potatoes are another waxy class of potatoes available in the market.  They are part of hundreds of other types of red potatoes. Nutritionally, this potato variety offers Vitamin C, potassium, zinc, iron, copper and fiber. The Red Thumb has a red skin color which is rather bright and a pink fleshy interior. Enjoy this waxy variety roasted, grilled, fried, boiled or steamed.

For the grower, this potato type is very productive in yield. It tends to produce uniform sized tubers and is also very effective in resisting disease. The tubers are small to medium sized with an oblong shape. They can grow up to 7cm.

While red potatoes in general have been linked to Peru, South America, in origin, the Red Thumb is considered a modern variety. For those who followed closely during the time, the Red Thumb variety was planted in the garden of the White House in 2012 by Michelle Obama.

La Ratte Fingerling Potatoes

La Rette potatoes are a waxy variety well known for what has been described as  “creamy, earthy and rich with a hint of nut flavor” by SFGATE. They have a smooth golden skin and golden yellow flesh which remains firm and dense according to the lower starchy content.

 Common methods of preparing La Rette potatoes include roasting and boiling, as well as braising. If looking for a potato type that holds its shape well after cooking, the La Rette joins with ease its other waxy companions in this promise. The only downside of this potato variety is that unlike other fingerlings, it does not have a good long storage disposition.

For growers, La Rette potatoes are easy to grow in the home garden. Follow planting methods explained for other fingerlings above.

Austrian Crescent Fingerling Potatoes

photo by goodeggs

Popular with some chefs and restaurants, the Austrian Crescent is a waxy fingerling variety with a golden-yellow interior. The skin is smooth, yellow-tan or light brown in color. This variety is ideally served boiled or steamed. It maintains its shape after cooking as expected of waxy potato types.

Methods of preparation suitable for this variety include baking, frying and roasting.

For the home grower, the Austrian Crescent is a mid to late season variety which takes some 90 days to reach maturity. The method of planting is to cut the seed potatoes into smaller pieces with one or two eyes. As is recommended with all potato planting, enough time should be afforded the cuttings to suberize before they are put in the soil.

All-purpose Potato Types – Ideal for pan frying, roasting, or stewing

The final category of potato types that we shall now turn to is the all-purpose potatoes. All-purpose potatoes are considered middle of the road potatoes. They contain medium starch and medium moisture content. It may not be surprising that they are also known as Medium Starch Potatoes.  They fall between starchy and waxy potatoes. 

In all-purpose potatoes you have a fallback option as a substitute for starchy or waxy types in recipes. This is one of the reasons why they are extremely popular.

The full range of all-purpose potato varieties that we shall consider here in brief is Yukon Gold, Red Gold, Purple Majesty, Red Norland and All Blue potato types. 

Yukon Gold Potatoes

Sometimes I like potatoes more than people, because potatoes won’t betray you

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This is one of the most well known and favorite all-purpose varieties. There is next to zero betrayal here. In Yukon Gold, you have a medium to large size, round to oval shaped potato that delivers on the promise. The skin is smooth, thin and ranges in color from light brown to gold. The flesh of this variety is yellow to gold. Culinary applications of this potato type include soups, roasting, and sautéing.

The Yukon Gold all-purpose potato variety was developed in Canada in the 1960s by agricultural scientist Gary Johnston. In developing this variety, he brought together the American white potato and South American wild yellow-fleshed potato. The outcome was a mix of the starchy Russet and waxy varieties such as La Ratte.

For growers, Yukon Gold potatoes are easy to plant. Plant them lightly under some soil 25cm to 30cm apart. They can be grown in raised beds just as they can be grown directly in the ground. They are ready for harvest 80 to 90 days after planting. Here is when to harvest your potatoes.

Red Gold Potatoes

Also out of Canada, the Red Gold potato is renowned for its red skin and yellow flesh inside. Red pigmentation in vegetables and fruits alike is a result of anthocyanins. These are colored water-soluble pigments that may appear as red, blue, purple or even black depending on their pH.

The Red Gold variety was officially registered in 1987 after having been developed in the 1970s. Common culinary applications of this potato type include roasts mixed with herbs such as garlic. They can also be served boiled mixed with butter and flavorful seasoning.

In addition to this, Red Gold potatoes have some known medicinal properties. In particular, wedges of Red Gold potatoes can be used as relief for hemorrhoids.

For growers, planting the Red Gold variety follows the method of planting the Yukon Gold variety explained earlier above. The potatoes also mature within the same time frame of 80 to 90 days.

Purple Majesty Potatoes

photo by epicurious

The Purple Majesty potato type is one of the many pigmented potato types available on the market and to grow. This variety was developed in Colorado, the United States. What you have in the Purple Majesty is a potato with purple or blue flesh which can be served baked, boiled or fried. Its outer skin is equally purple in color.

The Purple Majesty is capable of keeping its deep rich color even when cooked. This rich purple or blue pigmentation has been credited for the variety’s medicinal properties. It is said the antioxidants in the potato are associated with potential health benefits for the heart. Other human health benefits include reduced oxidative stress, reduced inflammation, and an enhanced immune system.

Purple Majesty potatoes can be successfully grown on a small scale in a home garden. They take 85 to 95 days to be mature and ready for harvest.

See our full feature on Purple Potatoes

Red Norland Potatoes

photo by veseys

The Red Norland is yet another all-purpose potato type developed out of North America. Its cradle is the North Dakota Agricultural College where it emerged in 1957. Known for its appealing smooth red skin and beautiful white interior, the Red Norland can be served boiled or baked.

To avoid confusion, Red Norland potatoes look similar to Red Pontiac potatoes. The Red Pontiac variety has flesh that is firmer compared to the Red Norland which tends to crack or split when cooked. To its credit, the Red Norland is much easier to peel than the Red Pontiac which has more pronounced and deeply embedded eyes.

For growers, the Red Norland is an early to mid-season variety with good disease resistance. Planting methods follow the other varieties already explained.

All Blue Potatoes

Finally, under this all-purpose potato list is the All Blue potato variety. All Blue potatoes are known for their deep blue pigmentation which is consistent with original potatoes before domestication some 10000 years ago. The All Blue potato variety is commonly boiled or roasted. It is purple on the outside and has blue flesh on the inside. Since the pigmentation found in potatoes is water-soluble, the potatoes tend to wash out if stewed. This is something to keep in mind.

One of the culinary possibilities involving this All blue potatoes is the making of red, white, and blue potato salad with it. Nice.

For growers, All Blue potatoes have a better tolerance for cold than the rest of the potato types. Furthermore, this variety produces a very good yield which is what every grower is looking for.

Conclusion

Clearly, there are many other types of potatoes available to choose from that are out of the scope of this article. This guide has sought to give an overview of some of the most popular potatoes under the three broad categories of starchy, waxy and all-purpose potato types. Hoping you have enjoyed this insight and found it useful and informative.