Potatoes are easily found and the best ingredient to cook with. You can cook them in so many ways: mash, boil, deep-fry, steam, or bake them. Such a versatile food also happens to have different variations. They can be tall and thick or short and round or even purple or red from the inside.
Different potatoes also have different flavour profiles, textures, and waxiness. There are in fact over 300 varieties of potatoes in the world.
Here are some types of potatoes you should know about.
Red Potatoes
Red potatoes are often quite waxy, with a round and small shape and vibrant red skin (you’ll probably recognize them as soon as you see them). They do well when steamed or fried.
Russet Potatoes
These are the most frequently used potatoes available in the market. They have characteristic brown skin, with little pockets of dirt on them. Oval in shape and medium-long, they are good for baking and roasting purposes.
Purple Potatoes
Yes, there exists a type of potato which is purple in colour. Moist yet firm, they have a nutty and earthy flavour. They are used for grilling and baking in dishes. They are loaded with plant nutrients and antioxidants which are coming from anthocyanins in the purple flesh.
White Potatoes
With low sugar and lesser starch, these are white-skinned potatoes. These have great utility in mashing, boiling, and frying. They are all-purpose in general.
Petite Potatoes
Petite potatoes or as we know them as baby potatoes have a much-concentrated flavour because of their small size. They are often boiled in salads.
Sweet Potatoes
Easily the most sought-after variety, the sweet potato has great use in the kitchen not just in savoury dishes but also in desserts. They have an oblong shape with a tip.