Potatoes: The World's Delight of a Lowly Tuber

The day when the humble potato ended the famine crisis in Europe, it became a source of sustenance for us common folks. Not to mention that potatoes actually originated from the Andean range as the Incas were the pioneers in cultivating this wholesome tuber. As one of the essential crops in the world, potato flesh is tasteless and bland when eaten raw, but sprinkle some salt and pepper or drench these spuds in creamy gravy, and they instantly become a crowd favorite!

Let’s identify the different varieties of potatoes; starchy, all purpose, and waxy. All you need is to choose which one is suitable for your meal. Here is a guide for your selection of potatoes!

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Starchy Potatoes

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The starchy potatoes are wholesome and you can often have it as your main dish for dinner. What you can consider as starchy potatoes are Russet or Idaho which are the most common potatoes due to low moisture. You can have these potatoes as one of your main ingredients for the Italian classic, Gnocci, fried chips, or even bake yourself hasselback potatoes with some garnishing on top. Not to mention that everyone’s favorite mashed potatoes can be made with these starchy spuds because of its creamy texture.

Waxy Potatoes

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Waxy potatoes on the other hand may be less likely to be used for mashed potatoes. When you visit your local supermarkets, you will likely encounter these potatoes with its distinguished characteristics as they come in variety of sizes and shapes. French Fingerling, Russian Banana, Red Adirondack, and many others are classified under waxy potatoes. Usually, when you boil these low starched potatoes, their shape stays intact. High in moisture and sugar, these are great for potato salads, casseroles, and much more!

All-purpose Potatoes

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All-purpose potatoes ought to be your main preferences if you are not very well-versed within the culinary field. All-purpose potatoes as its name suggests, can be prepared in almost any way due to the medium content of both starch and moisture. Yukon Gold potatoes, white potatoes, and the exquisite purple potatoes make up the variety of all-purpose potatoes. Due to its multipurpose use and flexibility, it is highly recommended for anyone who might feel confused in the supermarket upon seeing such a wide variety.

Most importantly, when we talk about potatoes, it is often associated with mashed potatoes and fried chips, or they might be one of the main ingredients for your curry or stew. However, different countries have their interpretations of savoring these potatoes. The Swedish have their crispy
Rösti, the Spanish have Patatas Bravas, and the Canadians have their cheesy Poutin! And perhaps an unconventional way of cooking potatoes perhaps would be in the form of a doughnut as they do in Virginia USA.

Ways of Cooking Potato

Whether you fry it, mash it, roast it, or bake it, potatoes are indeed our savior when we are in need of wholesome foods.