The White Hat Guide to Potatoes

Once upon a time in Australia there were only two varieties of potato - Old and New. Now there are more varieties available than you can poke a stick at.

For mashing our favourites are Nicolas, Desirees, Bintjes, King Edwards, and Russet Burbanks.

For potato salads White Hat's favourites are waxy varieties such as Pink Fir, Kipfler, Patrone and Pink Eyes.

For roasting or baking White Hat's favourites are King Edwards and Delaware.

For chips (or French Fries) White Hat's favourites are low sugar  and floury varieties such as Sebago, Russet Burbanks, and Bintje.

For boiling or steaming White Hat's favourites are waxy varieties such as Patrone and Desiree

For gnocchi White Hat's  favourites are Nicolas.

Bintje

This waxy potato is the mainstay of the Netherlands. Just a little creamier than the Patrone. Creamy with a yellow flesh. Good for potato salads.

Bismark

Good when you want crispy skins. Usually only around at the height of Summer.

Coliban

A white potato good for mashing or roasting.

Delaware

A white potato good for roasting and chips

Desiree

Pink skin and yellow flesh. Great for boiling.

Dutch Creams

It would be impolite to call Dutch Creams a 'spud'. They deserve the full respect of being called a Potato (with a capital P). And they are remarkably cheap - in Australia at least. Originally from Holland, the best ones White Hat has tasted come from Tasmania. They don't need cream and butter - just a little salt.

Russet Burbank

White flesh. Good for chips, roasting and mashing.

Jersey Royal

Cream skin and white flesh. Good for boiling whole or potato salad.

Kennebec

Creamy skin and white flesh - the old staple

King Edward

White flesh. Great for roasting, boiling and mashing.

Kipfler (or German Finger Potato)

A waxy, finger shaped with creamy-coloured flesh. Great boiled, steamed and in potato salads and for presentation purposes.

Latona

Yellow skin and flesh. Good for boiling and mashing.

Nadine

Creamy-coloured skin and flesh. General purpose except for chips.

Nicola

Yellow flesh. Excellent for mashing and gnocchi and good for boiling, chips and roasting. It has a very buttery flavour.

Otway Reds

another good all rounder

Pink Eye (or Southern Gold)

A cold climate potato, so those from Southern Tasmania are usually the best. A very nutty flavour. Good for roasting, boiling and salads.

Patrone

Roast or salads. Waxy very firm never fall apart. Light yellow flesh and skin.

Pink Fir

The ultimate salad potato

Pontiac

Pink skin and white flesh A good general purpose spud.

Purple Congo

Originating from Peru, it has a subtle lavender flesh which can add a decorative touch to potato salads or gnocchi. No need to peel.

Royal Blue

Purple skin and yellow flesh. Good for roasting, mashing and chips.

Ruby-Lou

Creamy texture, white flesh, rosy skin

Russet Burbanks (Idaho)

A good frying potato and good all-rounder

Symfonia

Red skin and yellow flesh. Good for roasting, mashing and chips.

Sebago

Cream skin and white flesh. Good for chips, mashing and general purpose.

Southern Gold

A waxy potato with a yellow flesh.

Spunta

A yellow fleshed potato that is a good all rounder and good for potato salads.

Toolangi Delight

With a pure white flesh and a creamy texture they are a very good general purpose spud. Named for the Department of Agriculture's potato research station. Good mashed or in their jackets in oven. The purple skin will rub off under a tap.

Yukon Gold

Developed in Canada and not readily available in Australia, the Yukon Gold is a yellow potato similar to the Bintje but not quite as flavourful. A useful general purpose potato. At White Hat we wouldn't go out of our way to buy it in Australia, but in USA where good produce is harder to find than Oz it may substitute for some of the varieties listed above.

If you are in Melbourne, the best place for potatoes is the potato stall at the Prahran Market where you will find at least a dozen varieties on any one day. Stall 50 at the South Melbourne Market also has a wide choice.

Similarly there are several stalls in Sheds H and I at the Victoria Market which carry a wide variety of spuds.

A selection of varieties from Dobson's Potatoes in the Goulburn Valley will often be available at specialty greengrocers and markets. If you are travelling in country Victoria be sure to check out the Farmers Markets and farm gate sales.

 

White Hat works hard to make information on these pages current and correct. However with many thousands of entries, much of it changing daily, errors may occur. Always verify the information by using the phone numbers supplied with each event or venue before making a special trip or using this information for any other purpose. If you believe some information is incorrect, please contact us at corrections@whitehat.com.au and we will attempt to verify or change the information DISCLAIMER: White Hat makes no claim as to the accuracy of this information and takes no responsibility for incorrect or incomplete information  or for actions based on the information in these pages, and accepts no liability to any person or organisation for the information contained in these pages.

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