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.

Charlottes

A light coloured potato with slightly yellow flesh. These fairly small potatoes hold their shape well and are thus good for salads. However they can also be roasted whole

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. According to tradition this potato originated on the isle of Jersey where a local farmer selected a particularly fine potato with 16 eyes. He cut the eyes out and all Jersey Royals have descended from that source hence the full name Jersey Royal Fluke.

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 Apple Potatoes

The ultimate salad potato. They are very waxy and very firm

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.

Purple Majesty

Purple skin with a deep purple flesh. They pair well with savoury herbs, other starchy vegeatbles and meats such as pork or poultry.

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.

Winlok

This potato has became so uncommon now that we are even unsure of its spelling. It is more difficult to grow than more recent varieties which is why it has fallen out of favour but White Hat finds it to be a particularly flavoursome all-rounder and we particularly like it for curries and casseroles where it holds its shape while absorbing the flavours of the sauce. Those in Victoria should be able to pick them up at the Melbourne Showgrounds Farmers' Market or the Daylesford Farmers' Market.

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 can be 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.

Some potato recipes

• South of the Murray Potato Salad

Bevan Leviston

Copyright © 1995 - 2024 White Hat.

Some related articles

• Buying fresh potatoes and carrots all year round is destroying Australia's soil

Some events and locations related to Potatoes:

Trentham Farmers' Market

Trentham's authentic Farmers Market has a selection of dairy and goats cheeses, fresh honey, eggs and live poultry, preserves, local potatoes and sourdough breads, organic and conventional produce, olive products, plants and fresh flowers, organic and conventional wines and an assortment of natural farm products.

9am to 1pm, 3rd Saturday of month
Trentham Town Square, Trentham

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Crookwell Potato Festival

Celebrating over 150 years of growing potatoes high on the Southern Tableland of NSW

May 2020 ?
Crookwell

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