A little while ago, I was asked for a recommendation for a good roasting potato; and then again for advice onwhat sort of spud to usefor soups and mash. These may seem like daft questions to those of you in the “just buy abag of potatoesand use themfor everything” camp, but if you like your roasties fluffy and light and your mashwhipped into peaks, picking the right potato is actually a very important task to complete.
There are hundreds of different potato varieties in Germany, eachofferingtheir own individual combination oftexture, flavour and cooking characteristics, so choosing the right one for the job can reallymake all the difference to your meal. Happily, these perennial tubers can bebroadly generalised into several different types, which means that despite there beingso many varieties to choose from, if you know what you wantthem for, you’ve got a good chance of ending up with the right sort. Unfortunately, the way potatoes areclassified differs around the globe: in the US, for example, it seems to be done by colour – russet, white, yellow, and so on– and in the UK they’re categorised byhow waxy or starchy they are.
In Germany, potatoes are classified in two ways. Firstly, they can be grouped by when they’re harvested: very early, early, medium-early, medium-late orlate (specific, I know, but remember where we are). Potatoes are availableallyear round, but those planted in winter and harvested early, in spring and early summer,are known as early potatoes(new potatoes) and can only be boughtfrom around April to July. Early potatoes have verythin skins and hold their shape well when cooked and cut, which makes themperfectfor boiling or making salads.
Potatoes in Germany are also classifiedin terms of their cookingcharacteristics; whether they’re floury and dry or waxy and firm or somewhere in between. Floury spuds disintegrate when boiledbut are the perfectfor baking; waxy potatoesmake great gratins but a mediocre mash. So, thesecharacteristics are the most important thing to consider when buying potatoes, and happily, this is how they’re grouped in Germany,verybroadly, into the three categories below. From farm shop to supermarket they’re even labeled as such, so despite there beingcountless different sorts of potatoes in each category, the good news is that if you stick within the right group, you can’t go too far wrong.
FestkochendeKartoffeln | Waxy potatoes
Festkochendepotatoes havea smooth, waxy, dense flesh that remains firm when they’recooked.They have a highmoisture content and a very thin skin that, though you can scratch it off easily with a fingernail, doesn’t tend to come off in the pan. They’re waxy, not starchy, so they hold their shape well and for this reason aregood for frying,making gratins and stewsor boiling for salads (which is why they’re also known here as salad potatoes, orSalatkartoffeln). Waxy potatoes are flavoursome and very moreish roasted with their skins on, but the end product is very different to a classic (British) roastie made with a floury tuber.
In German supermarkets, festkochende potatoes are often labeled in green. Well-known varieties include:Annabelle (pictured above), Agata, Charlotte, Kipfler, Marabel, Linda, Princess and Pink Fir Apple.
What to dowith yourfestkochende potatoes? How about makingnew potatoes sautéed with herbs,a classic English potato salador my favourite ever royal potato salad with pesto and quails’ eggs.
Vorwiegend festkochendeKartoffeln | Primarily waxy potatoes
Vorwiegend festkochendepotatoes are the middle ground, being both reasonablyfirmand a littlestarchy without being dry. They’re therefore a good all-purpose potatoand a safe pick if you want a big bag of potatoes to use throughout the week for different dishes. They won’t fall apart when you cook them or turn into a gloopy mess when mashed, so they’reperfect for serving puréedor riced or boiled and peeled as well as for making French fries, roast potatoes, rösti orBratkartoffelnorfor adding tostews. They’re also a good option for making dumplings and other dishes that involve turning potatoes into dough.
In German supermarkets, vorwiegend kochendepotatoes are often labeled in red. Well-knownvarieties include:Bolero, Christa, Désirée, Finka, Gala, Hela, Maja and Saskia.
Need a littlevorwiegendfestkochendeinspiration?How about awholegrain mustard mash,a luxurious gratin Dauphinois ora perfect potato rösti.
Mehlig kochendeKartoffeln |Starchy potatoes
Mehlig kochendepotatoes are thosethat contain the most starch: they fallapart easily when boiled, slip easily from theirskins andhave a dry, floury texture once cooked. They have lovely crispy outsides and fluffy insides when roasted, and they can make goodmash, though you need tobe very careful not to overwork them or it’llend up gluey. Starchy potatoes are also good for dishesthat involves usingpotatoesas a dough, such as gnocchi, dumplings orcroquettes.Mehlig kochendepotatoes are good at absorbing liquids, so choosethemfor serving with sauces, and as long as you don’t let them overcook, they’re also goodfor adding to soups and curries. Most importantly of all, mehligkochendepotatoes make the perfectbaking potato: they’re fluffy and light and absorb butter beautifully.
In German supermarkets, bags of mehlig kochendepotatoes often have a blue label. The best-known varietiesin Germanyinclude:Adretta, Aula, Freya, Gunda (pictured top), Karat, Libana, Lipsi, Melina andNaturella.
Stuck for what to do witha bag ofmehlig kochend potatoes? Why not try apotato and cauliflower curry, green gnocchi (with sage and peas), someclassic German potato dumplings, Tom Kerridge’s perfect roast potatoes, or my very favourite German potato soup.
So there we have it: a potato for every occasion. What’s your favourite potato dish? And what camp are you in: doyou purchase particular potatoes on purpose or justuse whatever you can get your hands on?
