Types of potatoes inGermany
January 26, 2010 by captious
Potatoes are typically broken into three distinct groups:
- High-Starch/Low-Moisture Potatoes. In Germany they are called Mehligkochend, and come in a bag with a blue tag. Earthy flavored russets and Idahos are the best choice for fluffy French fries, fluffy roasted potatoes, and archetypical creamy mashed potatoes. They, however, lose their shape when simmered in soups or stews. Because they have so little moisture, they tend to soak up liquid as they cook and eventually implode. In some cases, as when you want the potatoes to thicken a soup or stew, this can be desirable. Supposedly big, russett-style baking potatoes are diffciult to find. I’ve never seen them in Saarbruecken.
- Medium-Starch / All-purpose Potatoes. In Germany they are called vorwiegend festkochend, and come in a bag with a red tag. Buttery Yukon Golds, Yellow Finns, Purple Peruvians, and all-purpose potatoes do a better job of holding their shape but share many traits in common with high-starch potatoes. Good for baked potato wedges, not bad for boiling or in a salad. Cook’s Illustrated’s recipe for home fries calls for yukon golds, but when I tried making home fries with the red tag potatoes, I thought they were too waxy. I wanted something a little drier and fluffier. But maybe I just didn’t brown them enough.
- Low-Starch/High-Moisture Potatoes. In Germany they are called Festkochend, and come in a bag with a green tag. Sometimes called boiling or “waxy” potatoes, this variety holds their shape better than other potatoes when simmered. This category includes all red-skinned potatoes, such as Red Bliss and Red Creamer, as well as freshly dug potatoes, which are often labeled “new” potatoes. Low-starch potatoes should be selected when potatoes are to hold their shape, like in a soup or salad or gratin. That being said, sometimes russets are better for a particular salad because of their unique ability to absorb the flavorings.
Posted in Food | 2 Comments
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on November 4, 2015 at 2:45 pm | Reply
Germany at 25: Pommes- Many ways to make something out of a potato | The Flensburg Files[…] has three different types of potatoes that exist in the supermarkets today, along with another relative of the family, the sweet potato […]
on May 6, 2018 at 3:07 pm | Reply
Germany at 25: Pommes- Many ways to make something out of a potato – THE FLENSBURG FILES[…] has three different types of potatoes that exist in the supermarkets today, along with another relative of the family, the sweet potato […]
