How many types of potatoes are there?

Only when you are a little familiar with the variety of potatoes you have the opportunity to take advantage of this diversity. Then you can succeed in adding variety to the menu simply by varying a very simple basic food.

We have so many types of potatoes

• Anyone hearing this number for the first time will find it almost unbelievable how many varieties of potatoes there are. Because there are no less than 5,500 varieties that exist. Not quite as precise, of course, it could also be 5,499 or 5,501, and new breeds are constantly being developed.
• So many types of potatoes that the grower can choose exactly which potatoes he would like to grow on his land. Or which potatoes will probably thrive best on his land and under his other given conditions.
• The potatoes are first differentiated into food types and commercial types. The first of these two groups of properties is self-explanatory: types of food are grown to be eaten. But the potatoes of the commercial varieties would of course be just as edible, they are also used for food production. Just not to be eaten as a potato, but to process it into starch and alcohol. So that this processing can be carried out more easily, the properties of the potatoes of the commercial varieties have been slightly changed during breeding.
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• In the case of table potatoes and commercial potatoes, there are also varieties that have been specially bred so that they can be easily processed into ready-made potato products. Here then z. B. the perfect mashed potato.


Potato variety Solist - information

The potato, which originally comes from South America, was discovered in 1550 as ...

• In addition, the potato varieties are divided into four ripening groups: There are potatoes that ripen very early, early and medium early and those that ripen medium late to very late. Potatoes can be harvested continuously from the end of May to mid-October. That is why new potatoes of German origin will be available in stores from the beginning of June. These new potatoes are then replaced by the medium-early potato varieties, which are harvested from the end of August. They would already be suitable for a cellar, but the mid-late to very late also follow late varieties of potatoes, which are harvested in small numbers and all of which are intended for cellaring are.
• We only produce seedlings for some types of potatoes for export; they are probably less suitable for the conditions here. And other potato varieties are only of regional importance, they probably need certain soil properties that are only found in certain regions.

How to find the right types of potatoes

• However, it is also an advantage for us consumers that there are so many types of potatoes: We can easily buy the right potato for every dish.
• For one potato salad you need waxy potatoes, for stews and boiled potatoes mainly waxy potatoes are best, floury Boiling potatoes with a very high starch content can be easily processed into mashed potatoes and potato fritters (potato pancakes).
• If you are shopping in a store where you won't necessarily run into staff who are knowledgeable about potatoes, you can recognize the cooking properties by the label on the pack: If you find an A printed on it, it is waxy Potatoes, the predominantly waxy potato varieties, are identified by a B, and the C is the floury potatoes Reserved.
• In the meantime, however, there are again many shops that deal with the trade in potatoes (and perhaps with vegetables overall) with a passion for detail. In stores like this, you can simply ask which potato is recommended for a particular dish. The specialist will advise you comprehensively.
• Attractive possibilities open up with regard to the use of different types of potatoes if you want to create a buffet. Now please don't say: potato salad - how boring! Because there are a lot of people who just love to eat potato salad, with a buffet with a wide variety of potato salads you will make a lot of people happy. And it won't get boring in the least if you offer potato salads in five different colors with completely different ingredients. You should of course have a shop near you where you can buy all sorts of potatoes.

By the way, there are more and more people who are not satisfied with not having a shop near you that sells many different types of potatoes. They just grow their own special potatoes again in the garden as they did in the past - and even on the balconies in the cities you can now see small "potato plantations" more often.