Potatoes

+Description

The potato plant is a family member of the nightshades. The potato is native to Peru. The plant however is grown for its, equally named, roots. Each plant grows about 8 till 12 roots. There are many varieties of potato plants. The well known potatoes are brown to yellow coloured, but potatoes can also be orange, red or even purple. Not only the colour differs, but also the taste and texture. The skin of every potato is edible.

+Availability

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

Potatoes are available from France and Holland.

+Main nutrients

Fiber and Vitamin C.

Main varieties

Many varieties in potatoes, some special ones are:
Sweet potato

Sweet potatoes can vary in shape from being elongated to round. The roots not only differ in shape but also in colour. The skin and flesh can be white, light yellow, orange, violet or red. Nature's Pride has the orange variety. The flesh is yellow to orange and tastes mildly sweet.
View Sweet potato
Roseval

Roseval potatoes are long and oval. The potato has a red skin and pink veins. This potato has a fine structure and does not need to be peeled. Franceline and Cherie potatoes are similar to this potato.
Vitalotte

The vitalotte potato is a dark purple, almost black potato. The potato is oval shaped and medium sized. Vitalotte potatoes are sweeter than ordinary potatoes and have a subtle nutty flavour.
View Vitalotte
Crosne

The roots are small and spiral-shaped. The thin skin is whitish-brown or ivory-white. The crunchy roots have a refined, slightly sweet flavour. Crosne can be eaten raw. Crosne is only available from November through January.

Preparation

Clean or peel the skin. Then the potato should be fried, boiled or baked except for the crosne potato. Crosne potatoes can be eaten raw.

Consumption

Potatoes can be eaten raw, but this is generally not done. The waxy potatoes are perfect for dishes where the potato should be intact, like stews and soups. However every potato is easily made into purée, French fries or chips. A well known potato dish is the Spanish Omelet.

When to eat

Keep potatoes at a cool and dry place.

Did you know?

The Incan Indians of Peru initially cultivated potatoes around 200 B.C. The spuds were not only eaten in those days, but were used to help set broken bones and to calculate time.
The Spanish claim that Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada was the first to introduce the potato to Europe in the year 1550. The Irish say that it was not until 1585 that Sir Walter Raleigh introduced the potato to Europe.
Nearly 8 out of 10 consumers eat some form of potato 3.6 times every two weeks.
Although it is sometimes called a yam, the sweet potato is not in the yam family, nor is it closely related to the common potato.