“When I think of potatoes, I think of the only two kinds: potatoes and sweet potatoes, right?” Wrong! Way wrong! There are actually a great number of different varieties of potatoes. And, sweet potatoes aren’t even really potatoes—they’re more like distant cousins of the potato, sharing the same name.
Potatoes, like apples, come in many different varieties, and just like apples, each variety is better for certain uses. Each variety of potato has its own distinct name, color, taste, best-suited purpose, and texture.
The Many Varieties of Potatoes
All in all, there are over 150 different varieties of potatoes. They have names like AC Blue Pride, Fabula, Viking, Yukon Gold, and Russet (Idaho potatoes are this variety). When potatoes were first cultivated by South American Indians, they grew upwards of 250 different forms of this ground plant—more varieties than we see in today’s market, greenhouses, amateur botanists’ gardens, and scientific research gardens.
Although there are so many different types of potatoes to choose from, only a select number of them are grown, sold, and consumed in mass proportions.
The main varieties of potatoes you would find at your local grocery store, market, or prepared and cooked to perfection at your favorite restaurant are the ones that hold a real share of the market for sales and consumption. There are actually six main varieties of potatoes that make up the entire commercial market for this popular crop. Many varieties are not considered marketable because they are either prone to disease or simply don’t hold up well to shipping.
In North America, potatoes are generally separated into four basic categories: 1) Russet Potatoes, 2) Round White, 3) Round Red, and 4) Long White.
Russet potatoes: Also known as “baking potatoes,” “old potatoes,” and “Idaho” potatoes (because the state is a leader in their production), Russets are elliptical in shape with a brown, rough skin and numerous eyes. Russet potatoes also have a white flesh that is somewhat dry and “mealy” after being cooked. Their low moisture and high starch content make them an excellent choice for baked, mashed, and fried potatoes. Some well-known Russet varieties include Russet Burbank and Russet Arcadia.
Round White Potatoes: These medium-sized potatoes are also commonly called “boiling potatoes.” Round Whites have a freckled brown skin and waxy flesh that contains less starch and more moisture than the long white and Russet varieties. These qualities make them ideal for boiling, hence the name “boiling potatoes.”
Round Red Potatoes: These are very similar to Round White potatoes in almost every way, except their skin is a reddish-brown color. Round Red potatoes are commonly grown in the Northwest U.S., while Round Whites are often grown in the Northeast.
Long White Potatoes: These potatoes are similar in shape to Russets but have a pale, grey-brown skin that is thin and has barely visible eyes. Long Whites are sometimes known as “white rose” or “California long whites,” named after the state where they were first created. Long Whites are good for boiling, baking, or frying. The thumb-sized baby Long Whites that you might sometimes find on your plate are known as fingerling potatoes.
Another very common form of potato is Yellow Gold Potatoes, an example of the yellow-fleshed variety.
No matter which variety of potato you prefer—whether you buy the classic Russet potatoes from your local grocer or grow a new strain in your home garden—always remember that the potato is not a one-hit wonder. There are many different varieties out there for you to learn about and try.
