Kartoffeln - Background Check
Tubers full of Bliss
Potatoes are an integral part of our everyday life and also of the holiday table. Boiled, deep-fried, roasted, pureed or even distilled – everything can be done with potatoes. What is interesting is that potatoes are not a vegetable in the true sense, but as a separate category – starchy tubers [1] or as a root crop [2].
However, that is not so important for us as consumers, we are more looking for the fine taste.
[1] https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet
[2] https://www.lebensmittellexikon.de/k0000860.php#0
Lemon of the North
Anyway, there are many names. Erdäpfel, Erdbirne, Grundbirne (and many other local forms.) In French, pomme de terre (earth apple), in Serbian and Croatian, the pear is the godfather of ‘krumpir’. Because of the high vitamin C content, potatoes have been referred to time and again as the ‘Lemon of the North’.
Originally from South America, potatoes were cultivated by the Spanish in the 16th century. brought to Europe. It was planted in Europe in the first few years, supposedly because of the pretty flowers. [1]. From the 18th century, potatoes were cultivated extensively in Central Europe and the tubers were eaten. The fact that they can be stored easily and for a long time has helped the potatoes to their triumphal march.
Green Spots
A pros po storage: Potatoes like to be dark, airy and cool. If the potatoes are stored in a light area, green spots will form. This is a sign that the toxic solanine has been formed, which can cause nausea and stomach cramps. Green areas – as well as eyes and germs – should be removed in any case.[1]
Interesting: Sweet potatoes are only (very) distantly related to potatoes.
[1] https://www.kartoffel-mueller.de/info/die-kartoffel.html
Variety
There are thousands of different types of potatoes [1],
in all sizes and colors. You can find 20-30 types commonly in the shop.
Potatoes are classified according to their harvest time into early (from the beginning of June), middle (from mid-August) and late (from mid-September). If you want to know exactly, you can read about every variety in detail online at ‘the european cultivated potatoe’.[2]
[1] https://dewiki.de/Lexikon/Liste_von_Kartoffelsorten
[2] https://www.europotato.org/
Starch is it
The starch content defines the basic difference between a waxy (fatty), a predominantly waxy or floury potato.
waxy (Ferme) | Predominantly waxy (Intermédiaire) | floury (tendre, farineuse) | |
Starch | 12-13% | 14-15% | 15-16% |
names (examples) | Amandine, Apollo, Allians, Belana, Goldmarie or Princess, La ratte, Linzer Delikatess Sieglinde, Kipfler | Adriana, Gala, Marabel, Milva or Toscana | Adretta, Gunda, Lilly and Lucilla, Bintje, Manon |
Dishes | salad, fried potatoes | Rösti, soup | mashed |
Creative
Joel Robuchon uses the waxy potato variety ‘La Ratte’ for his ‘Signature Dish’ mashed potatoes. The potatoes are boiled until soft and mashed. As a result, they are slowly warmed up and thus dehydrated. Only then finished with milk and butter. Details in the CULINAMUS recipe: mashed potatoes
As already mentioned, you can do everything with the potato. New potatoes in their skins only with butter and salt, roasted with parsley, fried as french fries, boiled and mashed, sliced with cream and milk as a casserole (gratin), made into dough as gnocchi or filled dumplings. As a starter, main course, side dish, dessert. There is no limit to the imagination.
happy cooking
CULINAMUS!
