Some varieties are good for mashing, baking or roasting

Today we will look at the different types of potatoes and their various uses. Potato dishes and snacks can be prepared in many different ways; from the tasty crisps to jacket potatoes, and the most popular chips. Different cooking methods will give you a different potato taste.

Potato types

Desiree potato (Alika potato in Kenya): They are large, oval-shaped with pink/red skin and dark spots. They have medium or shallow eyes with creamy yellow flesh and firm texture. They are good for boiling, mashing and frying. They do not discolour after cooking.

Russet potatoes: They have a brown net-like skin that covers the white flesh. They are oval-shaped with many shallow eyes. They become soft and fluffy when cooked. Russet potatoes are rich in starch. They are ideal for baking, mashing, roasting, frying and they also make excellent chips.

Long white potatoes: They are oval-shaped potatoes with light white or pale brown coloured skin. Some varieties of long white potatoes are low in starch; contain only 25 per cent carbohydrates and mineral salts, the remaining 75 per cent being water.

They are easily digestible and facilitate intestinal functions. Because of their low starch level, they are suitable for obese and diabetic patients.

They can be consumed by boiling, mashing, frying and baking. Like the round white potatoes, they also hold their shape after cooking. They are often known as the white rose or California long whites.

Round white potatoes: They are round-shaped as the name suggests. The starch level is medium; their flesh is white or creamy, while the skin is smooth and light brown in colour.

They can be found throughout the year and are great for all types of potato dishes. They are suitable for boiling, mashing, roasting and frying, and can retain their shape even after cooking. Some popular varieties of round white potatoes include Atlantic, Kennebec and Superior.

New Potatoes: They are also referred to as baby potatoes. They are basically young potatoes that are not fully grown. The skin of new potatoes is generally thinner and flakier than the skin found on older potatoes, so they are rarely if ever peeled before cooking.

How to make baked Rosemary potatoes

This is a tasty way of enjoying potatoes as an accompaniment, a snack, for breakfast or even a healthier alternative to chips!

Recipe

• 1 kilo medium-sized Desiree potatoes (red skinned)

• 2 medium-sized red onion, sliced thickly (optional)

• Rosemary/thyme - dried or fresh

• Salt

• Freshly ground pepper