The ancient Incas were cultivating this humble tuber thousands of years ago. The potato was not readily accepted in Europe, however, because it was known to be a member of the nightshade family (as are the tomato and eggplant) and therefore thought to be poisonous. In the 16th century, Sir Walter Raleigh was instrumental in debunking the poisonous potato superstition when he planted them on property he owned in Ireland. The Irish knew a good thing when they saw it and a hundred years later were growing and consuming the potato in great quantities. Today, hundreds of varieties of this popular vegetable are grown around the world. In America, the potato can be divided into four basic categories:
Russet potatoes (also called old potatoes, baking potatoes and, sometimes, Idaho potatoes-after the state leading in production) have an elliptical shape with a rough, brown skin and numerous eyes.
Long white potatoes have a similar shape as the russet but they have thin, pale gray-brown skins with almost imperceptible eyes. They're sometimes called white rose or California long whites, after the state in which they were developed. Long whites can be baked, boiled or fried. The thumb-size baby long whites are called fingerling potatoes.
The medium-size round white and round red potatoes are also commonly referred to as boiling potatoes. They're almost identical except that the round white has a freckled brown skin and the round red a reddish-brown coat. They both have a waxy flesh that contains less starch and more moisture than the russet and long white. This makes them better suited for boiling (they're both commonly used to make mashed potatoes) than for baking. They're also good for roasting and frying.
Potatoes are not at all hard on the waistline (a 6-ounce potato contains only about 120 calories) and pack a nutritional punch. They're low in sodium, high in potassium and an important source of complex carbohydrates and vitamins C and B-6, as well as a storehouse of minerals. Neither sweet potatoes nor yams are botanically related to the potato.
Russet potatoes (also called old potatoes, baking potatoes and, sometimes, Idaho potatoes-after the state leading in production) have an elliptical shape with a rough, brown skin and numerous eyes.
Long white potatoes have a similar shape as the russet but they have thin, pale gray-brown skins with almost imperceptible eyes. They're sometimes called white rose or California long whites, after the state in which they were developed. Long whites can be baked, boiled or fried. The thumb-size baby long whites are called fingerling potatoes.
The medium-size round white and round red potatoes are also commonly referred to as boiling potatoes. They're almost identical except that the round white has a freckled brown skin and the round red a reddish-brown coat. They both have a waxy flesh that contains less starch and more moisture than the russet and long white. This makes them better suited for boiling (they're both commonly used to make mashed potatoes) than for baking. They're also good for roasting and frying.
Potatoes are not at all hard on the waistline (a 6-ounce potato contains only about 120 calories) and pack a nutritional punch. They're low in sodium, high in potassium and an important source of complex carbohydrates and vitamins C and B-6, as well as a storehouse of minerals. Neither sweet potatoes nor yams are botanically related to the potato.
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