There are a many potato varieties that you can buy at the grocery store. Most of us could not possibly imagine life without baked potatoes, let alone French fries. Our diets will not be the way it is today if not for these root crops. It’s safe to say that potatoes are America’s favorite vegetable because they can be baked, fried, roasted, broiled, steamed, mashed, made into chips, used for salads, among many other cooking techniques. However, they may be everyone’s favorite but not all potatoes taste the same, there are a few which are the best for baking.
2 Basic Types of Potato Varieties
There are basically two types of potatoes. Potatoes which are waxy and those which are floury in texture. You will know a floury potato from a waxy one by weighing both of them. A waxy potato will more likely be heavier than a floury potato which has a higher amount of dry matter. Waxy potatoes are those potato varieties which are ideal for your salads because they are firm and are able to keep their shape. You can also tell a waxy potato because they are almost opaque and can be a little damp and has a stickier paste. Floury potatoes, on the other hand, have brighter colored skins compared to waxy potatoes. They are also granular in texture and appearance. Floury potatoes also have a drier consistency.
The Desiree, Estima and King Edward potato varieties are very good examples of the floury type. These potato varieties are wonderful for baking.They are also good for casseroles and soups. You will have a better dining experience if you use the best variety of potato for baking. So look for large, smoothed skin potatoes since these are the ones you need for the hearty baked potato recipe.
Sweet Potato Varieties
There are hundreds sweet potato varieties. Sweet potatoes belong to the morning glory family. Their skin colors can range from white, yellow, red, purple to brown. Their flesh can also range in color from white, yellow, orange and dark orange. Sweet potato varieties are categorized as being “soft” or “firm” and this is important for cooking methods. When cooked, soft types of sweet potatoes will become moist and stay soft. The firm type of sweet potato will stay firm when cooked. The soft sweet potato are often labeled as being yams but they are not.
You shouldn’t have any problems finding a type of potato that you really enjoy because there are so many different types of potato varieties.