Potato varieties in Germany – tips for old varieties

We Central Europeans are true to variety, at least most of them. Once a tasty potato has been found, we stick with it, sometimes for a lifetime, if that works. Germans in particular don’t like to experiment. “What the farmer doesn’t know …” There are so many interesting varieties of potato. Unfortunately, our farmers don’t really like to experiment either, so that you often don’t have a chance to try something new. But if you can, you should definitely try other varieties!

• Linda – the most famous tuber in Germany and, for many, the best type of potato. Firm-cooking, very aromatic taste, entered in the list of varieties in 1974, long storage makes the potato floury
• Belana – firm, early ripening, easy to store, particularly good lettuce potatoes, high harvest, should be the successor to Linda
• Linz delicacy – comes from Austria, very good taste and easy to store
• Gloria – dark yellow pulp, very early ripening, predominantly waxy, strong, aromatic taste
• Rosara – red-skinned, very early ripening, predominantly waxy, insensitive to many potato diseases
• Cilena – waxy and early ripening, deep yellow pulp, salad and fried potatoes, very firm, insensitive to many potato diseases, but prone to late blight and potato canker
• Granola – predominantly waxy and rather late variety, yellow pulp, very good storable, insensitive to many potato diseases with the exception of cancer

Modern varieties

Modern table potatoes are purposefully bred, often by appearance, so that the customer is attracted and encouraged to buy. These varieties often do not have the typical skin color and the potato meat is also a different color. The taste is definitely potato.

• La Ratte – waxy, elongated variety. Similar to the well-known tuber ‘Bamberger Hörnchen’. Traded as a delicacy in France.
• Cherie – beautiful red skin, waxy potato, ideal as a fried or salad potato
• Vitelotte – purple skin, ripening late, comes from France and is considered a delicacy. Also called “truffle potatoes”
• Blauer Schwede – violet-gray skin, blue pulp, retains its color even after cooking, predominantly waxy, slightly floury and early ripening, good for growing in cooler regions, good for jacket potatoes, potato gratins, potato salads and French fries. Little susceptible to disease
• Red Emmalie – red skin and red pulp, medium early and mainly waxy variety, good, spicy taste, suitable as salad, puree or jacket potatoes and for gnocchi.
• Rosemarie – pink skin, red pulp, medium early and waxy variety, very fine, creamy and greasy taste

Rare varieties

Rare varieties are often difficult to come by. They have been forgotten or just gone out of style. Sometimes, however, they are also quite sensitive varieties and are simply no longer up-to-date for cultivation purposes today. For the home garden, however, they are quite suitable, only not for mass production. If you can get such a rare variety, you should definitely try it out, test it for taste, and cultivate it once!

• Ackersegen – floury boiling, yellow-fleshed, very robust variety, tasty
• Bona – yellow, round tuber, medium early, predominantly waxy, good creamy taste
• Danish asparagus potatoes – skin and flesh yellow, waxy, high-yielding, sensitive to late blight
• Early Rose – also called “Early Rose Potato”, pink skin, white pulp, thin-skinned, early variety
• Eigenheimer – Ocher peel with a purple tint, flesh yellow, good taste, prone to cancer and late blight
• Herrmanns Blauer – skin and meat blue, predominantly waxy, good taste
• Roseval – red-skinned, pink on the outside, white on the inside, waxy, good taste, very creamy
• Shetland Black – black-purple skin, purple marbled meat, predominantly waxy, good creamy taste

New hits

Novelties are sometimes bred for their looks. The main goal, however, is to keep varieties that are healthy and resistant to many diseases. That is why there is a lot of research and experimentation. Several new varieties are approved every year. You then have to prove yourself on the market. If that works, they are part of the program, if not, they disappear again. Ten new varieties are approved in Germany every year.

• Maya Twilight – taste should be reminiscent of marzipan, variety only since 2008, beautiful patterned bowl
• Figaro – medium early, drought-tolerant variety, good resistance to Y virus, YNTN, Rhizoctonia, growth cracks and iron stains, resistant to many potato diseases, good chip potato
• Queen Ann – early, predominantly waxy and very homogeneous table potatoes, good yields, good storability despite early ripeness, many resistances

Old varieties

Many old varieties are no longer available today as “Saatgut2”. There are several reasons for this. Some varieties were too heavy for the harvesters, others had skins that were too thin and were easily damaged by the machines. The great diversity fell by the wayside. In private gardens, however, it is not so much about quantity, but more about quality. This is why private hobby gardeners often exchange varieties with one another or pass them on. You will most likely find something there on the Internet.

Old potato varieties are often very tasty. They have retained much of their original intensity and variety in terms of taste, consistency, resistance and shelf life. Perhaps it is precisely these characteristics that will play a major role in the future?

• Pink pine cones – on the market since 1850, late-ripening and firm-boiling variety, is considered very tasty
• Sieglinde – waxy variety with yellow flesh and a fine aroma. Ripening early, good salad and baked potatoes, has a very thin skin, insensitive to potato canker, but prone to herb rot and scab. Oldest variety on the list of varieties in Germany
• Arran Victory – floury and ripening late, deep purple skin, but very light flesh, very productive and storable
• Bintje – comes from the Netherlands, 1910, larger than average tubers, high yield, rather floury variety, light yellow pulp, medium-early to late ripening, is industrially processed into chips and fries
• Bonita Colorada – comes from the Canary Islands and is several hundred years old, late variety, predominantly waxy, yellow skin, yellow to light yellow meat, excellent, fine, spicy, creamy and buttery taste, very good as jacket and boiled potatoes.
• BF 15 – from France, 1947, early to medium early variety, waxy, yellow skin and meat, very fine, creamy potato taste, good as salad, boiled and jacket potatoes, resistant to potato cancer
• Epicure – from Ireland, 1897, yellow skin, white meat, very early and high-yielding variety, predominantly firm to floury cooking, mild, creamy taste, good boiled and jacket potatoes
• White Elefant – from USA, 1881, very large tubers, yellow skin, meat white to light yellow, medium late and high-yielding variety, floury cooking, good taste, good for puree and dumpling potatoes, ideal for French fries and chips
• Skerry Blue – from Ireland, 1846, skin blue-violet, meat light yellow to yellow, late harvest, rather low yields, waxy, good, strong taste, ideal boiled potato
• Ora – from Germany, 1952, skin brown, meat light yellow to yellow, late and high-yielding variety, floury cooking, strong, spicy aroma, universally usable, good stored potato, resistant to potato canker and high resistance to late blight, potato scab and rhizoctonia

A pretty good selection of old potato varieties can be found on the Internet. You have to look for something, but it’s definitely worth it. This variety usually looks bad at local dealers.

Conclusion
Potatoes are delicious, varied and healthy. Personally, I can’t imagine life without them, even though I don’t care about the chips or French fries that are so much loved by many. I’m more of the fried potato and puree type. In any case, I don’t want to have to do without potatoes. Now I am also a cook who likes to experiment and test my way through all the potato types that we offer at the weekly market. Unfortunately, the variety is not as great as I would like it to be. New varieties are rarely available. I especially like colored potatoes. The potato salad or the puree looks really extravagant. I know that for a lot of people this takes getting used to. Never mind i love it So have fun trying and testing!