Let’s make good potato dishes by knowing the type and unique
There are several types of Japanese potatoes. There are roughly two types. One is called Danshaku Imo and the other is called May Queen from the United States. These two types of potatoes are often found in glossary stores.
When is the season for potatoes in Japan?
There are two seasons for potatoes, spring and autumn. Of course, the season varies depending on the variety, but potatoes harvested around May-June and October-February, and around June are known as new potatoes.
There is actually a difference between potatoes harvested in spring and autumn, and potatoes in spring are characterized by thin skin, autumn ones are characterized by thick skin.
New potatoes are fresh
The new potatoes are fresh and have a crispy texture. The fluffy feeling of potatoes comes out as the days pass after harvesting.
You can make the best use of the texture by stir-frying new potatoes or making them into salads.
Potatoes that have passed the winter are fluffy!
As I explained earlier, aged potatoes are fluffy. Potatoes harvested in the fall and over the winter are saccharified with starch to protect themselves from the cold. By this action, the feeling of fluffiness increases and it becomes delicious.
Is it true that potato sprouts are poisonous?
It is often said that potato sprouts are poisonous and should be removed. This is the solanine mentioned earlier.
Greenish areas are more likely to occur around the sprouts, which contain solanine around it. Solanine toxins are small, but if taken too much, cause the abdominal pain, dizziness, diarrhea, and nausea described above.
Cooking methods depending on the variety
There are various varieties of potatoes, but this time I will introduce the Danshaku potatoes and May-Queen.
| Variety of potatoes | Characteristic |
|---|---|
| Danshaku | It is a potato that can be said to be the origin of Japanese potatoes. It is a fluffy variety and is suitable for mashed potatoes or potato salad. It looks like a round shape. |
| May-Queen | It is a variety that came from the United States. It has a long shape and it’s not easily fall apart while cooking, so it is suitable for simmered dishes, stew etc. |
Of course, this is a cooking method according to the characteristics, so it’s best to try various potatoes and use them for cooking as you like! I love stewed food that using Danshaku potatos!
How to choose delicious potatoes
When choosing potatoes, you should choose fresh, hard, and heavy ones.
Greenish or wrinkled skin is evidence of age. The green part contains a substance called solanin, which may cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, and dizziness when eaten, so be sure to remove it.
Potatoes that days have passed since the harvest, the skin will thicken.
I mentioned that aged potatoes will become more fluffy and tastier, but please don’t choose potatoes that have been leave it too much.
Delicious potatoes
- Heavy and hard
- Fresh
- New potatoes is easy to peel off if you rubbed by hand!
Bad Potatoes
- Greenish
- Wrinkled skin
- Thick skin
Let’s cook with potatoes!
As introduced above, there are many types of potatoes, which have different textures and tastes. By all means, please try delicious dishes that make the best use of the potato qualities.
Click here for a recipe using potatoes.
(The image is Tips for making outstanding Japanese Potato salad)
