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Different Types of Potatoes in German Supermarkets- Explained

Like many other products, potatoes too come in many varieties. Today’s article is about the different potato varieties available in German Supermarkets, the differences between them and their usage.

Potatoes can be classified in two ways:

1. Based on their starch content
2. Based on their time of harvest

Potatoes classified based on the starch content:

Potatoes can be broadly classified as Waxy or Starchy based on the starch content. Waxy Potatoes are low in starch, and starchy ones are high in starch content. Waxy potatoes are called festkochende Kartoffeln, and starchy potatoes are called mehligkochende Kartoffeln. And there are a few more varieties. But before we get to that, let’s understand about starch in potatoes.

What is starch?

Do all potatoes contain the same amount of starch?

No. The amount of starch in a potato depends on its variety and the amount of sunlight that it receives. The more sunlight the potato variety receives, the more food it makes, hence the higher starch it would have.

Also, the more sunlight it receives, the more moisture it loses.

Therefore, we can say that the starchy potatoes have less moisture content. When something has less moisture, it tends to turn powdery more easily than something that has more moisture. This explains why starchy potatoes feel a bit dry and become soft/powdery on cooking, whereas the less starchy ones (i.e. waxy potatoes) retain their shape ( due to higher moisture content), and their skins do not burst on baking or boiling.

Now, with the basics clear, let us understand the different types of potatoes available in German Supermarkets, classified based on their starch content:

Festkochende Kartoffeln

These are also waxy potatoes. They have a starch content of 14%. They retain their shape, don’t burst on baking/boiling, and are ideal for making dishes in which you want to retain the shape of the potato ( as a whole or in pieces). Some of the commonly made dishes with this variety of potato are potato salad, french fries, potato fry, thinly sliced potato chips, Dum Aaloo, etc.

Vorwiegend festkochende Kartoffeln

These potatoes contain more starch than waxy potatoes, about 15%. These potatoes lie somewhere between festkochende Kartoffeln ( waxy potatoes) and mehligkochende Kartoffeln (starchy potatoes). Because they are neither too firm nor too floury, they are also known as “potatoes for all occasions”. These potatoes are your ideal pick if you want to buy a big bag of potatoes for the entire week and use them for making various dishes. When you boil these potatoes, you will observe that they sometimes stay slightly undercooked on the inside while their skin breaks and the potatoes burst open. They find their usage in many dishes, including fried potatoes, boiled potatoes, Gnocchi, etc.

Mehligkochende Kartoffeln 

Potatoes of this type contain the most starch, 16.5%. Their texture is coarse-grained, they are dry and mealy, and they crumble easily. Because of the nature of these potatoes, they are ideal for making mashed potatoes, potato soup, and thickening sauces. 

How do we identify Potato Varieties in German Supermarkets?

Potatoes usually come in brownish-yellow bags and are labelled, but you can also identify them by the colour of the label. Festkochende Kartoffeln come with a green label, vorwiegend festkochende Kartoffeln come with an orange/red label, and mehligkochende Kartoffeln come with a blue label.

Potatoes classified based on the time of harvest:

Based on harvest time, potatoes available in Germany are categorized as Frühkartoffeln and Speisekartoffeln.

Frühkartoffeln

Frühkartoffeln can be translated to new potatoes or early potatoes. Any potato variety harvested before August 1st is called Frühkartoffel.

They contain the least amount of starch, around 12%. Since this potato doesn’t receive a high amount of sunlight during its growth, the starch produced is lesser. This explains why this potato is waxy (i.e. less starchy) and has a higher moisture content, making it firm. It is, therefore, great for any dish you want to serve the potato as a whole ( boiled or baked) because it retains its shape, and its skin doesn’t burst while boiling/baking. It is also characterized by thin skin, which can be easily removed using your fingers or rubbing between your hands.

You might have observed that in Germany, Asparagus served with potatoes and hollandaise sauce is a popular dish. Also, Grüne Soße is served with potatoes. In these dishes, potatoes are boiled and served as a whole. Frühkartoffeln ( new/early potatoes) are ideal for retaining their shape, which explains why these spring-summer dishes are paired with new/early potatoes (Frühkartoffeln). These potatoes are also great for potato salad, baked potatoes, etc.

In Germany, May/June is the time when you get Frühkartoffel grown in Germany. Ones that are available early usually are imported from other countries.

Frühkartoffel has a shorter shelf life and must be consumed as soon as possible after purchase. When stored properly, it can be kept for up to 2 weeks before consumption.

Speisekartoffeln

Any potato variety that is harvested after August 1st is called Speisekartoffeln. These potatoes have a longer shelf life than Frühkartoffel. When stored properly, they can be kept for months together before they get spoilt. These are labelled as festkochend, vorwiegend festkochend or mehligkochende based on the amount of starch contained.

In addition to these, you might have also observed the following varieties of potatoes:

Drillinge: These are small potatoes. You can check the label to know whether they are Frühkartoffeln or Speisekartoffeln OR whether they are festkochend or vorwiegend festkochend or Mehligkochend.

Potatoes with colourful flesh or coloured skins: There are potatoes on the market whose skin or flesh has a special colour. They are generally offered as specialities. In addition to the colour, you can distinguish them based on their shape, starch content and skin texture.

Some good practices:

1. Buy seasonal: To live in harmony with nature, try to eat local and seasonal produce as much as possible. For example, in Germany, Frühkartoffeln are harvested in May and June. Make sure you bring them to your kitchen around that time.
2. Buy from local markets: Look for a farmer’s market in your city and try to buy from there. You are sure to get fresh local produce when you buy from there. In addition, you can get muddy potatoes, which are better than the super clean ones you get in supermarkets. The muddy cover protects the potato from light and slows its decay. You also get to buy them loose, reducing plastic use.
3. Store property: If you buy from the supermarket, remove the plastic cover after bringing them home and let them breathe. Always keep potatoes in a cool place away from light. Don’t store them along with onions. The decay happens faster when both these moisture-laden veggies are kept together. When kept together, they produce an ethylene gas that speeds up the ripening process. 

Before I end the article, here is a list of some popular Indian foods that are prepared using potatoes. I have matched the dishes with the right potatoes. If you live in Germany and cook Indian food in your kitchen, you might find it useful. But please note that there is really no hard and fast rule. I may put something on the list, but you may prefer something else. So, please experiment until you find what suits your taste.

Indian Dish	Suitable Potato	Reason
Aalu Ka Parantha, Kuttu Ka Aalu Parantha	mehligkochend	Doesn’t hold too much moisture and mashes well, so it can be stuffed easily and wouldn’t come out when rolling the dough.
Dum Aaloo	drillinge+ festkochend/Frühkartoffel	It will retain its shape and not break easily when fried.
Potato Fry ( Non gravy)	festkochend	The potato, despite being cut into small pieces, must retain its shape.
Aalu Matar/ Aalu Matar Nutri/Rasedar Aalu/any gravy dish	vorwiegend festkochend	A medium texture works well because the stuffing/filling is always a rough mash of potatoes.
Stuffing for samosa/ Masala Dosa	vorwiegend festkochend	It will bind well and its low moisture will help with low oil absorption when frying.
Tikki/Potato Cutlet	vorwiegend festkochend	Mehligkochend is good for a soft/fluffy inside and Festkochend is good for a crispy outside. The middle path of using vorwiegend festkochend works well.
Kofta ( mixed with Paneer)	mehligkochend	Will bind well and its low moisture will help with low oil absorption when frying.
vada Pav/ Dabeli/stuffing for sandwich/bread pakoda etc	vorwiegend festkochend	good for the rough texture needed for the stuffing.
Potato wedges/ French fries/ Cut pieces in chaat/bhelpuri	festkochend	Retains its shape and doesn’t become a mush.

There are many more dishes, but I have listed a few that came to my mind. You can check out my MY KITCHEN Page to find other recipes with potatoes.

From my personal experience, I can say that vorwiegend festkochend is more versatile than any other variety. If, like me, you also like buying a big bag of potatoes and using it for different dishes throughout the week, go for vorwiegend festkochend. It works well for most of the everyday recipes.

While you are here, check out these 8 Quick and Easy Potato Side Dishes Made the Indian Way.

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Please comment and let me know if you need me to write about any other German Supermarket product.

Click here to read about other German Supermarket products.

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