Potato varieties: the best 50 varieties at a glance

The Linda, Annabelle & Gala potatoes are well-known varieties. The best potato varieties in Germany from floury to waxy can be found here.

Since 2008 as the international year of the potato (Solanum tuberosum) was called out, the potato gets a little more attention again. Nevertheless, the potato often still ekes out a shadowy existence. In most German supermarkets there is only an extremely manageable selection of potato types. The 210 varieties cultivated in Germany may seem like a lot, but appearances are deceptive. Compares the variety selection in Germany with the more than 4000 potato varieties known to us It quickly became clear that only a dangerously small gene pool is grown in modern agriculture will.

Overview of potato varieties: waxy to floury

The different types of potatoes can be subdivided according to different criteria. In addition to the classification according to the cooking properties (waxy to floury), the time of ripening (very early to late) is particularly important among hobby gardeners.

Potatoes are divided into three different categories depending on their starch content: waxy, predominantly waxy and floury. The more starch a potato contains, the looser it becomes when cooked. Floury potatoes are therefore drier and softer than the waxy variant. This is firm and juicy and has a pithy bite and a fine structure. The properties of mainly waxy potatoes lie between the two variants.
What dish can be prepared from them depends on the properties of the tuber. After all, fried potatoes shouldn't disintegrate so quickly, while this is of course more desirable when preparing puree.

Waxy potatoes

Waxy potatoes usually contain a little less starch than floury potatoes. Waxy varieties are especially used for fried potatoes, potato salad and jacket potatoes, as they are more firm, more “juicy” and have a finer texture.

• Linda: medium early variety with long oval tubers, the smooth skin of which is yellow in color. The deep yellow meat has an excellent creamy taste and is popular as a salad, salt, pellet or gratin potato. Furthermore, this variety is characterized by its good storability.
• Sieglinde: early variety with long oval tubers and typically yellow skin and meat. Due to its pleasantly strong taste, this potato is very popular for salad dishes or as a salty or salted potato. Jacket potato.
• Pagan kidney: medium early variety with elongated tubers in a typical yellow color. Their fine-spicy, greasy taste makes the heather kidney a popular pellet, salad or boiled potato.
• Annabelle: very early potato variety with elongated tubers, the skin and flesh of which are typically yellow in color. The potatoes impress with their very good, fine taste and are suitable as salad, jacket or boiled potatoes.
• Nicola: medium early variety with long oval tubers in a typical yellow color. The light yellow, tasty meat is suitable as a jacket, boiled or salad potato. Nicola is Potato of the Year 2016!
• La rat: medium early variety with an elongated, cone-shaped tuber, the skin and flesh of which are yellow in color. This type of potato is also known as "Asparges" and impresses with its very good, greasy taste. It is suitable as a salad or jacket potato.
• Goldmarie: early variety with long oval tubers and yellow skin. The yellow meat has a fine, aromatic taste and is suitable as a pellet, boiled or salad potato.
• Glorietta: very early variety with long oval, yellow bulbs. The deep yellow pulp has a very aromatic taste and is suitable as a salad, grilled or baked potato.
• Charlotte: medium early potato variety with oval, yellow tubers. The yellow meat has a very good, aromatic taste and is suitable as salad and jacket potatoes.
• Allians: medium early variety with long oval, yellow bulbs. The deep yellow meat has a very fine aroma and is popular as salad, boiled or jacket potatoes.

Predominantly waxy potatoes

This type of potato already has a slightly higher starch content and with this a higher tendency to disintegrate when cooked. Predominantly waxy potato varieties are mainly suitable for preparing boiled and jacket potatoes as well as French fries.

• La Bonnotte: medium early variety with yellow, round tubers with deep eyes. The yellow flesh is extremely creamy and has a fine taste. The potatoes are suitable for potatoes, boiled or salad.
• Finka: very early variety with oval tubers whose skin and flesh are typically yellow in color. Its strong aroma makes it a popular puree or boiled potato.
• granola: medium early variety with round oval tubers in typical yellow color. Due to its excellent taste, it is popular as a fried potato or for dumplings and potato dishes.
• Eersteling: very early variety with long oval tubers with a typical yellow skin and flesh. Due to their good, greasy taste, they are popular as salt, baked or puree potatoes.
• Aeggeblomme: medium early variety with round bulbs and yellow skin. The meat is colored deep yellow and impresses with its unique, fine-spicy taste. It is suitable as a pellet, salt, baking or puree potato.
• Lady Balfour: medium early variety with round oval tubers whose yellow skin is peppered with red dots. The light yellow meat has a good aromatic taste and is popular as boiled and baked potatoes.
• Marabel: early variety with oval, yellow bulbs. The yellow meat has a good aromatic flavor and is suitable as a jacket or boiled potato.

Mainly waxy to floury potatoes

The predominantly waxy to floury potato varieties can be used for the same dishes as predominantly waxy potatoes. Some chefs are therefore merging these two categories.

• Hela: very early variety with oval tubers. Both the shell and the meat are typically yellow in color. The potatoes have a pleasantly mild aroma and are suitable as puree, boiled or baked potatoes.
• Bintje: medium early variety with long oval tubers, the skin and flesh of which are yellow in color. The potatoes are characterized by their mild, creamy taste and are popular as baked, puree or boiled potatoes.
• Almond potato: medium-late variety with small, almond-like tubers in a typical yellow color. Also known as "Puikula", it is a popular jacket potato due to its creamy taste.

Floury potatoes

Floury potatoes have a higher starch content. These potatoes disintegrate more easily when cooked and are mainly used in dishes such as puree, gnocchi, dumplings and potato soups.

• Augusta: early variety with round oval, typically yellow colored tubers. The mild, aromatic taste of the potatoes makes them ideal for soups, dumplings or gnocchi.
• Adretta: medium early variety with yellow, round tubers. The yellow meat has a strong, spicy taste and is ideal for dumplings and potato dishes.
• Field blessing: medium-late potato variety with round tubers in a typical yellow color. The potatoes have an excellent buttery taste and are suitable as puree or baked potatoes.

Quick-boiling potatoes

• Mayan gold: medium early variety with elongated tubers, which are typically yellow in color. With their creamy but pleasantly dry texture and nutty-sweet aroma, these potatoes are ideal as baked potatoes, potato soup or pancakes.

Exotics: colorful and special types of potatoes

In the past few years, more exotic varieties have also come back into fashion. The Blue Annelise, for example, has dark blue to purple flesh. In general, these colorful potatoes are usually a little more intense and nuttier in taste. These varieties are particularly suitable for decorative and appealing dishes, such as a colorful potato salad made from yellow, red and purple potatoes.

• Red emmalia: precocious variety with elongated tubers. The shell is smooth and strikingly red in color. The mainly waxy potatoes are particularly suitable as salad, puree, jacket potatoes or as pink-red gnocchi thanks to their spicy taste.
• Heather red: medium late variety with long oval tubers. Both the skin and the meat are colored red. The waxy potatoes have a slightly buttery, aromatic taste and are good as salad, fried and jacket potatoes.
• Violetta: medium early variety with long oval tubers. The skin is deep blue and the flesh is unusually purple in color. The waxy potatoes with a pleasantly strong taste are particularly popular as boiled potatoes, boiled potatoes, fried potatoes or as a colorful potato salad.
• Blue Anneliese: medium late variety with oval tubers. The waxy potatoes are particularly noticeable because of their beautiful blue skin and blue flesh. Its pleasantly strong aroma makes it suitable as a salad, salt or blue puree potato.
• Angeliter pine cones: medium-late variety with long, overgrown (pine-cone-like) tubers. The waxy tubers with pink skin and yellow flesh have a delicately spicy aroma and are suitable as pellet, salad and fried potatoes.

tip: The plant needs enough nutrients for a rich potato harvest. Our Plantura is excellently suited Organic tomato fertilizer with long-term effect. This provides the potato with ideal nutrients and is kind to the environment.

• Laura: medium early variety with long oval tubers, the skin of which is conspicuously red and the flesh is deep yellow in color. The predominantly waxy potatoes have a pleasantly strong taste and are suitable as French fries, salted, baked or puree potatoes.
• Bamberg crumberry: medium-late variety with croissant-shaped tubers, the skin of which is yellow-pink in color. The waxy, yellow meat has a very good spicy taste and is ideal as a salad, fried or jacket potato.
• Desiree: medium early variety with oval tubers. The red skin and the light yellow meat, which is characterized by its juicy, fruity aroma, are striking. The potatoes are suitable as baked potatoes, boiled potatoes, jacket potatoes or hash browns.
• Black Hungarian: medium early variety with elongated tubers, the skin of which is deep blue-violet in color. In contrast is the light yellow, almost white meat, which has a great creamy taste. The floury potatoes are suitable as pellet and puree potatoes.
• Odenwald blue: medium-late variety with round tubers, the skin of which is dark blue in color and contrasts with the light yellow flesh. The floury potatoes have a good spicy taste and are suitable as puree, baked or boiled potatoes.
• Pink pine cones: medium-late variety with croissant-shaped tubers, the skin of which is pink. The waxy meat is yellow in color and has a very good, spicy aroma. The potatoes are also called "Pink Fir Apple" and are suitable as salad or jacket potatoes.
• Rode first fruit: early variety with conspicuously red, round oval tubers. The yellow flesh has a wonderful creamy taste. The predominantly waxy potatoes are also known as the “Red Duke of York” and are suitable as puree or boiled potatoes.
• Blue Swede: medium early variety with round oval tubers, the skin and flesh of which are beautifully blue-violet in color. The predominantly waxy potato is also known as "Blue Congo" and, with its strong taste, is ideal as a salad, baked, boiled or boiled potato.
• Pink Gipsy: early to medium early variety with long oval tubers, the skin of which is conspicuously yellow-red in color. The predominantly waxy, yellow meat is characterized by a good, fine taste and is suitable as boiled and baked potatoes.
• Red Sonia: very early potato variety with oval tubers and a striking red skin. The light yellow meat impresses with its good, spicy taste. The predominantly waxy potato is well suited as a baked and puree potato.
• Sarpo Mira: medium-late variety with long, oval, light red bulbs. The light yellow meat is characterized by its fruity taste. The predominantly waxy potato is popular as boiled potatoes, boiled potatoes and salad potatoes. Sarpo Mira has a high resistance to late blight!

Potato varieties: classification according to ripening time

For the hobby gardener, in addition to the cooking quality, the time of ripening is also of great importance. Without special protection or pesticides, mid- and late-ripening potato varieties are affected by late blight. Early-ripening varieties can be harvested before this annoying fungus occurs.

Very early varieties:

• Acapella
• Arosa
• Bellaprima
• Finka
• Osira

Early ripening varieties:

• assets
• Cilena
• Gala
• Marabel
• Princess

Medium early ripening varieties:

• Agria
• Blue Swede
• blue St. Galler
• Filea
• Quarta

Medium-late to late-ripening varieties:

• Field blessing
• Cascada
• Highland Burgundy Red
• Black and blue from the Franconian Forest
• Vitelotte

An appeal for the diversity of varieties: Lessons from the Great Famine

It is true that one should not focus too much on the selection, which is limited from an economic point of view (because food must also be affordable). However, it seems reasonable to assume that a chapter in European history is hardly present in people's minds. Because in English as Irish potato famine known Great Famine had at least part of its origin in the cultivation of a few varieties of potatoes. This genetically very limited pool of varieties had no resistance to potato rot (Phytophthora infestans). The fungal disease quickly became an epidemic and led to enormous crop failures. In connection with the strong dependence on the potato as a staple food, one of the greatest famines in human history occurred between 1845 and 1852. According to current knowledge, around one million people died as a result and around two million people emigrated from Ireland. The past famine should still be seen as a warning today. It is true that the diet has become significantly more diverse and agriculture is armed against crop failures thanks to modern pesticides. Nevertheless, the genetic pool is of great importance for the breeding of new varieties. Even in the Andes, the home of the potato, where the tubers have been cultivated for thousands of years, the diversity of varieties is shrinking. Many varieties have fallen victim to disease, structural upheaval and rural exodus in recent decades.

But there is hope for the biodiversity of potatoes: in 1971 the International Potato Center (IPC) was founded in Peru, co-financed by the Global Crop Diversity Trust. The IPC supports, among other things, the Parque de la Papa, a 15,000 hectare park that aims to become Noah's Ark of the potato. Local and regional potato species and varieties are cultivated and protected in the park. So far, the park has around 1300 different varieties. In the long term, as many of the 4000 varieties known to us as possible should be settled there. In the Andes, in addition to the cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum), which is predominantly known in Europe, around a dozen other types of potato are cultivated. Experts also assume that there are over 200 wild species. In addition to the innumerable varieties of potatoes, around 3000 different types of potato are native to the Andes.

Potato varieties in Germany: Sieglinde, Ackersegen and Reichskanzler

Around 210 potato varieties are currently approved for cultivation in Germany. As already mentioned above, in Germany the varieties are categorized according to different properties. In addition to the type of cooking (waxy, predominantly waxy and floury cooking), taste (mild, finely spicy, strongly spicy, nutty, sweet, marzipan aroma), texture (floury, buttery, creamy), the color of the skin and the flesh (white, yellow, pink, red, violet) and the time of harvest (very early, early, medium, medium to late) from Meaning.

Not enough of the potato yet? There are 8 more in this article early ripe potato varieties for growing in the garden.