Variety |
Picture |
Description |
Peak Season/Fresh |
Uses |
Chef's potato |
|
Firm, smooth, relatively round with white to light tan skin, shallow
eyes. Available in range of sizes (chef can specify) |
Year-round (fresh in late summer into fall) |
The younger the potato, the waxier it is. Used for salads,
purees, soups, and other dishes. Tends to be too moist for
baking |
Red potato |
|
Firm, smooth, relatively round with light-pink to dark-red skin,
shallow eyes. Available in range of sizes (chef can specify) |
Year-round (fresh in late summer into fall) |
The younger the potato, the waxier it is. Used for salads,
purees, soups, and other dishes. Excellent for oven roasting |
Russet/Idaho |
|
Oblong, with brown, russeted skin |
Year-round (fresh in late summer into fall) |
Best for baking and for frying |
Purple/caribe |
|
Deep-purple skin with purple flesh |
Midsummer |
Salads, home-fries, other preparations to showcase color and
flavor |
Yukon gold/Yellow Finn |
|
Brown, tan, or red skin with buttery golden flesh |
Year-round (fresh in late summer into fall) |
Baked, pureed, casseroles, salads |
Irish |
|
Relatively round, but generally "misshapen," deep eyes |
Late Summer |
Boiling |
Salt |
|
Small, no more than 1" (2.5cm) in diameter |
Year-round (fresh in late summer into fall) |
Boiling, steaming |
"New" potatoes |
|
Same as chef's, but no more than 1.5" (3.8cm) in diameter |
Early summer |
Steaming, oven-roasting with herbs |
Bliss potatoes |
|
Same as red, but no more than 1.5" (3.8cm) in diameter |
Early summer |
Steaming, oven-roasting with herbs |
Sweet potatoes |
|
Light to deep-orange skin with deep orange, moist flesh, may be
rounded or tapered, dense texture, quite sweet |
Year-round (fresh in late summer into fall) |
Roasted, boiled, pureed, used in casseroles, soups |
Yam |
|
Tan to light-brown russeted skin with pale to deep yellow flesh, drier
and less sweet than sweet potato |
Year-round (fresh in late summer into fall) |
Roasted, boiled, pureed, used in casseroles,
soups |