Translation: Sindri Snær Jónsson

Potatoes. Potatoes? Yes, potatoes. One might assume, dear reader, that you would not particularly want toread this article because of its subject matter. However, that would be a big mistake, as potatoes are a fantastic phenomenon. You can boil them, mash them or even throw them in a stew. In Iceland, only four types of potatoes are grown: Golden Eye, Premiere, Red Golden Eyeand Red potatoes. Yet, hundreds, if not thousands, of kinds of potatoes exist out in our big world. For those interested in knowing, we will list a few types that would be fun to try out in a broth or whatever else!

Adirondack Blue

Adirondack Blue is the first variety of potato in the alphabet and was first grown by scientists at Cornell University in 2003. Adirondack Blues are a light lilac colour but white in the middle. They multiply and grow quickly but are susceptible to many types of diseases and fungi that plague potatoes. That is why it is recommended to eat them soon after cooking, or prepare them in such a way that they last longer, such as making potato chips. Next in the alphabet after Adirondack Blue is the Adirondack Red.

Prince Edward Island Potatoes

As the name suggests, the Prince Edward Island potato originates from Prince Edward Island in Canada. Prince Edward Island is considered a good place to grow potatoes, and ten per cent of the State's GDP comes from growing potatoes. Prince Edward Island potatoes make up such a large portion of the production that a special institution was established to oversee the production and sales, known as the Prince Edward Island Potato Board. The institution also gives out premium seeds to farmers who do a good job. It may well be that you, dear reader, have at some point eaten a Prince Edward Island potato, as around half of the crop is sent to potato chip and french fry manufacturers, such as McCain and Frito-Lay.

Blue Congo

Blue Congo, also called Congo, Idaho Blue or Swedish Blue, are long, deep purple potatoes similar to Salad Blue potatoes. It is recommended that the Blue Congo potatoes be boiled as they are flourier than other potatoes, but they also taste good if they are baked or deep-fried. The origin of these potatoes remains unknown, but this type was elected the German Potato of the Year in 2006, and they are very popular in Finland. Its cross-section was described as "striking" by Patch Seed potatoes, a British potato supplier.

Ch‘uñu

Ch'uñu is a potato breed from South-America and is primarily grown in Bolivia and Peru. To grow Ch'uñu, a load of tiny potatoes is spread on the ground, and the potatoes are drained of any liquid by letting them sit in a below-zero temperature for a few nights in a row. This is how they are freeze-dried. Then, the excess juice is squeezed out by stomping or dancing on them. That is how the skin is removed. There are two types of Ch'uñu, black and white, but the black kind is made by sun-drying the potatoes after they have been stomped on. The white kind is made by letting the potatoes soak in water for a few days and then sun-drying them.

Shetland Black

Shetland Black potatoes are a dark purple on the outside yet golden on the inside. These originated in Shetland in the Victorian era, and are preferably grown in tight spaces. The plant's stem can stretch up to 2,5 metres high, but the tubers themselves are smaller than in other potatoes. This type of potato has been prepared in many different ways throughout the years, but nowadays, it is most common to deep-fry it to make fries in the classic British dish "fish and chips."

Truffles

Of course, truffles are not a type of potato, but they can stay on this list for etymological reasons. Truffle and potato are the same words, in fact. The words share origins from Italian (tartufolo) and were introduced to the Icelandic lexicon in the 18th century by the German language (kartoffel, tartuffel) and Danish (kartoffel). Their shared name stems from their similar appearance.

Now that you, dear reader, have educated yourself on all of these delicious potatoes, I would recommend that you go and eat potatoes. They are just so good for the soul, in small portions, at least.

Potatoes! Potatoes! Potatoes!