Potatoes are an incredibly versatile foodstuff. They
can be cooked just about any way you can think of, and they complement
almost any meal.
Waxy and Mealy
In his classic "On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the
Kitchen," Harold McGee explains that potatoes may fall into one of two
categories, "waxy" or "mealy" -- or somewhere in between. Those terms
hardly make the mouth water, but they do offer a good way to discern
which potatoes are best for different uses.
"Mealy" potatoes, McGee explains, have more dry starch within their
cells, which tend to puff up and separate from each other when cooked.
That makes the potato fluffier when cooked -- a good thing for baking
and mashing. It also makes the potato drier, which is OK, because you
generally moisten baked and mashed potatoes with butter, milk or other
moisteners. This type is also good for frying potatoes --
think of the fluffy interior of a thick-cut french fry. The Russet
potato, the most popular potato by far in the U.S., is the classic
"mealy" potato.
Instead of separating when cooked, the cells in "waxy" potatoes, McGee
explains, stick together. That's good news when you want a potato to
hold its shape after cooking, as you would want for potato salads,
boiled potatoes or scalloped potatoes. New potatoes (which are really
just young potatoes of any variety), red-skinned potatoes and
fingerlings are common varieties of waxy potatoes.
Still other potatoes fall in between mealy and waxy. These all-purpose
potatoes have a medium starch content and can be used for, well, just
about all purposes. Round and long white-skinned potatoes are usually
classified as "all purpose."
Nutrition
Potatoes, particularly those that aren't fried or laden with high-fat
trimmings, can be a nutritious component of the diet. They are high in
vitamin C and a good source
of potassium and vitamin B6. But be careful -- they're so well-loved
that it's easy to go overboard on them. A small- to medium-sized baked
potato, about 5.25 ounces,
is plenty for one serving.
Recipes
Sources:
Allison
Weis, Ohio State University, Human Nutrition
Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH, 43210-1044, or
filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu.
|
On Food and Cooking
|
