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Potatoes have been cultivated and used as food for over 4,000 years. Even today, Solanum tuberosum is a popular accompaniment to a wide variety of dishes for Germans. The tuber can be used universally, whether as boiled potatoes, puree, dumplings or French fries. In the course of time, however, some old potato varieties had to give way to new breeds and thus became a rarity. But they have not been completely forgotten.

bounty

This is a classic. The tuber was created by breeding from the potato varieties "Hindenburg" and "All Earliest Yellow" in 1929 in Germany. This was done by Georg Friedrich Böhme in the Odenwald. Typical for this tuber is

Source: LEP Hamburg, Ackersegen floury cooking Germany 1929, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • smooth to netted ocher skin with flat eyes
  • yellow, almost white flesh
  • mainly waxy to mealy
  • round to oval shape
  • relatively large
  • Flavor aromatic, buttery to spicy
  • white bloom
  • medium late to late variety
  • well storable
  • no problems with cultivation
  • high yields
  • Use: puree, salad, skin, boiled potatoes

dress

This potato variety has its origins in the former GDR. It was created through breeding in 1975 and was grown on around 275,000 hectares, which today makes up the entire potato cultivation area in Germany. In 2009 it was voted Potato of the Year. she is

Source: LEP Hamburg, Adretta floury cooking Germany 1975 - 2, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • pretty tough
  • white flowering
  • floury
  • good cellar potato
  • medium early variety
  • irregular round to oval
  • medium-sized
  • netted ocher shell with rather flat eyes
  • light yellow flesh
  • Strongly spicy to fine floury taste
  • good harvest
  • Use: Baked boiled potatoes, soup, French fries, dumplings, puree

Bamberg Hörnla

This old variety is colloquially known as the Bamberger Hörnchen. It has been around since 1870 and is one of the oldest varieties in Germany. The tuber has its origins in Franconia, more precisely in Bamberg, as the name suggests. It is Potato of the Year 2008. Typical for this potato:

Source: No machine-readable author provided. Lyzzy assumed (based on copyright claims)., Bamberger Hoernle, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 2.5
  • floury to sticky
  • medium early variety
  • white flowering
  • relatively small plants
  • Cultivation complex
  • low yields
  • Harvest by hand
  • ocher, very fine skin with deep eyes
  • light yellow, firm flesh
  • small size
  • finger-shaped, somewhat curved appearance
  • Strong nutty taste
  • Use: mainly in salads
  • Can be confused with the "La Ratte" variety

Blue Swede

This potato is also known as "Blue Congo" or "Idaho Blue" and is Potato of the Year 2006. This old variety has its true origins in South America, but was further bred before 1900 in Scandinavia. It is characteristic

Source: Paebi, BlauerSchwede02, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • mostly sticky
  • medium early variety
  • dark purple to black skin with flat eyes
  • Flesh marbled with purple and white
  • Color after boiling blue
  • Shape round to oval
  • Flower blue-violet
  • Taste a little sweet
  • hardy variety
  • easy-care
  • Use: Baked, peeled, boiled potatoes, in salads

Notice: The blue color is caused by so-called anthocyanins contained in the tubers, which are also known as radical scavengers. These have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects. This coloring is also found in red currants.

Highland Burgundy Red

This potato variety is also known as "Red Cardinal". She was bred in Scotland in 1902. This is also a red-fleshed rarity. It is very popular among gourmets. Typical for this tuber

Source: User:MarkusHagenlocher, Highland Burgundy Red, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Skin burgundy and smooth
  • Red flesh with a slightly lighter rind layer
  • white flowering
  • Shape round to elongated oval
  • medium late variety
  • floury
  • very aromatic, unmistakable taste
  • somewhat more complicated cultivation
  • Use: Boiled potatoes, mixed with other varieties in salads

Hindenburg

This German potato variety dates back to 1916. It was bred by Kartz and Kameke by crossing the varieties "Jubel" and "Ismene". This old variety served as a crossing partner for other potato varieties such as Adretta or Ackersegen. Typical of these tubers is

  • floury
  • late variety
  • white flowering
  • very productive
  • extremely robust
  • resistant to scab and potato canker
  • Shell yellow with slightly medium-set eyes
  • flesh white
  • large oval bulb
  • Taste very delicately spicy
  • Use: puree, boiled potatoes, french fries, chips

cheers

This potato variety comes from Germany. It was bred in 1908 by Wilhelm Richter in Zwickau by crossing "Victoria Auguste" and "Richter 78/92". Today it is still very rarely cultivated. Characteristic of this potato is

Source: Ordercrazy, Solanum tuberosum Cheers (02), Edited from Plantopedia, CC0 1.0
  • mostly sticky
  • medium late to late variety
  • flower pink
  • Shape elongated oval
  • ocher, rough skin with somewhat flat eyes
  • Flesh white to light yellow
  • Flavor very mild but spicy
  • Use: Salt, fried potatoes, mashed potatoes

la rat

This tuber is a classic and is already very old. The breed dates back to 1872 and originally comes from Brittany. For a long time, this potato variety could not be found on the market. Today, the old variety has been cultivated again in small quantities in Germany since 1990. This is a very high-quality ware potato. she is

Source: Claus Ableiter, La Ratte, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • sticky
  • medium early variety
  • pink-violet flowers
  • low yields
  • susceptible to pests and fungal attack
  • thin yellow skin
  • flesh yellow
  • elongated to squirrel-shaped tuber
  • size rather small
  • Taste nutty, slightly greasy
  • Use: fried potatoes in their skins, in salads, a good accompaniment to asparagus dishes

linda

This is probably the best-known German tuber. It comes from a breed by Saatgut Böhm in Trauen in 1974. Due to various regulations, it almost disappeared from the market. The potato is so popular because

Source: Alupus, Potato Harvest V, Edited from Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • sticky
  • good storage ability
  • during storage cooking property transitioning to floury
  • good to very good yields
  • Skin smooth, yellow with deep eyes
  • dark yellow flesh
  • Shape oblong to oval
  • relatively large
  • creamy, slightly sweet aroma
  • Use: Pell,- salad potatoes

east messenger

This German potato variety dates back to 1933. It was bred by Carl Raddatz in Linienthin / Pomerania. Characteristics of this Solanum tuberosum are

Source: Ordercrazy, Solanum tuberosum Ostbote (02), Edited from Plantopedia, CC0 1.0
  • medium late to late variety
  • floury
  • very robust in cultivation
  • extremely profitable
  • resistant to potato cancer and various viral diseases
  • violet flowers, but rare
  • smooth, yellow skin with medium-set eyes
  • Flesh light yellow
  • medium-sized
  • Shape round to oval
  • good, intense potato flavor
  • Use: skin, baked potatoes, puree

Chancellor

This potato variety is something special because it comes from the first flower crossing in the history of the potato. In 1885, the breeder Wilhelm Richter from Zwickau crossed the Pomeranian landrace "Dabler" with an unknown seedling. In Eastern Europe, the "Reichskanzler" was the most commonly grown potato variety in the 1930s. Typical for the tuber is

Source: Ordercrazy, Solanum tuberosum Reichskanzler, Edited by Plantopedia, CC0 1.0
  • floury
  • late variety
  • very good yield
  • uncomplicated cultivation
  • white-pink flowers
  • smooth, yellow-pink skin with red dots and medium-deep set eyes
  • flesh white
  • medium-sized
  • round to oval shape
  • Taste mildly creamy
  • Use: universal processing

Sieglinde

It is one of the oldest potato varieties in Germany. The breeding dates back to 1935. In 2010, the "Sieglinde" was voted Potato of the Year. The old kind is

Source: © Asio otus / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0, Food potato variety Sieglinde1-Asio, Edited from Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • white flowering
  • sticky
  • an early variety
  • susceptible to late blight and potato scab
  • Yield moderate to good
  • very fine yellow skin
  • also yellow flesh
  • elongated to oval shape
  • slightly flat, misshapen tuber
  • Taste slightly greasy and delicately spicy
  • Use: Salad, - Pell, - boiled potatoes

Vogtland Blue

The age of the rarity from the Vogtland is not exactly known. It is believed that the tuber emerged in the 17th to 18th centuries. At that time, the Vogtland was a pioneer in large-scale potato cultivation, even before the "potato decree" by Frederick the Great. The potato is

  • floury
  • medium early to late variety
  • light violet flowers
  • Shell dark blue with deep eyes
  • white pulp
  • small to medium sized
  • round shape
  • Taste fine creamy
  • Use: salt, fried potatoes, puree

Notice: Vodka was not invented by the Russians, but the first vodka (water) was distilled in Kraków at the end of the 18th century from potatoes.

Rediscovery of old varieties

Solanum tuberosum

The Incas were already growing potatoes more than 4,000 years ago in the highlands of South America, between Bolivia and Peru. This curiosity first came to Europe in 1526 with the Spanish conqueror Pizarro. In Germany, the potato was first used as an ornamental plant. It was not until many years later, in 1680, that potatoes were first cultivated in Austria. Under the Prussian King "Frederick the Great" (1688 - 1740), the father of "Old Fritz", potato cultivation was also promoted in Germany by order. In 1682 the first tubers were grown in the area around Nuremberg. In the years that followed, the potato became one of the most popular and important foods. They came in a great variety, different in shape, color and taste.

Unfortunately, not so many varieties can be found on the market today, as it is more economical to grow fewer varieties but with larger yields. Of the approximately 5,000 existing potato varieties, only 200 are permitted in Germany. 150 varieties are sold as ware potatoes. On the basis of the Federal List of Varieties, mainly potato varieties that have been bred after the year 2000 are approved. Only around ten old varieties that were bred before 1976 are represented here. For some old varieties, this would have been the end if organic farmers and committed hobby gardeners had not dedicated themselves to breeding some forgotten potato varieties. Some old varieties have already become a rarity. We have listed some of them for you below.

Tip: The potato quality is tested by rubbing two halves together. They should stick together and some foam should form around the edges. No water should leak out when you squeeze one half.

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