Know your potatoes - a guide to what to cook with which variety

Everyone loves a potato, and why not? They're rich in fibre, minerals and antioxidants and potassium, as well as being a great source of vitamins C and B6. Perhaps surprisingly, they've also got 80% less carbs than rice or pasta. Originating in South America, where they have been a staple of the diet for thousands of years, potatoes only found their way to Europe (and subsequently Australia) in the 1500s. They quickly became fundamental to the diets of the impoverished and wealthy alike, and today, there are so many types it can be hard to know which to buy and for what. So here it is, our definitive guide — from desiree to spud lite — to help you make that decision a little bit easier, and nail that perfect potato dish every time.

Kipfler

Originally from Austria — but now popular in Australia — these knobbly, yellow-fleshed, red-gold skinned potatoes are your classic waxy variety. They keep their shape while cooking, and are delicious served chilled with mayo in a timeless potato salad. Due to their low starch content they are not good for mashing, and don't expect a fluffy roastie either.

Kipfler potatoes

Desiree

With their bright pink skins and ivory-coloured flesh, desirees are hugely versatile. They work mashed or boiled and served with butter, but we love them in a dauphinoise, where their firmness add to the dish's signature defined layers.

Desiree potato

King Edward

These classic, regal potatoes are not only king in name, but king in nature. They are, by far, the best common variety for that holiest of holy of recipes: roast potatoes. This is because they are super floury, meaning that all that starch transforms into wispy fluff when it meets its fate in the oven. Parboil them first for the best results, and roast them in a heap of duck or goose fat for that ultimate crisp factor. And never, ever make a dauphinoise with them; their flouriness will turn it into mush.

King Edward potato

Dutch cream

Hailing from Holland, Dutch cream spuds are perfect for frying or serving cold in a niçoise salad. Their creamy flavour means they are one of the few waxy varieties that work in a mash too — you might not even need to add butter or cream.

Dutch cream potatoes

Sebago

Sebago potatoes are an excellent all-rounder – suitable for mashing, frying, boiling or roasting. For versatility, this is your spud, but we particularly like them thrown into a lamb roast while it's in the oven. They'll soak up all those flavour-filled juices, while still achieving a crispy exterior.

Nadine

Did you know that around 35% of those "washed potatoes" you see on supermarket shelves are actually Nadines? Well, now you do. These are another solid all-rounder, with not too much starch and superb baking ability.

Nadine potato

Purple potatoes

When it comes to the 'Biggest Show Off' award, it's got to go to purple potatoes. But they are not just a pretty (Instagram) picture. Blessed with the same pigments that you find in blueberries and red wine, they have three times the polyphenols of regular potatoes, and have been shown to decrease the risk of strokes and heart attacks by as much as 34%. And they're perfect for show-stopping salads.

Purple potatoes

Kestrel

These purple-dotted, white fleshed potatoes are a relatively recent variety, first springing up in 1992. They have a slightly sweet flavour and can be used for pretty much anything. Try roasting them, hasselback-style.

Kestrel potatoes

Sweet potatoes/kumera

First of all; they're not actually potatoes. Sorry. Sweet potatoes belong to the morning glory family, whereas potatoes are firmly in the deadly nightshade zone. What we call sweet potatoes are closer in kin to water spinach in fact. They are beautiful roasted and doused with brown butter and crispy sage, or try replacing your chips with low GI sweet potato wedges instead.

Sweet potatoes

Spud Lite

South Australian Spud Lite (and Baby Spud Lite) have 25% less carbohydrate than your average potato. They have been cross pollinated (rather than genetically modified) to make sure they are packed with minerals like potassium, and vitamins C and B6, and are a brilliant source of antioxidants and fibre. Plus, they're a versatile addition to any pantry, and will put on a good show no matter which way you want to cook them. They're great for boiling, mashing, frying and roasting — try capitalising on their creaminess with a buttery, fluffy mash.

Spud Lite potatoes

*Presented by Zerella Fresh