Ethan, the chart you showed at 7:00 is one I worked on for my job at USDA. I'm glad to see the work I do has an impact with someone that I've followed for a long time.
A couple of points of elaboration on the history section: Firstly, the reason that Irish peasants relied so heavily on the potato to meet their macronutrient needs was that British landlords took the majority of the food they produced for export. Even during the height of the Great Famine, Ireland was still a net exporter of food. Secondly, the potato blight was not limited to Ireland, and failing potato crops led to hunger all across Europe in the 1840s, which is widely recognized as one of the causes of the revolutions of 1848.
Ethan, I really appreciate your deep dives into different fundamentals foods/ingredients. I can only imagine that these long form videos take an incredible amount of research and time. Thank you for all your efforts, and hope you are able to continue to produce such incredible videos!
Top 3 Potato Varieties in some countries around the world:- UK Maris Piper - chips and roasting (fluffy texture). King Edward - Baking and roasting. Desiree - A waxy variety, great for mashing and boiling. USA Russet Burbank - baking and fries. Yukon Gold - Creamy - mashing & roasting. Red Bliss - Salads and roasting. Germany Sieglinde - Waxy - salads and soups. Annabelle - Steaming and salads. Linda - Boiling and frying. Australia Sebago - Baking, boiling, and frying. Desiree - Mashing and roasting. Kipfler - Waxy - salads and roasting. Japan Danshaku (Baron) - Croquettes and soups. May Queen - Waxy - Stews and boiling. Kita Akari - Similar to Yukon Gold - Mashing and baking. Spain Monalisa - Frying and boiling. Kennebec - Traditional Spanish fries and tortilla. Agria - Chips and baking. Russia Nevsky - A waxy - Salads and soups. Lorkh - Boiling and frying. Sante - Mashed potatoes and stews.
ya, Ethan's US bias and sample sizing, including only using his own palate, hinders the usefulness of his work which is ironic, because his Polish last name means 'Breadson' and he should explore those... sprouts
The difference with the UK and probably others is that there are also other varieties available (and that the UK choices taste better and cook better). We have to actively seek out specialist potato growers for potatoes worth eating in the US. This is a problem with a lot of US produce where efficiency of growing and storing is more important than flavour or nutritional content. The modern Red Delicious being the poster child for this.
@@tristanmills4948 Not sure if you think the UK has more varieties. I'm sure we have plenty but most supermarkets ignore them and only offer 2.5kg bags of white, red and 'new' potatoes. If you are lucky they might label them as Maris Piper, but I don't recall seeing King Edwards or Desiree for years. Even in a farm shop it's unlikely you'd find as many varieties as Ethan found.
The Irish famine was not caused only by the potato mold, it was also because the English empire forced Ireland to export any other good produced. That's why the Irish starved.
The guy in charge of emergency responses in the British government also blocked domestic and international food aid from reaching Ireland as a British national pride thing, because according to him they'd just be able to pay to import food once he finished putting together his public works stimulus package (he never finished that, and they could not pay to import food).
Exactly! Same for the Indian famines. Infact, Indian famines were engineered genocides to suppress the independence movement. There is allot of white washing of crimes committed by British which about to the crimes committed Nazis. I would go as far as to say that British were worse than Nazis, though that is not really competition.
10:00 - in Germany we use the three terms "Festkochend", "Vorwiegend Festkochend" and "Mehlig" translating to "solid after boiling", "mostly solid after boiling" and "floury" - which makes a lot of sense. Edit: It should translate to "after cooking" not "after boiling"
I'm an immigrant in Germany, so thanks a lot for clearing that up for me! Coming from the UK, I do find it a little strange though that they never say the exact potato variety in Germany
Exactly, and I’d say all the varieties you get in the stores in the US fall within the mehlig and vorwiegend festkochend categories. No real festkochend (waxy) potatoes here.
I mean, there _was_ a mold infestation that killed the potato plants and led to starvation. But the dependence on single crop for sustenance was the English's fault.
So remember kids, while Uncle Ethan is here for dinner, in no event are you to ask him what is his favorite way to eat potatoes. Otherwise, we will Never get to dessert.
@@EthanChlebowski "Uncle Ethan, what's your favorite way to eat potatoes?" Ethan, with a dead-eyed full-on stare: *Milkshake* And then just never elaborate.
Regarding potato varieties, years ago while traveling with a CB radio a trucker was trying to give away chipping potatoes in an Indiana truck stop. Show up with something to hold them and he'd give you all you wanted because the farm had overloaded his trailer and he couldn't get on the highway without risking big fines.
I really love your approach with those kinds of videos! The combination of your cook well channel with the more "laissez faire" nature and the culinary deep dive main channel is amazing. Its great background knowledge for a homecook like me but at the same time I get a realistic idea of everyday cooking. Keep up the great work!
If you haven't done a honey deep dive, could you consider it? I went down this rabbit hole after finding an old cook book with honey recipes. Liquidity, crystallization, flavor, sweetness, allergy benefits... Love your vids!
@@EthanChlebowski Plan it! try it! And if you like it we (your fans) will like it. Love your content, keep up the very good job that you do and stay frosty. Love to se more!
I've been to Peru several times and the potatoes native to the Andes are a significantly different experience to what we have in America. French Fries down there are noticeably denser, and a deep fried papa huayro is one of the best foods I've ever eaten.
I've grown potatoes out from seed and got ahold of extremely rare potato varieties and let me tell you, The ones that made it into the commercial sphere are a tiny sliver of the full potential of the species. We're talking all kinds of different flavor profiles all kinds of different mouthfeels and also almost a complete spectrum of colors which does relate to the flavors. Commercial growers avoid the darker colors because they can't tell if the potatoes have started to green or not easily during production of products, and it's a darn shame too because those darker colored ones really have some knockout flavors
In Finland and Sweden, we have a potato variety called Rosamunda, which is specifically bred for roasting and oven, but also suitable for mashing. Rosamunda is a mealy food potato with light yellow flesh; its tubers are red-skinned, large, oval and smooth. However, in recent decades, the cultivation of Rosamunda has decreased because seed potato wholesalers have reduced sales of local potato varieties to farmers and replaced them with licensed American varieties (which unfortunately are more sensitive to European potato blight unlike local varieties) and this change made it harder to get Rosamunda to the farms.
One additional thing, what temperature the potatoes are stored at makes a difference in the amount of sugar in the potatoes. If I store some potatoes in my refrigerator, they become sweeter than the same potatoes from the same bag stored at room temperature. I normally store my potatoes in the fridge because I don't eat enough of them to finish a bag before they spoil and I enjoy the sweeter taste when cooked.
You are correct about the starches turning to sugars when stored Cold. He didn't mending anything about that. Also important, your fries will turn much darker due to the higher sugar content. If you like light golden fries, I wouldn't recommend storing in a refrigerator.
Locally we now have a product sold as “little potatoes”, size of fingering potatoes but a round shape. Very handy for baking because they take so little prep and they are delicious.
In Czechia we differentiate potato varieties by a letter scale from A to C (and combinations AB and BC for ones that are in between). A is the most firm, the least starchy and has the most water content. C has a floury texture and isn't firm. A - meant for salads or for boiling B - for boiling, for soups, mashed potatoes or doughs C - doughs and mash There is also another rating - new (nové) vs early (rané) vs other/late (ostatní/pozdní), which is used to differentiate the age of the potato (season during which they mature). I rarely see anything else than German (most common), Dutch or Czech varieties.
Similar in Ukraine for the age of the potato. But instead of new/early we say molodi (young). Those are great for boiling or roasting and then adding some dill and butter to them.
That seems like a pretty good system though I feel like most of the world has no idea how much more potential lies within the potato. If you've grown your own potatoes and gotten a hold of some of the rare varieties you would know that there's some extra versions of the texture that are almost like taffy and there are flavor profiles that I don't even know how to describe because they are the other types of potato with extra potato flavors. I think it has to do with the pigments but basically there's kind of a blueberry type of potato and also a kind of a cherry type of potato and then there is the umami potato and the candy potato and the honey potato.... I guess what I'm getting at is there's a lot of nuance in potatoes that you don't see in the big commercial varieties, and it's not exactly subtle either😅. Oh what am I saying I totally forgot the chestnut potatoes.... Oh and ones that taste kind of like really good eggplant. Only variety breeders and eccentrics like me grow potatoes from actual seed and get to experience these different forms. I will say though if you can only have one potato, Yukon Gold is great because it changes as it matures through multiple different texture and flavor profiles.
I went to Peru last year. What an amazing variety of potatoes they sell. I saw more small potatoes similar to fingerlings than I saw the full size potatoes generally sold in the US.
Yukon Gold wasn't around when we grew up. We had Russets, white and red. We used russets mainly for baking, though most of the time we only had white, which worked pretty good too. In fact, the normal white potato was pretty much a universal. Today my list would be White - for potato salad- boiled/blanched peeled hot and dressing applied while hot or else they turn mealy Red- for boiled soups or stews. Would overlap with potato salad but wouldn't be a good choice for mash due to getting gelatinous Yokon Gold - good all around mix. But wouldn't be my choice for potato salad due to color and being a little gummy Russet - pretty much only use for baking. Though super fluffy for mash but can be really dry, so you need to add a lot of cream and butter. The best mash is to mix russet with red or gold to mix the creamy gelatin feel with the fluffy russet. Fried taters with onions or ramps was always white with bacon grease 😉👍
It's not that straight forward. When you go to the grocery store, they will sell them as "White Potatoes" but there are a bunch of different varieties that are considered "white potatoes". I've started to see potatoes sold as "yellow potatoes", these might be Yukon Gold, or they might be a different variety of yellow potato that is not Yukon Gold. That being said, I don't think it makes any difference to using them.
Nippard is a famous liar, unlike Ethan. His "natural" fat free mass index is almost like peak Arnold's, and Arnold is literally the G.O.A.T. who in his own words did "enough steroids to stop a tractor". People who believe that any natty can even come close to peak Arnold probably believe in Santa as well.
@@testnametestsurname1032 Bruh. Jeff Nippard is much shorter than Arnold lmao. Short = you can fill out more muscle per frame/body. Paired with lifelong bodybuilding and good genetics (his parents did BB/fitness), he can fill out his frame very very well and remain natty. Lmao.
This was fascinating and I don't know a single person who dislikes potatoes, so I'm sure many people can relate to this video and get something out of it.
I like to use red for mashing with skin on. Reds seem to really absorb liquid so you can really push the limit in adding milk and cream (plus butter) Less likely to get gluey, too
We typically use Yukon Gold potatoes and cut them up and pan saute them with just a little olive oil. They crisp up nicely and are creamy inside. Baked potatoes we always use russet. I don't think we've ever made French fries because we don't fry food in general....we save it for going out to eat. Occasionally we'll make potato salad, and have used multiple types. Same with mashed potatoes.... I used to think you HAD to use russet potatoes because of the starch factor, but have found it doesn't really matter, especially if you're putting butter and milk in them. Thank you for taking the time to do this! Very interesting.
We usually use fingerling for stews, red chopped in half for sheetpan and russet for baked potatoes, I think we use Yukon gold for mashed. By the way if you add some red wine (port is what I've used) to mashed potatoes along with some fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme you get a delicious colorful mashed potatoes, it looks great next to some dark green veggies, corn and or ham. The wine adds a certain depth to it and if you only cook off most of the alcohol (I just add it in after draining and smashing and stir on the stove a bit) the little kick from the alcohol helps lighten the dish especially with the aromatic herbs.
Your biase for Russet potatoes makes me think of a research study done in the 1960s. Psychologists offered school children two bowls of chicken noodle soup to taste. One was home-made the other canned Campbell's soup. Researchers found the desiding factor for the childrens preferrence depended on whether their mothers used canned soup or made soup from scratch. We go with what we know. This may be a remnant of our species long term survival skills.
Ethan, genuinely, thank you for these videos. I’m starting my commercial kitchen journey and these videos are going to be invaluable resources while I work on my skills.
Your basic roasted potato test gave me an idea to change a classic Thanksgiving dish, sweet potatoes with brown sugar and pineapple. I think our family's source is a 1960's cookbook. My idea is to core a pineapple, use the flesh to mix together with the roasted sweet potato, then serve it in the hollowed out pineapple, maybe with a touch of nutmeg or something. I haven't looked around to see if this has been done before, just watching the raw tasting got my mind juices flowing. Thanks for yet another informative video Ethan!
We have a local potato that taste way better than any else ive eaten. Sadly it doesnt sell well because theyre not the perfectly round potato shape that others have. It also doesnt have a real name. Should probably try and get it analyzed just to see what kind it actually is.
Here in England we're lucky if any potato varieties are labelled other than Maris Piper New/Jersey Royal or King Edward. Supermarket labels saying "Baking Potatoes" or "Roasting Potatoes" are dumbing people down in an effort to be plain speaking. We really don't have a large variety on offer unless we're willing to spend a lot at a farm shop or something.
@@EthanChlebowski Very rarely in specialist shops where you'd pay through the nose. I suspect retailers think a purple potato would be intimidating. Edit: I should also add I'm in northern England. As usual some more interesting varieties may be reserved or more accessible to people in London particularly.
I use a potato ricer when making mashed potatoes, whipping them just makes them gel. Umatilla is You-Ma-Till-A by the way, good potato growing climate.
@@markedis5902Ya know we have more than just processed cheese right? And geeze it's just cheddar with emulsion additives for melting and annatto for color.
The Irish potato famine was caused by English land owners taking all of Ireland's crops. It's wild that anyone would mention the "famine" in current year without acknowledging this fact.
Excellent video, thanks. You missed one key application for potatoes, which is potato salad. Texture is a big deal and in my experience varies a lot between varieties. Gold hold their shape the best and have excellent texture. Russet tend to crumble. Red are also good.
I grow my own potatoes. A fresh out of the ground potato tastes amazing compared to bagged in a store, no matter what the variety. Fresh potatoes take longer to cook due to them not being broken down yet. Some of the potatoes in the store are old and soft. I think this point also is a factor when dealing with potatoes. I love Yukon and grow them every year. I also grow a red skinned/white flesh of some kind. Another side not, Yukon is not a high producer. Red skin produce 3 to 4 times more tubers than Yukon, per plant. So, growing your own is also about yield and storage potentials. Yukons are hard to find here in Canada because they simply cost more to produce. One last funny, occasionally I run out of home grown by the end of Feb or March so I buy some cheap russets. A few years ago, I peeled them and put the scraps in a hugel mound garden I was creating. That garden now gives me perpetual russet potatoes every year thanks to the peeled skins I discarded. I live in a USDA zone 4/Cdn zone 5a and some deep down potatoes survive the winter to give me little treasures every year. I am trying the same thing with Yukon and reds this winter to see if they can do the same. 😁
This was quite interesting Ethan. Potatoes are so widely used that we take them for granted. My personal favourites are russet for overall cooking and baking. I love yukon gold but the price in our country is prohibitive most times. We have been getting dutch potates which is quite versatile.
Great video. I love the entire deep dive series. I did find it interesting that in your recommendations you said Yukon Gold were best for mashed, but in the taste test you seemed to prefer the Reds
Including the sweet potato again and again feels like a big distraction. I get that it has potato in the name, but does anyone actually think of them as the same?
God I love potatoes. Mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, potato fries, potato chips, sweet potatoes. Favorite recipes probably roasted potatoes with whipped feta, deconstructed BLT with Japanese sweet potato in place of bread, and potatoes in a rich beef stew.
Okay something needs correcting. The potato famine wasn't because "Oh duh the Irish only grew potatoes". It was because England their colonizer forced them to grow potatoes for England and when the famine happen England would force them to give a huge share of the few crops they did have to English people. The famine killed so many Irish people because of colonialism, NOT because Ireland only focused on potatoes.
Firstly, I love your videos and really learn how & why to make my cooking the best it can be. But that lone french fry shivering on the plate was priceless. Thank you for everything. I signed up for the newsletter and am looking forward to reading it!
28:14 - You mean purple onions. I'm tired of calling them red when they are very clearly purple. Don't bother telling me they're red for some other 5 minute part of their lifecycle, every single time I see them either on a store shelf or in food they absolutely very purple. Just stop lying to yourselves already.
My main preference for a potato type comes down to texture. I find red and gold potatoes have a less grainy/dry texture and are easier to eat without much doctoring. I also like the skins on these potatoes a lot more than russets. They all have their strengths and weaknesses but my go-to is red potatoes. Taste, i really can't differentiate but texture i sure can unless the potatoes have been processed to a point where you can't detect it.
Ireland wasn't mono-crop potatoes. The English just took all the other foods and left them blighted potatoes so they could starve. They died not because one of the many crops they produce failed but because the English created the systems in which they would die. Not all genocides are death camps.
This will go well with the bag of potato’s I literally just picked up that we’re sitting on the side of the road. Weird timing Ethan but I’m grateful. ❤😂
A lot of Irish viewers are going to take exception to your critique about them only relying on potatoes, thus causing the potato famine. They had no other choice since the British Empire was confiscating all of the grain they were growing.
@@gabrielwhite3429 That's a bit extreme. This is a video about cooking potatoes, and the historical context is a tangential element of the video. Denying genocide is a very extreme take that no one else is alleging.
@EthanChlebowski I don't think that you meant to imply that they did it on purpose, but it does leave out extremely unfortunate historical context that is often forgotten about in many areas of the world. And a lot of uninformed viewers may end up hearing that and thinking "Wow those Irish sure were dumb" as I once did. And I mentioned your Irish viewers specifically because that is still a very sore point in Irish culture.
I love these types of videos. My journey to becoming a professional baker, I would break down history firstly. Second, I researched recipes and third cherry-picked ingredients to build my flavor and quality based ingredient profile. When adding the history and ingredients with a life time of perfectioning you come up a solid never fail product. So I understand and respect why potato based companies would "bogart" a specific potato growth strand. If you can simply make the sa.e at home why buy their product! 🥰 cooking and hosting is my passion and for those reading this comment; it is Cheese❤Cake.
Red potatoes are the default potato you get where I live. Seems like it's well suited for the general purpose role. One aspect that's missing for me in the video is if there's any particular type that's better in soup.
By the way, if you plan on growing your own potatoes, keep in mind that the leaves are toxic to dogs. A compound in the leaves designed to ward off insects is pretty nasty when dogs ingest it! Epic vid as always, Ethan! Would love to see a deep dive on miso and/or gochujang - tofu seems like it could be really interesting too.
For home made chips, I slice them thin, paint them with melted butter, and then put them under the broiler. They are very different from commercially produced chips, but fill a similar role.
I'm not sure why but for a while I made potato chips and hashbtownd in a Dutch oven with the lid on and enough oil to cover. I lost a lot of memories from that period due to trauma but that one remained. Honestly I'm probably lucky I didn't burn down the house. I've never tried doing chips under a broiler but that's clever, I coat baked potatoes in butter before rolling in salt and briefly finish them under the broiler, you get the cryspies skin, and just need to knock off a bit of the salt.
@@omgandwtf1 This is a similar idea, just with the "baked" potatoes thin enough that the crispy layers _just_ meet in the middle. They are a suitable substitute for kettle cooked, but much simpler to make. Or I cut them a bit thicker (1/4") and serve them with ketchup as a substitute for french fries (kinda halfway between American "French Fries", and UK "Chips").
I am not a fan of potatoes, but have taken the family task of making Pierogi for Christmas Eve over the last several years, I am glad your Yukon Gold matched the best guess on Grandma's recipe. I always wondered if I should be doing something different while making the filling. Not that anyone ever complains
In spain we have anothr term for potatoes, angrias, that it's translated as sour and these are said to be best for crispy frying recipies. Another thing I'd like to look at is the difference of the results when comparing iferent variations in the same cooking method, like frying at high temperatures or low tmp frying and then turn up the temperatures. I use the last method for patatas a lo pobre or for spanish tortilla de patatas and I think they potatoes really come out a lot more flavourful and more aromatic, like you can taste the sweet, the sour and a lot of umami, but if you boil and then fry you only get like the crispiness and some flavour, but much plainer.
frying potatoes is really difficult to compare, I've been frying spuds for 30+ years at home, and a bag that is lousy one week might be great 2 weeks later, or not. this process seems sensitive to ALL the variables in my opinion. I never blanch or peel. Use dull cutters for best results.
Another potato deep dive would be- best variety for canning, how to soak (salted, citric acid, lemon juice, plain), how long to soak, and how many rinses.
I use the Yukon Gold almost exclusively because it has the most inherent flavor. I do use the Russet potatoes for steak fries, and I have little interest in making stuffed potatoes, where if i did, I'd consider those for that as well. Red and blue potatoes are useful added to potato salad but as a color adjunct to Yukon Golds.
I so t make fries so I have zero use for russet variety. My go to are Yukon gold, white potatoes and red potatoes because they have flavor and work great in recipes with other foods.
Purple varieties are absolutely fantastic though very dense and they turn brown easily after cooking so you don't find them on the market much unfortunately. They kind of remind me of a sweet baked chestnut.
ethan - been binging your content for awhile (got here from ragusea) and i gotta say thank you so much for all these tests/comparisons. your research, combined with your subjective observations, fills an amazing niche. THANK YOU!
i love to use the little red potatoes to quarter them and make roasted potatoes. toss with a little evoo, salt, rosemary, and lemon juice. i tried it with russet and they are just too big, you don't get enough of the nice crust unless you spend a ton of time dicing them
I have found that if you blanch your potatoes before frying or roasting improves the overall texture. Giving a fluffy inside and a crispy outer layer. If you want to season your potatoes season them after you have blanched them. Making sure that you have allowed all the water to evaporate off first.
Finally 4 weeks later I finished this video. While they are a little more expensive. the Little Potato Co brand of Trios is great for potato soup or roasted potatoes. They are those fingerling potatoes that may require one slice if that but they tri-colored and great for not falling apart or adding too much starch to a soup if you dont want is thick. highly recommend.
I'm going to assume that Russet are the best for baking the classic baked potato. I don't have them often but was thinking about making some soon. I really appreciate the heck out of this video!
the more i watch the more i want a rice video since there are so many types like jasmine or sushi rice. and as far as i am concerned they are nearly as versatile as potatoes
One of my favorite ways to prepare russet potatoes is to grill them(when I'm using the grill already). I wash and pierce them all over with a fork and microwave them for about 5 minutes, cut them in half length wise and microwave them again for 2-3 additional minutes. Let them cool slightly and coat with olive oil and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Throw them on the grill peel side down first, to help crisp the skin and drive off moisture. Then flip over and let them brown and get a little charred in spots to your liking.
I like the Yukon Gold for their thin skin, I don't even peel them when making mashed potatoes. They are also very hard and can be kept in the fridge for a couple of months without softening.
My favorite thing to make with potatoes is cheesy potato pie. It's a staple for my holidays and I never see anyone else make anything like it. Fill a flaky pastry crust with a combination of diced and parboiled potatoes, cream, and a mix of flavorful cheeses like smoked gouda and manchego as well as some cheddar, making sure to save some cheese for the top and throw into the oven until everything comes together and the top is nice and toasty.
For a creamy texture, I _pressure cook them._ It's easier to get them thoroughly cooked before mashing and whipping them, and it prevents undercooked lumps.
A large part of why in the beginning potatoes were avoided in Europe is the same reason as they rejected tomatoes. As you pointed out, potatoes (and tomatoes) are both Nightshades, which can be very poisonous.
Hi Ethan, love your deep dive videos. Can you do one about avocadoes please? I think you'll have fun exploring all the different kinds of avocadoes and your viewers like myself will enjoy watching it. Thanks!
I have to disagree on one point… 36:09 Homemade Potato Chips are a completely different creature. Easy to make and, whenever I’ve made them, they are gobbled up quickly, especially when you have Homemade Ranch Dip. 😋
Hello, here in Germany we categorize potato varieties into one of three groups: "Mehlig kochend" floury when cooked meaning there are best for something like potato mash, "vorwiegend festkochend" meaning they roughly keep their shape when cooked so are best for stews and "festkochend" meaning they do not soften up when cooking so they are the best for fries. I am not sure if a literal translation would be helpful, as they would be "floury cooking" or I think it was "mealy? cooking", "mostly solid cooking" and "solid cooking". So most of the time I do not look at the name of a variety but at the category when I want it for a specific dish. But I mostly buy the one in the middle as it is versatile enough.
Ethan, the chart you showed at 7:00 is one I worked on for my job at USDA. I'm glad to see the work I do has an impact with someone that I've followed for a long time.
That’s so cool
How does one go about getting a job at the USDA??
Awesome, thanks for making it!
Thanks for your work!
The potato blight was caused by Phytophthora infestans, the Irish potato famine was caused by the British
The English caused Gorta Mór
A couple of points of elaboration on the history section:
Firstly, the reason that Irish peasants relied so heavily on the potato to meet their macronutrient needs was that British landlords took the majority of the food they produced for export. Even during the height of the Great Famine, Ireland was still a net exporter of food. Secondly, the potato blight was not limited to Ireland, and failing potato crops led to hunger all across Europe in the 1840s, which is widely recognized as one of the causes of the revolutions of 1848.
The potato “famine” was not a famine at all. It was the British starving the Irish because oppression is all their lineage
@@a.k.salazr damn this sounds extremely similar to what the british did to india as well. the 1930/40's 'famine' was anything but
@@a.k.salazr Sounds like the pronunciation is just wrong. It's a fa-MINE!
@@nightingale4786 It's less a famine and more of a genocide, in both cases.
@@kristoffer3000 ding ding ding, we have a winner!
babe wake up the 40 minute potato guide just dropped
Lmao
Shut up. Try coming up with your own comment next time
lol
Babe wake up, another unfunny babe wake up comment just dropped.
@@danielburleson563I commented and told him to shut up with his unoriginal comment and it got deleted -__-
its really interesting how different american vs european potato market is , we have completely different varieties
I see the Netherlands alone already grows 550 different species.
It changes constantly too; yukon golds originated in Canada but aren't really available here anymore!
yeah, whenever I watch "Sorted Food" they use potatoes I've never heard of
Definitely, I’m from Germany, living in the US, and have yet to find a real waxy potato here.
@@asphere8 I have to grow my own every year because they are my fav.
Ethan, I really appreciate your deep dives into different fundamentals foods/ingredients. I can only imagine that these long form videos take an incredible amount of research and time. Thank you for all your efforts, and hope you are able to continue to produce such incredible videos!
You are welcome, thanks for watching!
These videos are full of inaccuracies, he doesn’t do research and you shouldn’t trust his guides.
Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew.
PO-TAY-TOS
What's tater's, precious? What's tater's, eh??
That was my school cheer when in played for the Fiji Cannibals
Do you guys happen to watch Atheenon? I swear every stream he says it. Maybe he just encounters too many spuds in the games he plays.
Turn em into vodka and drink until noon!
I am at a point in my life where I'm genuinely excited to watch a 40 min video about potatoes
we all watched it and was glorious
Big same
Top 3 Potato Varieties in some countries around the world:-
UK
Maris Piper - chips and roasting (fluffy texture).
King Edward - Baking and roasting.
Desiree - A waxy variety, great for mashing and boiling.
USA
Russet Burbank - baking and fries.
Yukon Gold - Creamy - mashing & roasting.
Red Bliss - Salads and roasting.
Germany
Sieglinde - Waxy - salads and soups.
Annabelle - Steaming and salads.
Linda - Boiling and frying.
Australia
Sebago - Baking, boiling, and frying.
Desiree - Mashing and roasting.
Kipfler - Waxy - salads and roasting.
Japan
Danshaku (Baron) - Croquettes and soups.
May Queen - Waxy - Stews and boiling.
Kita Akari - Similar to Yukon Gold - Mashing and baking.
Spain
Monalisa - Frying and boiling.
Kennebec - Traditional Spanish fries and tortilla.
Agria - Chips and baking.
Russia
Nevsky - A waxy - Salads and soups.
Lorkh - Boiling and frying.
Sante - Mashed potatoes and stews.
Pretty cool actually!
ya, Ethan's US bias and sample sizing, including only using his own palate, hinders the usefulness of his work
which is ironic, because his Polish last name means 'Breadson' and he should explore those... sprouts
The difference with the UK and probably others is that there are also other varieties available (and that the UK choices taste better and cook better).
We have to actively seek out specialist potato growers for potatoes worth eating in the US.
This is a problem with a lot of US produce where efficiency of growing and storing is more important than flavour or nutritional content. The modern Red Delicious being the poster child for this.
@@tristanmills4948 Not sure if you think the UK has more varieties. I'm sure we have plenty but most supermarkets ignore them and only offer 2.5kg bags of white, red and 'new' potatoes. If you are lucky they might label them as Maris Piper, but I don't recall seeing King Edwards or Desiree for years. Even in a farm shop it's unlikely you'd find as many varieties as Ethan found.
@@tristanmills4948 Do you realize that Red Delicious is an apple? I can see why you think it's not a tasty potato.
The Irish famine was not caused only by the potato mold, it was also because the English empire forced Ireland to export any other good produced. That's why the Irish starved.
British Empire, Scotland was just as complicit as England, but yes I agree
The guy in charge of emergency responses in the British government also blocked domestic and international food aid from reaching Ireland as a British national pride thing, because according to him they'd just be able to pay to import food once he finished putting together his public works stimulus package (he never finished that, and they could not pay to import food).
@@CnutLongsword Except Sweden. There it's reversed lol :)
@@CnutLongsword Sounds like confirmation bias. Ethiopia was never colonized by anyone, and it turned out not much different from its neighbors.
Exactly! Same for the Indian famines. Infact, Indian famines were engineered genocides to suppress the independence movement. There is allot of white washing of crimes committed by British which about to the crimes committed Nazis. I would go as far as to say that British were worse than Nazis, though that is not really competition.
10:00 - in Germany we use the three terms "Festkochend", "Vorwiegend Festkochend" and "Mehlig" translating to "solid after boiling", "mostly solid after boiling" and "floury" - which makes a lot of sense.
Edit: It should translate to "after cooking" not "after boiling"
thanks for this fact, I love wierd facts! =D
Straight to the point!
It’s the same in Sweden 👍
I'm an immigrant in Germany, so thanks a lot for clearing that up for me! Coming from the UK, I do find it a little strange though that they never say the exact potato variety in Germany
Exactly, and I’d say all the varieties you get in the stores in the US fall within the mehlig and vorwiegend festkochend categories. No real festkochend (waxy) potatoes here.
Never heard the English referred to as a "mold infestation that killed the potato plants" before.
😂😂😂😂
I mean, there _was_ a mold infestation that killed the potato plants and led to starvation. But the dependence on single crop for sustenance was the English's fault.
I have ...
@@slicedtoad they also tried to pretend like it wasn't really happening and refused to send aid even though they had plenty available.
Just because you never heard it doesn't mean it hasn't been said.
So remember kids, while Uncle Ethan is here for dinner, in no event are you to ask him what is his favorite way to eat potatoes. Otherwise, we will Never get to dessert.
Guilty as charged 😂
😂
@@EthanChlebowski "Uncle Ethan, what's your favorite way to eat potatoes?"
Ethan, with a dead-eyed full-on stare: *Milkshake*
And then just never elaborate.
"I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it alright"
Lolol
Regarding potato varieties, years ago while traveling with a CB radio a trucker was trying to give away chipping potatoes in an Indiana truck stop. Show up with something to hold them and he'd give you all you wanted because the farm had overloaded his trailer and he couldn't get on the highway without risking big fines.
"Breaker, Breaker Tater-1 here..."
I really love your approach with those kinds of videos! The combination of your cook well channel with the more "laissez faire" nature and the culinary deep dive main channel is amazing. Its great background knowledge for a homecook like me but at the same time I get a realistic idea of everyday cooking. Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much!
If you haven't done a honey deep dive, could you consider it? I went down this rabbit hole after finding an old cook book with honey recipes. Liquidity, crystallization, flavor, sweetness, allergy benefits...
Love your vids!
I would watch the hell out of that video!!!
I've thought about it...it's not planned, but definitely would like to do it as some point!
@@EthanChlebowski Plan it! try it! And if you like it we (your fans) will like it.
Love your content, keep up the very good job that you do and stay frosty. Love to se more!
@@EthanChlebowskiTupelo honey is one you need to check out
Cosigned, a honey deep dive would be so...sweet! XD
I've been to Peru several times and the potatoes native to the Andes are a significantly different experience to what we have in America. French Fries down there are noticeably denser, and a deep fried papa huayro is one of the best foods I've ever eaten.
I really need to make a trip to Peru sometime
that's that papa amarilla. extremely delicious potato that has no comparison here in the states
I've grown potatoes out from seed and got ahold of extremely rare potato varieties and let me tell you, The ones that made it into the commercial sphere are a tiny sliver of the full potential of the species. We're talking all kinds of different flavor profiles all kinds of different mouthfeels and also almost a complete spectrum of colors which does relate to the flavors. Commercial growers avoid the darker colors because they can't tell if the potatoes have started to green or not easily during production of products, and it's a darn shame too because those darker colored ones really have some knockout flavors
There are some 4000 types of potatoes in the Andes. Yes, 4000- that's not a typo!
My wife started a job with a seed potato research and cultivating company this morning!
Congrats to she and you both! I hope the job is fulfilling and beneficial to your family!
This sounds like an interesting job.
In Finland and Sweden, we have a potato variety called Rosamunda, which is specifically bred for roasting and oven, but also suitable for mashing. Rosamunda is a mealy food potato with light yellow flesh; its tubers are red-skinned, large, oval and smooth. However, in recent decades, the cultivation of Rosamunda has decreased because seed potato wholesalers have reduced sales of local potato varieties to farmers and replaced them with licensed American varieties (which unfortunately are more sensitive to European potato blight unlike local varieties) and this change made it harder to get Rosamunda to the farms.
Are they still abundant in stores in Scandinavia?
@arielg.2681 Less than in my childhood (that is 20 years ago) and can currently be found mostly in the selection of the largest hypermarkets.
As an Idahoan this was a 10/10 video
And also, Colorado potatoes are better.
@ for sure….
3:54 there was no "famine" there would've been enough food for everyone if the British landowners didn't sell everything to recoup their losses
came here to say this
The British Navy also blocked many relief ships full of food bound for Ireland sent by Quakers from the US.
This really needs more attention
We get it! FFS! You don’t see all the comments before yours?
Get over it.
@@Adoubletrippletap Not everyone reads all ~900 comments before posting.
One additional thing, what temperature the potatoes are stored at makes a difference in the amount of sugar in the potatoes. If I store some potatoes in my refrigerator, they become sweeter than the same potatoes from the same bag stored at room temperature. I normally store my potatoes in the fridge because I don't eat enough of them to finish a bag before they spoil and I enjoy the sweeter taste when cooked.
You are correct about the starches turning to sugars when stored Cold. He didn't mending anything about that.
Also important, your fries will turn much darker due to the higher sugar content. If you like light golden fries, I wouldn't recommend storing in a refrigerator.
Epic Gardening surprise crossover! Love both channels ❤️
I love your deep dive videos, man! It feels like an even more granular version of Good Eats.
Locally we now have a product sold as “little potatoes”, size of fingering potatoes but a round shape. Very handy for baking because they take so little prep and they are delicious.
my favourite they're so convenient, I wonder if they would be considered seed potatoes
I think it's fingerling..
Yeah that puzzled me for a moment. The term "fingerling" isn't used around where I live. We say "little" or "baby" potatoes.
22:34 “Massed Pochaetohs”
In Czechia we differentiate potato varieties by a letter scale from A to C (and combinations AB and BC for ones that are in between). A is the most firm, the least starchy and has the most water content. C has a floury texture and isn't firm.
A - meant for salads or for boiling
B - for boiling, for soups, mashed potatoes or doughs
C - doughs and mash
There is also another rating - new (nové) vs early (rané) vs other/late (ostatní/pozdní), which is used to differentiate the age of the potato (season during which they mature).
I rarely see anything else than German (most common), Dutch or Czech varieties.
Similar in Ukraine for the age of the potato. But instead of new/early we say molodi (young). Those are great for boiling or roasting and then adding some dill and butter to them.
That seems like a pretty good system though I feel like most of the world has no idea how much more potential lies within the potato. If you've grown your own potatoes and gotten a hold of some of the rare varieties you would know that there's some extra versions of the texture that are almost like taffy and there are flavor profiles that I don't even know how to describe because they are the other types of potato with extra potato flavors. I think it has to do with the pigments but basically there's kind of a blueberry type of potato and also a kind of a cherry type of potato and then there is the umami potato and the candy potato and the honey potato.... I guess what I'm getting at is there's a lot of nuance in potatoes that you don't see in the big commercial varieties, and it's not exactly subtle either😅. Oh what am I saying I totally forgot the chestnut potatoes.... Oh and ones that taste kind of like really good eggplant. Only variety breeders and eccentrics like me grow potatoes from actual seed and get to experience these different forms. I will say though if you can only have one potato, Yukon Gold is great because it changes as it matures through multiple different texture and flavor profiles.
I went to Peru last year. What an amazing variety of potatoes they sell. I saw more small potatoes similar to fingerlings than I saw the full size potatoes generally sold in the US.
So good!
Yukon Gold wasn't around when we grew up. We had Russets, white and red. We used russets mainly for baking, though most of the time we only had white, which worked pretty good too. In fact, the normal white potato was pretty much a universal. Today my list would be
White - for potato salad- boiled/blanched peeled hot and dressing applied while hot or else they turn mealy
Red- for boiled soups or stews. Would overlap with potato salad but wouldn't be a good choice for mash due to getting gelatinous
Yokon Gold - good all around mix. But wouldn't be my choice for potato salad due to color and being a little gummy
Russet - pretty much only use for baking. Though super fluffy for mash but can be really dry, so you need to add a lot of cream and butter.
The best mash is to mix russet with red or gold to mix the creamy gelatin feel with the fluffy russet.
Fried taters with onions or ramps was always white with bacon grease 😉👍
Onions go great with fried taters
It's not that straight forward. When you go to the grocery store, they will sell them as "White Potatoes" but there are a bunch of different varieties that are considered "white potatoes". I've started to see potatoes sold as "yellow potatoes", these might be Yukon Gold, or they might be a different variety of yellow potato that is not Yukon Gold. That being said, I don't think it makes any difference to using them.
Yukon=slimy
You're the Jeff Nippard of the culinary world
Lmao, completely true. Systematic and methodical approach.
Peak comment
Nippard is a famous liar, unlike Ethan. His "natural" fat free mass index is almost like peak Arnold's, and Arnold is literally the G.O.A.T. who in his own words did "enough steroids to stop a tractor". People who believe that any natty can even come close to peak Arnold probably believe in Santa as well.
THE best comparison
@@testnametestsurname1032 Bruh. Jeff Nippard is much shorter than Arnold lmao. Short = you can fill out more muscle per frame/body. Paired with lifelong bodybuilding and good genetics (his parents did BB/fitness), he can fill out his frame very very well and remain natty.
Lmao.
This was fascinating and I don't know a single person who dislikes potatoes, so I'm sure many people can relate to this video and get something out of it.
I actually have met someone who swears that they hate potatoes. I don't understand it, but hey, the human experience is nothing if not unique.
This is the long video essay my heart needed.
I know it's unrelated, but can't wait for Coffee pt. 2!
Wait there's coffee part 1???
I like to use red for mashing with skin on. Reds seem to really absorb liquid so you can really push the limit in adding milk and cream (plus butter) Less likely to get gluey, too
We typically use Yukon Gold potatoes and cut them up and pan saute them with just a little olive oil. They crisp up nicely and are creamy inside. Baked potatoes we always use russet. I don't think we've ever made French fries because we don't fry food in general....we save it for going out to eat. Occasionally we'll make potato salad, and have used multiple types. Same with mashed potatoes.... I used to think you HAD to use russet potatoes because of the starch factor, but have found it doesn't really matter, especially if you're putting butter and milk in them. Thank you for taking the time to do this! Very interesting.
We usually use fingerling for stews, red chopped in half for sheetpan and russet for baked potatoes, I think we use Yukon gold for mashed. By the way if you add some red wine (port is what I've used) to mashed potatoes along with some fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme you get a delicious colorful mashed potatoes, it looks great next to some dark green veggies, corn and or ham. The wine adds a certain depth to it and if you only cook off most of the alcohol (I just add it in after draining and smashing and stir on the stove a bit) the little kick from the alcohol helps lighten the dish especially with the aromatic herbs.
Your biase for Russet potatoes makes me think of a research study done in the 1960s. Psychologists offered school children two bowls of chicken noodle soup to taste. One was home-made the other canned Campbell's soup. Researchers found the desiding factor for the childrens preferrence depended on whether their mothers used canned soup or made soup from scratch. We go with what we know. This may be a remnant of our species long term survival skills.
wake up ethan posted a banger
Nope…it’s the mash. 😜
Ethan, genuinely, thank you for these videos. I’m starting my commercial kitchen journey and these videos are going to be invaluable resources while I work on my skills.
I make chips at home with Yukon, just put them on a mandolin, boil them a little and put them in the air fryer with a little bit of oil spray.
I do similarly, but layer the slices potato with wet paper towel and microwave for 1 min.
Your basic roasted potato test gave me an idea to change a classic Thanksgiving dish, sweet potatoes with brown sugar and pineapple. I think our family's source is a 1960's cookbook.
My idea is to core a pineapple, use the flesh to mix together with the roasted sweet potato, then serve it in the hollowed out pineapple, maybe with a touch of nutmeg or something.
I haven't looked around to see if this has been done before, just watching the raw tasting got my mind juices flowing.
Thanks for yet another informative video Ethan!
We have a local potato that taste way better than any else ive eaten. Sadly it doesnt sell well because theyre not the perfectly round potato shape that others have. It also doesnt have a real name. Should probably try and get it analyzed just to see what kind it actually is.
Not enough info. Can you describe the potato color and taste and the location / region it’s found? Would be interesting to know more about it
I love when you put these videos out. Thank you!!
Here in England we're lucky if any potato varieties are labelled other than Maris Piper New/Jersey Royal or King Edward. Supermarket labels saying "Baking Potatoes" or "Roasting Potatoes" are dumbing people down in an effort to be plain speaking. We really don't have a large variety on offer unless we're willing to spend a lot at a farm shop or something.
In Germany, they often have female names and you can often buy them directly from farmers
It's true, but if you are lucky enough to have an old fashioned greengrocer, you can still get a wider range of named. (UK)
Do you tend to see any of the colored potato varieties like red or the purple?
@@EthanChlebowski Very rarely in specialist shops where you'd pay through the nose. I suspect retailers think a purple potato would be intimidating.
Edit: I should also add I'm in northern England. As usual some more interesting varieties may be reserved or more accessible to people in London particularly.
I use a potato ricer when making mashed potatoes, whipping them just makes them gel. Umatilla is You-Ma-Till-A by the way, good potato growing climate.
The common potatoes in the UK are totally different to the US
Indeed, we have a far more refined palate. Just look at American cheese, if you can still call it cheese.
@@markedis5902
Oh yes, here goes the superiority comment
@@markedis5902 good food in the UK, let me laugh at your stupidity LOL *laughs at you in southern Europe
@@markedis5902Ya know we have more than just processed cheese right? And geeze it's just cheddar with emulsion additives for melting and annatto for color.
@@markedis5902 The British don't have the privilege of looking down on others for their cuisine, just saying.
Red potatoes are amazing. Roasted with a little butter and salt, and they're perfect.
The Irish potato famine was caused by English land owners taking all of Ireland's crops. It's wild that anyone would mention the "famine" in current year without acknowledging this fact.
Wasn't really a famine as much as it was genocide by starvation.
Excellent video, thanks. You missed one key application for potatoes, which is potato salad. Texture is a big deal and in my experience varies a lot between varieties. Gold hold their shape the best and have excellent texture. Russet tend to crumble. Red are also good.
I grow my own potatoes. A fresh out of the ground potato tastes amazing compared to bagged in a store, no matter what the variety. Fresh potatoes take longer to cook due to them not being broken down yet. Some of the potatoes in the store are old and soft. I think this point also is a factor when dealing with potatoes. I love Yukon and grow them every year. I also grow a red skinned/white flesh of some kind. Another side not, Yukon is not a high producer. Red skin produce 3 to 4 times more tubers than Yukon, per plant. So, growing your own is also about yield and storage potentials. Yukons are hard to find here in Canada because they simply cost more to produce. One last funny, occasionally I run out of home grown by the end of Feb or March so I buy some cheap russets. A few years ago, I peeled them and put the scraps in a hugel mound garden I was creating. That garden now gives me perpetual russet potatoes every year thanks to the peeled skins I discarded. I live in a USDA zone 4/Cdn zone 5a and some deep down potatoes survive the winter to give me little treasures every year. I am trying the same thing with Yukon and reds this winter to see if they can do the same. 😁
This was quite interesting Ethan. Potatoes are so widely used that we take them for granted. My personal favourites are russet for overall cooking and baking. I love yukon gold but the price in our country is prohibitive most times. We have been getting dutch potates which is quite versatile.
I love you Ethan
Great video. I love the entire deep dive series.
I did find it interesting that in your recommendations you said Yukon Gold were best for mashed, but in the taste test you seemed to prefer the Reds
unironically was JUST looking for a video like this a few days ago to prep for a party! classic ethan banger incoming
Love the double-entendre!
I was literally wondering about this yesterday at the grocery store and wondered if you had a video about it
Including the sweet potato again and again feels like a big distraction. I get that it has potato in the name, but does anyone actually think of them as the same?
You would be surprise.
Russet is the best potato for everything and you can't convince me otherwise. It just tastes so much better.
Until Yukon Gold came along.
I may have agreed with you until I was introduced to other potato varieties that tasted better.
Please do "What kind of water is best for making the best instant ramen" next! 😁😁
sparkling
distilled
The tears of my enemies
@@ryguyw1 this lmao
God I love potatoes. Mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, potato fries, potato chips, sweet potatoes. Favorite recipes probably roasted potatoes with whipped feta, deconstructed BLT with Japanese sweet potato in place of bread, and potatoes in a rich beef stew.
Okay something needs correcting. The potato famine wasn't because "Oh duh the Irish only grew potatoes". It was because England their colonizer forced them to grow potatoes for England and when the famine happen England would force them to give a huge share of the few crops they did have to English people. The famine killed so many Irish people because of colonialism, NOT because Ireland only focused on potatoes.
Firstly, I love your videos and really learn how & why to make my cooking the best it can be. But that lone french fry shivering on the plate was priceless.
Thank you for everything. I signed up for the newsletter and am looking forward to reading it!
28:14 - You mean purple onions. I'm tired of calling them red when they are very clearly purple. Don't bother telling me they're red for some other 5 minute part of their lifecycle, every single time I see them either on a store shelf or in food they absolutely very purple. Just stop lying to yourselves already.
My main preference for a potato type comes down to texture. I find red and gold potatoes have a less grainy/dry texture and are easier to eat without much doctoring. I also like the skins on these potatoes a lot more than russets. They all have their strengths and weaknesses but my go-to is red potatoes. Taste, i really can't differentiate but texture i sure can unless the potatoes have been processed to a point where you can't detect it.
Ireland wasn't mono-crop potatoes. The English just took all the other foods and left them blighted potatoes so they could starve. They died not because one of the many crops they produce failed but because the English created the systems in which they would die. Not all genocides are death camps.
This will go well with the bag of potato’s I literally just picked up that we’re sitting on the side of the road. Weird timing Ethan but I’m grateful. ❤😂
A lot of Irish viewers are going to take exception to your critique about them only relying on potatoes, thus causing the potato famine. They had no other choice since the British Empire was confiscating all of the grain they were growing.
In no way was I critiquing the Irish. My apologies if that's how it came across. I should have included that additional context in the video.
@@EthanChlebowskiyea the way you left out that context kiiinda makes you sound like a genocide denier
@@gabrielwhite3429 That's a bit extreme. This is a video about cooking potatoes, and the historical context is a tangential element of the video. Denying genocide is a very extreme take that no one else is alleging.
Whatever the reason, they were (forced into) relying on potatoes.
@EthanChlebowski I don't think that you meant to imply that they did it on purpose, but it does leave out extremely unfortunate historical context that is often forgotten about in many areas of the world. And a lot of uninformed viewers may end up hearing that and thinking "Wow those Irish sure were dumb" as I once did. And I mentioned your Irish viewers specifically because that is still a very sore point in Irish culture.
I love these types of videos. My journey to becoming a professional baker, I would break down history firstly. Second, I researched recipes and third cherry-picked ingredients to build my flavor and quality based ingredient profile. When adding the history and ingredients with a life time of perfectioning you come up a solid never fail product.
So I understand and respect why potato based companies would "bogart" a specific potato growth strand. If you can simply make the sa.e at home why buy their product! 🥰 cooking and hosting is my passion and for those reading this comment; it is Cheese❤Cake.
Red potatoes are the default potato you get where I live. Seems like it's well suited for the general purpose role.
One aspect that's missing for me in the video is if there's any particular type that's better in soup.
this is the best video i've ever watched
By the way, if you plan on growing your own potatoes, keep in mind that the leaves are toxic to dogs. A compound in the leaves designed to ward off insects is pretty nasty when dogs ingest it!
Epic vid as always, Ethan! Would love to see a deep dive on miso and/or gochujang - tofu seems like it could be really interesting too.
Overall take away, his conclusion was same for me, where i often by red potatoes and tend to be most versatile for what I use them for.
For home made chips, I slice them thin, paint them with melted butter, and then put them under the broiler. They are very different from commercially produced chips, but fill a similar role.
I'm not sure why but for a while I made potato chips and hashbtownd in a Dutch oven with the lid on and enough oil to cover. I lost a lot of memories from that period due to trauma but that one remained. Honestly I'm probably lucky I didn't burn down the house. I've never tried doing chips under a broiler but that's clever, I coat baked potatoes in butter before rolling in salt and briefly finish them under the broiler, you get the cryspies skin, and just need to knock off a bit of the salt.
@@omgandwtf1 This is a similar idea, just with the "baked" potatoes thin enough that the crispy layers _just_ meet in the middle. They are a suitable substitute for kettle cooked, but much simpler to make. Or I cut them a bit thicker (1/4") and serve them with ketchup as a substitute for french fries (kinda halfway between American "French Fries", and UK "Chips").
started making dinner, which includes baked sweet potatoes, and opened youtube up to find this in my subscriptions. good timing haha.
Grew up eating a lot of baked potatoes as a side for dinner. Always preferred the red ones!
I am not a fan of potatoes, but have taken the family task of making Pierogi for Christmas Eve over the last several years, I am glad your Yukon Gold matched the best guess on Grandma's recipe. I always wondered if I should be doing something different while making the filling. Not that anyone ever complains
In spain we have anothr term for potatoes, angrias, that it's translated as sour and these are said to be best for crispy frying recipies. Another thing I'd like to look at is the difference of the results when comparing iferent variations in the same cooking method, like frying at high temperatures or low tmp frying and then turn up the temperatures. I use the last method for patatas a lo pobre or for spanish tortilla de patatas and I think they potatoes really come out a lot more flavourful and more aromatic, like you can taste the sweet, the sour and a lot of umami, but if you boil and then fry you only get like the crispiness and some flavour, but much plainer.
frying potatoes is really difficult to compare, I've been frying spuds for 30+ years at home, and a bag that is lousy one week might be great 2 weeks later, or not. this process seems sensitive to ALL the variables in my opinion. I never blanch or peel. Use dull cutters for best results.
Another potato deep dive would be- best variety for canning, how to soak (salted, citric acid, lemon juice, plain), how long to soak, and how many rinses.
I use the Yukon Gold almost exclusively because it has the most inherent flavor. I do use the Russet potatoes for steak fries, and I have little interest in making stuffed potatoes, where if i did, I'd consider those for that as well.
Red and blue potatoes are useful added to potato salad but as a color adjunct to Yukon Golds.
I so t make fries so I have zero use for russet variety. My go to are Yukon gold, white potatoes and red potatoes because they have flavor and work great in recipes with other foods.
Purple varieties are absolutely fantastic though very dense and they turn brown easily after cooking so you don't find them on the market much unfortunately. They kind of remind me of a sweet baked chestnut.
As a Foodtechnologican and former chef, I really want to say: Thank you for this great channel and your gustatory Masterclass!!! What a Gem!
ethan - been binging your content for awhile (got here from ragusea) and i gotta say thank you so much for all these tests/comparisons. your research, combined with your subjective observations, fills an amazing niche. THANK YOU!
Mom, I'm in another Ethan Chlebowski video! Thx for having me again dude. Potato Crew unite. - Potato Daddy Kev
I never knew that I needed this video, but I am so much smarter now!
Great video. I usually mix my reds and russets for mashed because the smoothness of the reds blends wonderfully with the fluffiness of the russets.
You completely skipped over the historical HOW and WHY of Ireland being so potato dependent.
i love to use the little red potatoes to quarter them and make roasted potatoes. toss with a little evoo, salt, rosemary, and lemon juice. i tried it with russet and they are just too big, you don't get enough of the nice crust unless you spend a ton of time dicing them
I have found that if you blanch your potatoes before frying or roasting improves the overall texture. Giving a fluffy inside and a crispy outer layer.
If you want to season your potatoes season them after you have blanched them.
Making sure that you have allowed all the water to evaporate off first.
Finally 4 weeks later I finished this video. While they are a little more expensive. the Little Potato Co brand of Trios is great for potato soup or roasted potatoes. They are those fingerling potatoes that may require one slice if that but they tri-colored and great for not falling apart or adding too much starch to a soup if you dont want is thick. highly recommend.
I'm going to assume that Russet are the best for baking the classic baked potato. I don't have them often but was thinking about making some soon.
I really appreciate the heck out of this video!
the more i watch the more i want a rice video since there are so many types like jasmine or sushi rice. and as far as i am concerned they are nearly as versatile as potatoes
10:50 not gonna lie, whenever I eat Sweet Potatoes, it tastes less sweeter than other potatoes.
One of my favorite ways to prepare russet potatoes is to grill them(when I'm using the grill already). I wash and pierce them all over with a fork and microwave them for about 5 minutes, cut them in half length wise and microwave them again for 2-3 additional minutes. Let them cool slightly and coat with olive oil and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Throw them on the grill peel side down first, to help crisp the skin and drive off moisture. Then flip over and let them brown and get a little charred in spots to your liking.
I like the Yukon Gold for their thin skin, I don't even peel them when making mashed potatoes. They are also very hard and can be kept in the fridge for a couple of months without softening.
Resistant starch take on Yukon Golds for the win! IMHO 😉
My favorite thing to make with potatoes is cheesy potato pie. It's a staple for my holidays and I never see anyone else make anything like it. Fill a flaky pastry crust with a combination of diced and parboiled potatoes, cream, and a mix of flavorful cheeses like smoked gouda and manchego as well as some cheddar, making sure to save some cheese for the top and throw into the oven until everything comes together and the top is nice and toasty.
Chief, it was an excellent video!
I wish you had also talked about the nutritional values of different potato verities, when boiled, roasted or fried.
Potato is BESTato!
For a creamy texture, I _pressure cook them._ It's easier to get them thoroughly cooked before mashing and whipping them, and it prevents undercooked lumps.
A large part of why in the beginning potatoes were avoided in Europe is the same reason as they rejected tomatoes. As you pointed out, potatoes (and tomatoes) are both Nightshades, which can be very poisonous.
Hi Ethan, love your deep dive videos. Can you do one about avocadoes please? I think you'll have fun exploring all the different kinds of avocadoes and your viewers like myself will enjoy watching it. Thanks!
I have to disagree on one point… 36:09
Homemade Potato Chips are a completely different creature. Easy to make and, whenever I’ve made them, they are gobbled up quickly, especially when you have Homemade Ranch Dip. 😋
Hello, here in Germany we categorize potato varieties into one of three groups: "Mehlig kochend" floury when cooked meaning there are best for something like potato mash, "vorwiegend festkochend" meaning they roughly keep their shape when cooked so are best for stews and "festkochend" meaning they do not soften up when cooking so they are the best for fries. I am not sure if a literal translation would be helpful, as they would be "floury cooking" or I think it was "mealy? cooking", "mostly solid cooking" and "solid cooking".
So most of the time I do not look at the name of a variety but at the category when I want it for a specific dish. But I mostly buy the one in the middle as it is versatile enough.