Australia’s ‘Spud Sisters’ push lesser-known potato varieties

There are around 5,000 potato varieties worldwide, but in Australia, many shoppers struggle to distinguish a Kipfler from a King Edward. But some potato suppliers want to widen our taste for spuds. In Australia, potatoes are a big deal. The industry is worth 1.1 billion Australian dollars annually (approx. 690 million US dollars). But the choice for consumers is limited. “At a supermarket, they'll only be offered a washed potato or an unwashed potato, or a red potato and a white potato, and then quite often you'll see a lot of misinformation,” says potato supplier Kerri Farrell. For the past 35 years, “Spud Sisters” Farrell and Catherine Ramage have been selling potatoes. They say the majority of consumers don’t even know about the best potatoes available. Some lesser-known varieties are called King Edward, Midnight Pearl and Fontane. “The kookier the potato, the better for us, but we're all about championing what doesn't necessarily look nice, but tastes nice,” says Ramage. Every year, each Australian eats about 17 kilograms (37 pounds) of potatoes. But such high aesthetic standards required by supermarkets are a challenge, say farmers. “To achieve that amazing white or red, whichever they’re doing, your wastage is very high,” explains potato farmer Terry Buckley. That means consumers pay more at the checkout and farmers are forced to get rid of some of their produce even though it's still perfectly edible. “You could kind of double their shelf life if you haven't washed them and you keep them in the dark and you package them well,” adds Buckley. The vast differences in shapes, size, taste and texture of the many varieties of potatoes grown in Australia are a big plus for chefs. Chef Alejandro Saravia discovered that the most efficient way for him to get his favorite varieties was to deal directly with the farmers. “Our main focus is the taste and the freshness of our ingredients. Not how they look,” says Saravia, executive chef at Morena restaurant. This article was provided by The Associated Press.