About two dozen varieties of potatoes can be purchased in Seattle farmers markets. The very best potato is always the ones you are eating! Here is an overview of the available types of potatoes, including starchy, waxy, and all-purpose potatoes. You can prepare any type of potato by any potato cooking method. However, if you boil starchy potatoes, they will disintegrate (but can act as a thickener in soups or stews, for example) and you can mash waxy potatoes, but they will be “rustic” rather than light and fluffy. For the best advice on how to store and cook potatoes, be sure to ask the farmer whose potatoes you are buying!

What is the best potato, starchy, waxy, or all purpose?

Different varieties of potatoes have characteristics that are often described as either dry and starchy or waxy and creamy.

• Dry, fluffy, mealy potatoes are known as “starchy” potatoes. The classic variety is Russet Burbank or Idaho® potato, also known as baking potatoes. As a general guideline, dry, fluffy potatoes have brown, blue, or purple skins, are good for baking, roasting, and frying, and tend to disintegrate when boiled in water.
• Moist, dense, creamy potatoes are often referred to as “waxy” or “new” potatoes. As a general rule, waxy potatoes have red skins, are good for roasting and frying, and hold their shaped when boiled in water.
• All purpose potatoes combine the characteristics of dry and waxy potatoes.  As a general guideline, all-purpose varieties have tan or yellow skins, are good for baking, roasting, and frying, and hold their shaped when boiled in water.
• New, early, or creamer potatoes are the first (“new”) potato harvest of the season (occurring in  spring and summer before potatoes have matured) and can be any variety of potato. New or early potatoes have thin skins that do not need to be peeled before preparing and moist, creamy flesh (“creamers”). New potatoes are best when roasted, sautéed, or steamed and seasoned simply with butter or oil and salt.
• Fingerling potatoes, like new potatoes can be any color and tend to have moist, creamy flesh. Fingerlings are shaped like fat, knobby fingers and have thin skins that do not need to be peeled before preparing, which would be difficult to do. Fingerlings are best when roasted, sautéed, or steamed and seasoned simply with butter or oil and salt.
• Sweet potatoes are not related to potatoes, but to morning glory and a common edible green in the tropics called water spinach (and various other names). However, Lyall Farms in Mattawa, Washington grows potatoes locally and sells them at Ballard Farmers Market from September through February.

For more information, visit this list of 500 Potato Varieties from the Potato Research Group at Washington State University. According to the International Potato Commission in Peru, there are about 5,000 potato varieties worldwide. About two dozen varieties are available at Seattle farmers markets. Don’t be afraid to try new varieties and experiment with different cooking techniques. For the best advice on how to prepare any particular variety or potato, ask the farmer whose potatoes you are buying!