Here in Korea, potatoes are suddenly hard to come by. I found some in a small local grocery, but in the harsh light of my kitchen, I’m not sure these are potatoes. They are the size and shape of regular cooking potatoes, but they are lighter by about half, and the color is kind of a khaki pink. I cut one up and threw it in the slow cooker with the rest of the bean soup ingredients, but meanwhile, could somebody tell me what it is I just bought?
Tastes really bland, for the record.
A picture would help. Next to something as a size reference.
There is always the Potato Variety Database!
https://potatoes.agricrops.org/varieties/advanced_search
Lets you put in some characteristics and searches for varieties based on those.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of varieties of potatoes. Most have never left their place of origin, but there are dozens that have been commercially developed. You might, in fact, have a variety of potato you are unfamiliar with.
Also, I’m wondering why potatoes may have become scarce in your area.
Band name.
Broomstick
Also, I’m wondering why potatoes may have become scarce in your area.
I’m told it has something to do with the war in Russia. Some places (Lotteria and Subway) have stopped serving fries and chips. McDonalds and Burger King are still serving fries. Maybe the big grocery chains in my city have exclusive contracts with Russian agribiz?
I was away from the boards for a couple years. It’s bits like this that makes me glad I checked back in.
Yeah, I think a photo is probably going to be required for any kind of conclusive ID. Going on the description, it could perhaps be some variety of radish or turnip, or jicama maybe.
The thing that makes me think maybe it’s not a potato is OP saying the density is about half that of a more familiar potato.
Radishes, Jerusalem Artichokes, some varieties of Sweet Potato are a few things that feel less dense than a potato
Well, after six hours in the slow cooker, it tastes like a potato. It looks like a Superior White potato, a thin-skinned spud with a subtle pinkish hue, maybe three inches in diameter. At this point I’m reasonably sure it’s not a turnip. The density was the big red flag. I find a lot of vegetables here that look like other vegetables but wind up not tasting like them or being otherwise interchanfeable with them, and was concerned that I’d done it again.
Horatio_Hellpop
Guest
Broomstick
18h
Broomstick
Also, I’m wondering why potatoes may have become scarce in your area.I’m told it has something to do with the war in Russia. Some places (Lotteria and Subway) have
stopped serving fries and chips. McDonalds and Burger King are still serving fries. Maybe the big grocery chains in my city have exclusive contracts with Russian agribiz?
Korean news sources cite a drought in Idaho as well as US labor shortages.
Huh. Well, yes, there’s drought and labor shortages… but those have been ongoing for years. And there’s no lack of potatoes in US stores. Perhaps there’s a shortage and thus fewer for export?
Probably the war in Russia is a contributing factor.