Highland Burgundy Potatoes
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Highland Burgundy potatoes are moderately sized, elongated tubers with an oval to oblong shape. Depending on the harvest date, the skin can range in color from bright red when picked early, to a dusty brown when left in the ground to mature. This brown coloring stems from a layer of netting that forms, creating a rough, firm texture. Underneath the surface, the flesh is dense, dry, and high in starch, showcasing marbled pink, red, and white coloring. The flesh also bears a unique white ring just underneath the skin that encases the pink-red flesh. Highland Burgundy potatoes have a floury, fluffy consistency when cooked with a sweet, earthy flavor.
Seasons/Availability
Highland Burgundy potatoes are available in the fall through winter.
Current Facts
Highland Burgundy potatoes, botanically classified as Solanum tuberosum, are a maincrop heritage variety that belongs to the Solanaceae or nightshade family. The dark-hued, marbled tuber has been cultivated on a small scale in the United Kingdom since the early 20th century and is a rare, specialty variety valued for its coloring and sweet flavor. Highland Burgundy potatoes are not commercially grown due to their low yields and have been largely overshadowed by improved cultivars in the modern-day. Facing the possibility of extinction, Highland Burgundy potatoes are listed on Slow Food’s Ark of Taste, which is an online catalog that aims to bring awareness to disappearing varieties. The tubers are also grown through a few heritage-focused farms and home gardens in the United Kingdom.
Nutritional Value
Highland Burgundy potatoes are an excellent source of anthocyanin, which is what gives the tuber its red-pink hue and is an antioxidant that provides anti-inflammatory benefits. The tubers are also a good source of vitamin C, which can help fight against external environmental aggressors, and contains some potassium, fiber, iron, and calcium.
Applications
Highland Burgundy potatoes are best suited for cooked applications such as baking, mashing, steaming, and roasting. A unique trait of the variety is its dark pink, marbled flesh, which retains its color through the cooking process. The flesh also develops a light, fluffy texture, lending itself well to colorful mashed potatoes, roasted chips, or thinly sliced pieces for gratins and casseroles. In addition to showcasing the coloring, Highland Burgundy potatoes can be cubed and tossed into soups, stews, and chowders, baked with the skin on and filled with various ingredients, or steamed as a filling side dish. Highland Burgundy potatoes pair well with herbs such as mint, parsley, rosemary, and dill, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, parsnips, carrots, cauliflower, meats such as beef, pork, fish, and poultry, peas, and asparagus. The tubers will keep 1-3 months when properly stored in a cool, dry, and dark place.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Highland Burgundy potatoes are a rare variety that has developed an unusual legend surrounding the origin of its name. Stemming from a rumored newspaper clipping of the event in 1936, Highland Burgundy potatoes were once used to add color to a meal for the Duke of Burgundy at the Savoy Hotel in London. The fine dining establishment was opened in 1889 and was one of the first restaurants to have organized stations, created by chef Auguste Escoffier. The restaurant and hotel were also often visited by royalty, political figures, and celebrities, and the hotel itself was one of the first luxury hotels situated along the River Thames in London. Highland Burgundy potatoes are known for retaining their pink hues when cooked, making them a desired, specialty variety, and were said to have been named in honor of the Duke of Burgundy after his famed dining experience.
Geography/History
Highland Burgundy potatoes are a heritage variety that is believed to be very old, dating back to at least 1936 in the United Kingdom. The variety is thought to have been from the Scottish Highlands, and while its exact origins and history are unknown, the cultivar has remained challenging to find and is considered very rare in the modern-day. Highland Burgundy potatoes are cultivated through specialty growers in the United Kingdom and are grown on a limited scale in home gardens of potato enthusiasts. The seeds are also being stored at the largest potato seed bank in Europe to preserve the future of the variety.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Highland Burgundy Potatoes. One
is easiest, three is harder.| Morghew |
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Highland Burgundy Red Potato Crisps |
