Vitanoire Potatoes
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Vitanoire potatoes vary in size, depending on when they are sown and growing conditions, but are generally smaller, averaging 9 to 10 centimeters in length and 5 to 5.5 centimeters in diameter. The tubers are relatively uniform and appear in oval to oblong shapes with blunt, curved edges. The skin is thin, taut, and semi-smooth with patches of light texture. The skin also showcases muted, dark purple, almost black hues with brown markings and a few shallow eyes. Underneath the surface, the saturated purple flesh sometimes features faint marbling and is hard, dense, and slippery when raw. Once cooked, the flesh develops a waxy, creamy, tender, and semi-firm consistency. The variety holds its shape well, and the coloring remains, even after cooking, a distinguishing trait. Vitanoire potatoes are edible cooked and have a rich, earthy, and slightly nutty flavor.
Seasons/Availability
Vitanoire potatoes are available in the late spring through fall, depending on their planting date. Early-season tubers are typically harvested around May in Europe, while main crops are harvested between June and August, depending on the geographic region.
Current Facts
Vitanoire potatoes, botanically classified as Solanum tuberosum, are a Dutch variety belonging to the Solanaceae or nightshade family. The pigmented tubers are a relatively new cultivar released in the 21st century and are sold as table and seed potatoes in Europe. Vitanoire potatoes can be grown as a first early or main crop, with first early tubers being harvested in under 95 days after sowing. The variety is prized for its saturated coloring, rich flavor, and resistance to late blight, one of the most problematic diseases within potato cultivation. Vitanoire potatoes are named for their dark purple, almost black coloring and are also known as BIM and BIM 12-499-04, their breeding number. When in season, Vitanoire potatoes produce consistent yields of flavorful tubers. The variety is still somewhat unknown as it is new in the market, but chefs and consumers are beginning to promote the variety for its versatility in a wide array of cooked culinary preparations.
Nutritional Value
Vitanoire potatoes have not been extensively studied for their nutritional properties. Purple potatoes, in general, are known for their high anthocyanin content. Anthocyanins are natural pigments in the flesh and skin that give the tubers their purple hue. These pigments have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant-like properties to protect the cells against the damage caused by free radicals and oxidative stress. Purple potatoes also provide copper to produce red blood cells, fiber to regulate the digestive tract, potassium to balance fluid levels within the body, vitamin C to strengthen the immune system, and other nutrients, including manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin B6, niacin, and iron.
Applications
Vitanoire potatoes have a rich, earthy, and nutty taste suited for cooked preparations. The variety is known for its saturated purple hues, and both the skin and flesh are pigmented. It is important to note that this variety retains most of its purple hues after cooking, making it an aesthetically distinct cultivar. Vitanoire potatoes have a firm, waxy texture when cooked and are popularly boiled and served with simple dressings. The variety’s dense nature can be used for potato salads, and the flesh does not fall apart when boiled. Vitanoire potatoes can also be simmered into soups, curries, and stews, incorporated into gnocchi, or mashed as a simple side dish. In Europe, Vitanoire potatoes are commonly smashed and roasted to develop a crisp consistency or are blanched and fried in butter. Plantera, the variety’s breeder, also notes that the tubers can be processed into fries. Vitanoire potatoes pair well with herbs such as thyme, rosemary, chives, garlic, shallots, Dijon, lemon, and meats, including poultry, beef, and turkey. Whole, unwashed Vitanoire potatoes will keep for several weeks to a month when stored in a cool, dry, and dark location.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Vitanoire potatoes are a reflection of the changing standards within potato breeding cultivation in the Netherlands. The most dangerous disease that potato crops suffer from worldwide is late blight, an infection caused by Phytophthora infestans. Late blight first appeared in Europe sometime around the 1830s and is infamous as the primary cause of the Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s. Potato plants are infected by spores that spread through the wind and soil, and depending on the growing conditions, the disease can kill plants in as little as two weeks. Late blight also has many different strains and easily adapts, which makes protection against the evolving disease problematic. Historically, chemical fungicides have been used to stop infestations, but some fields may need to be sprayed as many as twenty times per season, creating unrest among some consumers. These fungicides led to potato breeders ignoring the need to develop varieties with increased blight resistance. Or, if breeders focused on disease resistance, oftentimes, the varieties lacked quality flavor. In the Netherlands in 2016, organic potato growers suffered from massive crop loss due to blight. This spurred twenty-eight organic breeders, retailers, and growers to come together and sign a “Potato Covenant” to encourage the development of blight-resistant varieties with quality flavor. Since this decree, over twenty new varieties of blight-resistant potatoes have been released to the market, including Vitanoire and its parent variety, Vitabella. Both varieties have high levels of blight resistance, protecting them against multiple blight strains. They are also known for their rich flavoring, blending the desire for culinary quality and improved cultivation, creating varieties that satisfy both the grower and consumer.
Geography/History
Vitanoire potatoes were developed by Plantera, a potato breeding company based in the Netherlands. Plantera is involved in breeding and selling seed potatoes, and even their company name is agriculturally focused, derived from the word “planter” to highlight the company’s efforts in agriculture. Much of the history of Vitanoire potatoes is unknown, but the variety was created from a cross between Vitabella, the male parent, and an unnamed variety IVPX-061-01, the female parent. Vitabella is a well-known variety throughout Europe for its waxy flesh, flavor, and high blight resistance. Several of these traits were passed to Vitanoire, and the variety appeared at several shows in 2023, including the Organic Fair in the Netherlands and Potato Europe in Belgium. Today, Vitanoire potatoes are sold as seed and table potatoes, primarily in Europe. The variety is a specialty cultivar found through select retailers and is also grown in home gardens. The Vitanoire potatoes featured in the photograph above were sourced through The Potato Shop and were grown on the Morghew Park Estate in Tenterden, Kent, England. The Potato Shop has been supplying restaurants, wholesalers, and consumers for over ten years, and at least twenty varieties of conventional, specialty, and heritage potato varieties are grown each year for culinary diversity.
