Norman Miller waxes poetic in The not so humble potato (Guardian, April 1, 2009) on what some call heritage potatoes.
Even though I spent a good chunk of my life in France, I cannot remember ever tasting or cooking the French and nutty La Ratte, of the fingerling kind and according to Norman Miller perfect for mashed potatoes.
Restaurant provider Earthy Delights calls their 'Princess La Ratte' (pictured above) as "quite similar in appearance to the Russian Banana with its yellow skin
and flesh, but its unique flavor makes it stand out from the crowd.
This fingerling has a rich, chestnut-like flavor and has a long and
favorable reputation with gourmets and chefs. Smooth and creamy when
pureed, yet firm textured when steamed or boiled, it is highly
versatile and outstandingly delicious!"
Rebsie Fairholm shares her experiment growing heritage potatoes in Ongoing Projects (Daughter of the Soil, May 2006).
Some of her plantings are also mentioned in The Guardian piece, for example the Red Duke of York which she describes as having a "lovely bright crimson skin with a rough mottled surface, and golden yellow flesh"
One that I would buy just for its name is Mr Little's Yetholm Gypsy.
Last I will quote here is the Pink Fir Apple also known under the less inspiring name of salad potato.
These waxy tubers were captured by Amanda BH Slater in the February 2008 picture (via Flickr) above.
How about some a side of Chipotle Pepper or Garlic Mashed with that Roast Chicken now?
Related: 2008 is the International Year of the Potato. Did you know?