Asked by: Deon Haidt
food and drink world cuisines

Where does the purple potato come from?

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The Purple potato is native to Peru and Bolivia and spread to Europe in the 16th century when Spanish sailors gathered and used the tubers to cure scurvy for long voyages.


Just so, are purple potatoes natural?

Purple potatoes, also known as Peruvian purple potatoes, have naturally purple or deep blue skin and flesh, and are unusually high in antioxidants which makes them super healthful.

Beside above, what do purple potatoes taste like? While they are purple, don't be fooled: they don't taste like eggplant or even a purple grape, just like regular potatoes. They're from South America, and they're becoming more popular all of the time. Purple potatoes cook much like regular potatoes. You can boil, mash, bake, or roast them.

Accordingly, did potatoes used to be purple?

It turns out that these purple (sometimes deep-blue) potatoes are actually from Peru and Bolivia in South America. Purple potatoes were first transported to Europe in the 1500's, when Spanish sailors realized they could be used to cure scurvy (due to their high vitamin C content).

What type of potatoes are purple?

"All Blue" is the most commonly marketed purple potato, and is increasingly available in supermarkets. Vines of this purple potato produce large, oblong potatoes with purple skin and flesh, with a light-colored layer just inside the skin.

Related Question Answers

Talla Lugner

Professional

Can you eat the skin of purple potatoes?

You can boil them with the skins on, give them a good washing first. The skin is similar in texture to a red skinned potatoes. You can cut them in half if they are too large to cook quicker.

Alhaji Lindermaier

Professional

What do you call a purple potato?

Purple potatoes, botanically classified as Solanum tuberosum, is a general name encompassing dozens of heirloom and conventional varieties including Purple Peruvian, All Blue, Congo, Vitilette, and Purple Majesty.

Sinivali Dubinovsky

Professional

Can diabetics eat purple potatoes?

Purple-skinned sweet potatoes tend to be high in healthy anthocyanins, but even the common orange-skinned variety packs a nutritional punch: They have fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, and when boiled are a low glycemic index (GI) food, meaning they won't spike your blood sugar as much as high GI foods.

Eucaris Tokarenko

Explainer

What is the healthiest potato?

The Healthiest Potato is the Red Potato
After taking into account the mineral density, the vitamin density, the macronutrient balance, the sugar-to-fiber ratio, the sodium-to-potassium ratio, and the phytochemical profile, red potatoes are the healthiest potato with data from the USDA Food Database.

Nathalie Mass

Explainer

Is a purple potato a sweet potato?

Purple sweet potatoes are root vegetables. The tubers taper to points on both ends and are members of the Ipomoea genus, just like other sweet potatoes (yams are of the genus Dioscorea). They're not as easy to find as regular sweet potatoes and are more of a specialty item, so they will cost a little more.

Izhan Wigodney

Explainer

Are purple potatoes poisonous?

That's the reason you are supposed to store potatoes in a cool place, ideally around 10C / 50F. And yes, the sprouts contain solanine, but as they are not eaten and sprouting does not significantly raise the solanine content, sprouting per se is not critical. And finally, note that solanine is a rather weak poison.

Clodoalda Pancorbo

Pundit

Are purple potatoes healthier than regular potatoes?

Packed with antioxidants
Like other colorful fruits and vegetables, purple potatoes' bright color is a telltale sign that they're high in antioxidants. In fact, they have two to three times more antioxidant activity than white or yellow potatoes (7).

Marcelene Hyll

Pundit

What are the benefits of eating purple potatoes?

5 Health Benefits of Purple Potatoes
  • Help lower and regulate blood pressure.
  • May Prevent Blood Clots.
  • Filled with antioxidants and phytonutrients.
  • Fiber.
  • Helps Sustain High Energy Levels.

Mica Burca

Pundit

Can you eat purple potatoes raw?

“It's a good start, but we have to continue screening purple/purples to find a variety that offers disease resistance, good yield, and consistent deep purple flesh color." Sweet potatoes can be eaten raw or cooked.

Cyndy Yim

Pundit

What are blue potatoes called?

South American blue potatoes, also known as purple potatoes, have naturally blue or purplish skin and flesh, and are unusually high in antioxidants making them superfoods as well as interesting to grow, cook, and serve.

Kawsu Nitin

Pundit

Are purple potatoes man made?

Anthocyanin is a pigment that creates the purple color in the potatoes and also acts as an antioxidant. All potatoes are naturally high in potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure. But the extra antioxidants in purple potatoes make them even more effective than other potato varieties.

Iraitz Nagels

Teacher

What are potatoes called when they come into season?

Within a typical growing season, we are able to grow 3 types of potatoes. These are first earlies, second earlies and maincrop. The first and second early varieties are known as 'new potatoes'. They have a shorter growing season than maincrop and are generally smaller in size but taste better.

Jerrod Pasapuleti

Teacher

Can dogs eat purple potatoes?

We paired the purple potato with pumpkin seeds. They a great source of protein, amino acids, fiber, iron, copper, phosphorus and magnesium, calcium, zinc, potassium, folic acid and niacin; all important nutrients to your pet's overall good health. When feeding them please make sure they are raw and unsalted.

Alik GrossThedieck

Teacher

What are black potatoes called?

Shetland Black is a dark purple heritage variety of potato. The potato is suitable for roasting, baking or steaming. The potato is fairly small compared with modern cultivars, and when sliced has a purple ring near the edge.

Nelly Hamester

Reviewer

Are potatoes legumes?

Potatoes are not related to Legumes. Legumes are the fruit or pod of the botanical family Leguminosae. The potato tuber (Solanaceae family) is actually the greatly enlarged tip of the underground stem of the potato. Potatoes are a Tublr plant with notable tuberous roots include sweet potato, cassava….

Margareta Terkes

Reviewer

How many different potatoes are there?

There are more than 200 varieties of potatoes sold throughout the United States. Each of these varieties fit into one of seven potato type categories: russet, red, white, yellow, blue/purple, fingerling and petite. Learn more about the characteristics and cooking recommendations for each type of potato below.

Maximino Vandewalle

Reviewer

How do you eat purple yams?

  1. Place yams in a pot, and cover completely with water. Turn the heat to high and bring water to a boil.
  2. Cover the pot, and lower the heat to medium. Allow the yams to simmer for at least 40 minutes.
  3. Check for doneness by inserting a fork into a yam. If it is fully cooked, it will easily pierce the yam.

Mimoune Rivavellosa

Reviewer

What are types of potatoes?

How Many Types of Potatoes are There?
  • Russet Potatoes. These are probably the most common form of potato.
  • Red Potatoes. Another common addition to most dinner tables, red potatoes are waxy, which means they have cells that stay together when cooked.
  • White Potatoes.
  • Yellow Potatoes.
  • Purple Potatoes.
  • Fingerling Potatoes.
  • Petite Potatoes.

Ouafa Stockhofe

Supporter

What colors do potatoes come in?

Potato Types. There are more than 100 varieties of potatoes sold throughout the United States. Each of these varieties fit into one of seven potato type categories: russet, red, white, yellow, blue/purple, fingerling and petite. Learn more about the characteristics and cooking recommendations for each type below.