Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Purple Potatoes


So many people have wondered about these purple potatoes, I thought I would post some pictures to show what they actually look like. These are not the Okinawan sweet potatoes, which also have purple flesh (though with white skin) -- those are completely different (as they are sweet potatoes). I have come across two different kinds of purple potatoes. The one on the left is a lighter color, although you can't really tell from this photo, and the one on the right is much darker, almost black.


These are the same potatoes. I cut them in half, raw, to show you what the uncooked flesh looks like. Pretty cool-looking! You can see that the "black" ones on the right have better, darker and more uniform color.


After cooking. I roasted these, for about 30 minutes with olive oil. The "black" ones have a nice dark rich purple color, which intensifies over time! If you keep the cooked potato in the fridge overnight, it will be even darker the next day. The other purple one has a lighter lavender color; also very pretty in its own way. Strangely, I haven't noticed that this color changes over time.


Here they are the following day after cooking and storing in the fridge overnight. The light ones actually got lighter, while the dark ones got darker!

So there you have it: my very unscientific comparison of the two purple potato types available in my neighborhood. In case you were interested. ^_^
Almost forgot to mention: they look super pretty in bento!
Posted by Happy Little Bento at 9:19 PM
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14 comments:

  1. AngiDecember 2, 2009 at 11:36 PM

    I have grown my own purple potats this year and they look nothing like that. Mine look like long fat fingers. Thanks for showing!

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  2. Lia ChenDecember 3, 2009 at 12:24 AM

    Thanks for sharing the pictures Sheri ... Now I know what they look like. We don't have it here but next time if I see them somewhere else then I will know how to name them hehehe (^.^)

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  3. veganfDecember 3, 2009 at 4:21 AM

    We've got the same varieties here too. Our CSA grows a small crop every year, but we can also get them at any of the regular supermarkets.
    I've always wanted to get my hands on the Okinawan ones, but I knew I could get them through customs when we're in HI or Japan, so I'll just have to keep hoping they'll turn up the the local asian markets.

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  4. MommalinaDecember 3, 2009 at 12:34 PM

    TFS, next time I do grocery I'll check if they have this kind of potatoes.

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  5. amandaDecember 3, 2009 at 1:36 PM

    we tried black carrots for the first time last week... I see purple potatoes in our future!! Just have to hunt some down!
    thanks for posting! I love trying new things!

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  6. JacquelineDecember 3, 2009 at 1:56 PM

    Aw, such pretty potatoes! I love them! It's such a pity I can't find theme here =/ But every time I see them in one of your bentos I smile ;)

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  7. Happy Little BentoDecember 3, 2009 at 5:44 PM

    Angi, that sounds cool! I'd like to see those :)

    Lia, maybe you'll see them one day! I only noticed them this season myself :)

    veganf, I hope you can find the Okinawan sweet potatoes, but these are nice looking in bento too :)

    Just a MOM, thanks!

    amanda, yay, I hope you can find them too! Lots of interesting new produce around these days :)

    Lil'chan, thank you! I hope you can find them near you one day soon :)

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  8. Susan YuenDecember 3, 2009 at 6:00 PM

    Wow, that is too cool. The colors are amazing and it's neat the way their colors change in different states. :)

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  9. KarinaDecember 3, 2009 at 6:09 PM

    Well I definately think my "problem" is that I have only been able to find the kind you showed on the left. They got much lighter when I cooked...plus I boiled (which I'm sure didn't help). Maybe I just didn't realize there were different varieties - I'll have to keep my eyse open for the darker ones, but the ultimate goal is to find the elusive OSP. Thanks for the visual tutorial.

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  10. Happy Little BentoDecember 3, 2009 at 7:51 PM

    Thanks Susan !
    Karina, I think you're right. But maybe try roasting them? I used the lavender ones in my bento today, and it looks ok! Just not vivid.

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  11. mookDecember 6, 2009 at 9:27 AM

    thanks for this. The ones I find here (Bordeaux, France) are small and knobby. intense purple.
    They're very starchy, si if you mash them, adding a regular potato helps.

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  12. Happy Little BentoDecember 6, 2009 at 4:45 PM

    Hi mook! Small and knobby, interesting. So funny how they are different all over the world. :)

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  13. MargotFebruary 24, 2011 at 7:40 AM

    Beautiful, I must look for them on the market :)

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  14. Happy Little BentoFebruary 24, 2011 at 8:01 PM

    Margot, they are very cool. Especially nice to add color to bento, and the taste is just the same as regular, to me :)

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