Valuable tuber

Valuable tuber
Magazine: March 2008

Never beautiful, ungainly in shape and often covered in warts, but it is good indeed, and versatile. Its appearance is much nicer now, and typologies have multiplied. We are speaking of Italy, naturally, which is not much in potato consumption. We eat around 40 kilos per person each year, to an average of 80 compared with other Europeans, yet we have a huge repertoire of recipes in which they are used. Roasts, boiled, sautéed, mashed, baked, cold in salads, but fried above all; there is no end to how potatoes can perform. An Italian potato tour can easily start in the alpine regions. Excellent potatoes are grown in Val d’Aosta just like in Trentino Alto Adige. A specialty tableside among the mountains of Val d’Aosta in the Gran San Bernardo Valley, is the unusual combination of potatoes and pears. In Alto Adige cooking, Bauern Grostel stands out, a meat and potato base usually served with sour kraut, in Trentino, potato and mushroom soup. Potatoes in Veneto reach substantial numbers where many varieties are produced, above all in the area between Padova, Vicenza and Verona, such as Agata, Vivaldi and Alba, and are sold under the Dorata name.

An important
 ear 2008 has been declared the International Year of the Potato. For this initiative, the United Nations and FAO have mobilised in the fight against hunger and underdevelopment, focusing on this fruit of the land that has extremely high nutritional value. Its energetic potential surpasses that of any other crop and is also the one that grows the fastest. Cultivation demands intense manual labour, which is not lacking in developing countries. This is why the potato signifies new possibility to the local population in, for example, Sub-Saharan Africa. The potato after all, has been at the centre of many clamorous events: Ireland experienced a birth rate boom thanks to the tuber in the 18th centur

Better than mushrooms
Down we go to Lombardy to discuss potatoes from the provinces of Como, Valtellina and Valtrompia. They are the rich base for pizzoccheri (buckwheat pasta, potatoes, cabbage and cheese), but in Lombard cooking are mostly used as side dishes to meat. One must go to Liguria where they are the star, softening foccaccia, as part of tripe, and famed stoccafisso accomodato (cod stew). The original “cuculli” are delectable potato fritters flavoured with pine nuts, parmigiano and marjoram, and the indescribable mushroom, potato baked pie, where layered potatoes are infused with ovoli (mushrooms) or porcini aromas, and become as delicious as the mushrooms, if not more? Sliced potatoes and green beans distinguish the Levante pesto: a small quantity that says a lot about the love for this fruit of the land though, which in the Liguria Apennines boasts a recently recovered variety. The Genovese Quarantina has white flesh and light, compact texture, excellent flavour and remains firm in cooking. In Emilia Romagna the potato shines in quality and production quantity. The Bologna Primura variety potato, is close to earning the PDO, awarding excellent organoleptic characteristics: standard shape, compact flesh, colour from white to straw yellow, smooth, light skin, and a pleasant, not too distinct taste. Campania is at the top of Italian regions in production, right in front of Emilia Romagna. There are at least two famous potato Neapolitan dishes: the “poor man’s cooking” masterpiece, pasta and potatoes, and the famed gattò (savoury pie).

The good short story of the South Even
Abruzzo is a strong potato producer, above all Fucino, while in the Marche the red potato from the Colfiorito plateau stands out. In Lazio, the Alto Viterbese area is the most regarded. The renowned potato from the Leonessa flat land is grown in the Rieti province, good boiled then sautéed. Sicily and Puglia are known for production of new potatoes with thin skin, tender flesh, and usually smaller than the mature ones. Main varieties from Puglia are Sieglinde, Spunta and Nicola. Potatoes from Polignano and the Bari area are also excellent. They are served on tables in many ways, from pastas like cavatelli (small concave shaped) with rocket and potato to octopus with potato. The Syracuse Patata Tipica (new potato) shines in Sicily. Among traditional dishes are the delightful croquettes and crucchè chini, meat balls filled with eggs, cheese, and tomato sauce and flavoured with cinnamon.