I grew up with a potato. To the best of my knowledge, there was a single variety, used for everything. It may have been called Rua.
And then I moved to Melbourne and discovered the Queen Victoria Markets, and discovered potatoes are not all the same. The variety in colour, shape, and texture is legion. Ignorant of the finer points of potatoes, I managed to bumble my way through the weekly shop, but often with the sneaking suspicion I was buying the wrong potatoes.
Over time, I learned that starch content largely determines a variety’s response to different cooking techniques, and that some make crisper roast potatoes, while others make a salad that stays together rather than becoming a bit of a mess.
Below is my guide to the potato varieties I see at the Vic Markets. Most are commonly available in Australia and New Zealand, using your table as the foundation and focusing on how they behave in the kitchen.
Floury Potatoes (High Starch)
These potatoes break down easily, soak up butter and cream, and get crisp when cooked in hot oil.
Agria
Agria potatoes have yellow flesh and are very reliable. They roast well, make great mash, and are perfect for chips that are crisp on the outside and fluffy inside.
Sebago
Sebago potatoes are absorbent and easy to cook with, making them great for mash, baked potatoes, and chips. They have a stronger flavor than Agria, but they are very useful and usually affordable at the market.
Royal Blue
Royal Blue potatoes have purple skin but are a classic floury type. They are excellent for mashing or roasting, especially if you want a strong, traditional potato flavor.
Russet
Russet potatoes are less common and easy to recognize by their rough brown skin and high starch content. They are best baked whole or made into fries. They are not suitable for salads.
Best uses:
Best for roasting, mashing, baking, making chips, and gratins (if you use enough fat).
Waxy Potatoes (Low Starch)
These potatoes hold their shape and have a moist, dense texture. They are ideal for salads and gentle cooking methods.
Nadine
Nadine potatoes are clean and white. They are excellent when boiled or steamed and are a solid selection for potato salads that need to hold their shape.
Nicola
Nicola potatoes are smooth and have yellow flesh. They are great in salads, simply boiled, or lightly roasted with olive oil and herbs.
Kipfler
Kipfler potatoes are long, thin, and waxy. They are popular because they roast well whole, can be sliced for warm salads, or pan-fried with butter. Their flavor is mild but noticeable.
Best uses:
Boiling, steaming, salads, warm salads, gentle roasting
All-Rounders (Medium Starch)
These sit comfortably between floury and waxy, adaptable but not extreme.
Desiree
Red-skinned and adaptable, Desirees can be mashed, roasted, or boiled without complaint. They’re a good choice when you want one potato to do many jobs.
Pontiac
Another red-skinned variety with moderate starch. Best boiled or roasted, though it won’t quite reach the heights of Agria for mash or Kipfler for salad.
Dutch Cream
Dutch Cream potatoes are rich and buttery. They mash well, roast nicely, and are especially good in gratins where their flavour stands out.
Best uses:
Best for roasting, mashing, gratins, and boiling.
A Market Rule of Thumb
- Roast or mash? Choose Agria, Royal Blue, Sebago, or Dutch Cream
- Salads or boiling? Choose Kipfler, Nicola, or Nadine
- One potato for everything? Desiree is the safest bet.
- Baked or fries? Reach for Russets if you see them.