Potatoes - Bintje (1910)
Dutch potato, released 1910. This is a famous potato of exceptional quality. The name is pronounced "benjee". It was raised by a schoolmaster who used potatoes to explain principles of genetics.
He carried out some potato crosses, and named the resulting hybrids after his children. However the tenth variety (he had nine children) was named after his star pupil, a girl named "Bintje".
This potato is now the most widely grown yellow fleshed potato in the world. It stores well, and the skin is smooth and attractive. The tubers are well rounded so don't get end bruising when handled in bulk.
The starch content is about 20% which is midway between waxy and floury (dry matter using the NIAB scale is about 5). The flavour and texture are exceptional; some people find it 'nutty' though this depends on how your taste buds are wired up.
It is used in large quantities for making frozen chips, but it is one of the few spuds which is excellent no matter how it's cooked. It becomes more floury (like all potatoes) on storage.
I have not yet grown this but am looking out for seed; it's sometimes available at HDRA on potato day.
Nigel Deacon / Diversity website
