Maori Potato

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We call these a Maori potato because they are found in Maori gardens, they have been growing them for generations...although like everyone else now, they don't seem to have vege gardens much anymore. These days they would be called heritage potatoes because they are from pioneer stock. The origins are unknown, some could be from the first settlers, some from the sealers and whalers who were here earlier, and Captain Cook gave some potatoes to the Maori on his visit which they were able to cultivate.

Next to an agria.





This one is white inside, some are purple inside, some are creamy on the outside. I baked it, and although it didn't go fluffy inside like the agria, it still tasted ok. I put another in a stew, and it was really tasty. I guess I'll steam the next ones, maybe grow some this year.

When I was a kid I broke my arm and spent a couple of weeks in hospital (bad break, reset a few times). Hospital food is not like your mother makes, and on my plate was always a pile of what looked like purple mashed potato...I'd never seen a purple potato, and I wasn't going to eat this stuff ! Years later I found out what it was.
 
Yeah, we call the sweet potato the Kumara. Maori had the kumara too, but it was not the big red skinned ones that are a staple in the NZ diet these days. Their kumara was only as fat as a finger.
 
Get a bunch of the purple ones, fry them up into chips, then bag them and make a mint selling them to hipsters in the US!! Anything with Maori on the bag is going to grab attention here.

New varieties of chips are really big here now. I am not much of a fan of plain ol Lays style potato chips, but I do like the sweet and red potato chips I have tried.
 
My wife has grown purple potatoes in the past, with purple flesh as well which makes for some odd looking mashed potatoes. They are supposed to be better for you than white potatoes, so its another good reason to grow your own.
 
Russet for cheap, Yukon gold for smooth, reds for taste and purple (both types) for looks. All are in every store in California. My wife dices a variety pack of white/red/purple in the oven, looks and tastes good!
 
Are Maori like the Abos who deforested and desertified Australia over their history?
edit: disregard, they're different like apples and oranges
edit 2: they are so extremely different that they shouldn't be mentioned in the same conversation lol
 
If you get the right one on a good day they will tell you how they came to NZ, and ate the original inhabitants.
 
@Shannow
lol.gif
 
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