The almond potato (
Norwegian: ''Mandelpotet'',
: ''Mandelpotatis'',
Finnish: ''puikulaperuna''
), also called Mandel potato or Swedish peanut fingerling,
is a
potato
The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...
known since the 19th century. Almond potatoes are yellow or white; in rare cases a variety called blue almond (Blå mandel in Swedish) can be found which has yellow-white flesh with blue skin. Its shape is oval and somewhat resembles an
almond
The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', Synonym (taxonomy)#Botany, syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree from the genus ''Prunus''. Along with the peach, it is classified in the subgenus ''Amygdalus'', distinguished from the other subgenera ...
, hence the name. Blue almond is an old variety which was grown in the northern regions of Sweden before the yellow-peeled almond potato was introduced.
It is considered a delicacy in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
,
Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
and
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
, where it is most commonly grown in the northern regions.
It can be grown better in the north, since the variety is susceptible to plant diseases in the south.
Finnish Lapland puikula (''Lapin puikula'') has a European Union and UK
Protected Designation of Origin
The protected designation of origin (PDO) is a type of geographical indication of the European Union aimed at preserving the designations of origin of food-related products. The designation was created in 1992 and its main purpose is to designat ...
.
References
Potato cultivars
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