Having grown up in the Philippines, I never had an idea about how new potatoes taste compared to old ones. So for the benefit of those who do not know either, the taste is totally different. In Finland, newly harvested and boiled potatoes paired with anchovies is one of the traditional foods among Finnish people especially back in the old days.

The new potatoes are easy to peel by the use of a scrub alone. Also, it cooks faster say about 15 minutes from my experience. The bigger the potatoes, the longer it takes to cook, so just watch out for your liking. I like mine well-cooked. When done, the potatoes are so creamy and soft to bite. It is normally served with newly harvested young onions chopped finely and cooked in butter.

When potatoes are new in Finland, they are more expensive than the old ones. The moment new potatoes come out in the market, people never missed to buy it. As for the farmers, whoever the first to sell it gets the most profit. Sadly, everyday the potato price also goes down as many farmers sell.

Potatoes are also easy to grow because once they are planted, you don’t need to do anything but wait until it is ready to harvest. For some people like us, we let our potatoes grow old in the soil after we have sufficed our cravings for new ones. They can last until the end of autumn in the soil and we harvest them before winter.

I’d say this year, I have learned a lot about potatoes, from its different names and shapes, how they are planted, how to cook them and eat with and not to mention the difference in the taste and finally the harvest time. All these things might be very familiar to many but for those who do not consider potatoes as their staple food, it makes a difference.