Bildtstar potatoes

Bildtstar potatoes are a familiar name in the Netherlands, especially in the north of the country. The name refers to Het Bildt, an arable farming area in Friesland, and many people know the variety as a tasty potato for everyday cooking. In catering, the obvious question is whether the Bildtstar also makes a good chipping potato. An honest answer up front: at Friet van Beus we do not grow Bildtstar. Below you can read what characterises the variety, how it compares to Agria and why we deliberately choose other varieties for our chips.

1. Characteristics of the Bildtstar

The Bildtstar has a yellow skin and pale yellow flesh. When boiled it is usually described as fairly floury: not as firm as a salad potato, but not so floury that it falls apart in the pan. That makes it versatile. At home it is boiled, pan-fried and mashed, and it is precisely that versatility that has made it popular in consumer packs.

If the cooking classes are not at your fingertips: Dutch potatoes are graded from waxy to very floury. A fairly floury potato sits in the middle and suits many uses. To understand the grading better, read our piece on floury potatoes or the wider overview of potato varieties.

2. Is the Bildtstar suitable for chips?

A fairly floury potato can produce a perfectly good chip with a soft centre. For a chip shop or restaurant, though, more counts than the result of a single portion. You want the chips to turn out the same in March as in December, to colour a nice golden yellow and to get a decent length out of every tuber. For that, dry matter, sugar content, tuber shape and storability are decisive.

The Bildtstar is best known from the consumer market and is less often grown specifically for the chip kitchen. That says nothing bad about the variety, but it does mean its suitability for chips can depend heavily on the grower and the storage. In our overview of which potato to use for chips you can read which characteristics are most worth comparing as a business owner.

3. Bildtstar and Agria compared

In the Netherlands and Belgium, Agria has been a standard for fresh chips for years. The variety has long tubers, which give long chips and little cutting loss. The flesh is a deeper yellow, which gives a warm colour in the tray. Agria also has a high dry matter content, so the chips crisp up and absorb less oil, and its sugar content stays low when it is stored well.

That low sugar content is not just about taste. Fewer sugars mean the chips are less likely to colour too dark, which helps keep acrylamide down. You can read more in acrylamide in chips. As a variety for the cooking pot the Bildtstar is fine, but for a chip kitchen that wants the same result every week, Agria has several clear advantages.

4. Why Friet van Beus grows Agria and Frieslander

On our farm in Zeewolde we grow two varieties for chips. From September to July it is Agria, because it stores well and gives a crisp, golden chip throughout the season. Only in August, when the old Agria runs out and the new crop is not quite ready, do we switch for a few weeks to the Frieslander, a transitional potato that crisps up quickly and keeps well.

Because we only use our own potatoes, there is hardly any difference in quality through the year. If you currently work with Bildtstar or another variety and want to know how our chips turn out in your fryer, call or message Thijs on 06 23972300. He is happy to tell you more about our varieties and how to make the switch.

Frequently asked questions