Yes it does – especially if you want fluffy mash

It drives me nuts when a recipe calls for Yukon gold, russet, waxy or floury potatoes. Here in Spain, we just have potatoes. How can I tell if it’s floury, waxy or whatever? And does it really matter that much? Nicola, Barcelona, Spain

Such a great question, and one whose answer requires more words than space here allows! The short answer is, yes, it does matter, because there is such a difference between one type of potato and the next. The good news, for you, is that, if you’re shopping locally, the potatoes you get throughout the year will probably be the right ones for that given moment – rather than focusing on the variety, seasonality is the main thing here. The longer the tubers stay in the ground, the larger they will grow, and the tougher their skin and, crucially, the higher their starch levels will be. And the more starch they have, the more they’ll collapse when cooked. These are the so-called “floury” potatoes, as opposed to “waxy” new and early ones, which, given that they’re picked earlier, have had less time to develop starch. They are smaller, firmer and retain their shape when cooked, and taste more nutty than sweet.