Potato (Specialty Types)

Called baby, mini-, and gourmet potatoes

Including fingerling, colored, and new potatoes

The potato is hardly new to North America—it was introduced in the 18th century. But this is still relatively recent, and the route by which the potato arrived is certainly unusual: It came the long way round via Irish immigrants, rather than directly from its native South America. Today, there is a notable trend toward petite potatoes that are not all-purpose: a wide array of colorful, smallish varieties that entered through the restaurant door and have since moved into the home. Like mesclun (the mix of baby greens first popularized in France and Italy), many of the present “new” potatoes are old favorites in European markets.