ASTERIX POTATO
Quick Overview
The Asterix potato is a late maincrop variety prized for its high yield and suitability for producing French fries and processed potato products. It features a distinctive red skin with yellow flesh and is widely grown for commercial use due to its robust performance. Developed by HZPC in the Netherlands, it combines excellent culinary quality with strong disease resistance, making it a favorite among growers and processors.
- High-yielding variety for French fries
- Red skin with yellow flesh
- Late maincrop suited for commercial production
Origin & History
The Asterix potato was bred by HZPC Holland BV (formerly Kiseokbedrijf Ropta-ZPC) in the Netherlands, resulting from a cross between the Cardinal variety and SVP VE 70-9, with its development completed by 1977. It emerged from a long tradition of potato cultivation that began in the Andes of South America around 7,000–10,000 years ago, though Asterix itself is a modern cultivar designed for industrial needs. Since its introduction, it has gained popularity in Europe, particularly in the UK and Holland, for its processing qualities and resilience, cementing its place in the global potato market.
- Bred by HZPC Holland BV in 1977
- Cross of Cardinal and SVP VE 70-9
- Rooted in ancient Andean potato domestication
Specifications
Asterix potatoes are large, oblong, and uniformly shaped, with a red skin that can be slightly flaky and a light yellow flesh ideal for frying. They are classified as a late maincrop variety, requiring a longer growing season, and produce a high number of tubers per plant with shallow eyes for easy peeling. The tubers typically weigh between 70–120 grams, with sizes ranging from 8–10 cm or more, depending on growing conditions.
- Large, oblong tubers with shallow eyes
- Red skin and light yellow flesh
- Late maincrop with high tuber count
Key Characteristics
Asterix is renowned for its high dry matter content, which ensures a crisp texture when fried, making it a top choice for French fries and chips. It offers strong resistance to golden nematodes (Globodera rostochiensis Ro1) and immunity to potato wart (race 1), though it requires preventive treatments for late blight susceptibility. The variety exhibits medium dormancy and a fairly firm culinary quality, with good storage potential under proper conditions.
- High dry matter for crisp frying
- Resistant to golden nematodes and wart disease
- Medium dormancy with firm texture
Health Benefits
Like most potatoes, Asterix provides a rich source of carbohydrates, delivering about 110 calories per medium-sized tuber (148g), making it an excellent energy source. It contains significant amounts of vitamin C (around 30% of daily value), supporting immunity and skin health, and potassium (15% of daily value), which aids heart and muscle function. When cooled after cooking, it develops resistant starch, which acts as a prebiotic to promote gut health, though frying may reduce some water-soluble nutrients.
- High in carbs and vitamin C
- Good potassium source for heart health
- Resistant starch boosts gut health