Ratte potato

La Ratte, also known under the synonym Asparges, is an old French variety of potato. The perennial flowers pink to purple. The relatively small, medium early maturing potatoes have a thin yellow skin, yellow flesh with a nutty flavor and are oblong to croissant shape. The species has long been out of the market because it is not very productive and quite susceptible to pest and fungal attack, such as Phytophthora.

La Ratte is considered a very high-quality potatoes for the taste, so it is grown as a high-priced product since the 1990s, again in small quantities for the gourmet market. The growing areas are mainly in the north of France, mainly in Brittany, but now also in Denmark and Germany. A protected brand name is La Ratte du Touquet from around the northern French town of Le Touquet- Paris -Plage.

The waxy variety is prepared especially as an accompaniment to asparagus, as well as savory combination as fried or boiled potatoes with batched cottage cheese, Camembert or Munster cheese and suitable for potato salads.