The Creole Pope achieved third place worldwide, while the Pastusa and the Sabanera also stood out in the ranking of the most popular.
News Colombia
The International Portal Taste Atlasrecognized for being an experiential traditional food guide that collects authentic recipes, research articles, gastronomic critics reviews and lists of popular dishes, announced its most recent article entitled “The 57 best potatoes in the world”, Updated on February 19, 2025.
In this list, only a Colombian Pope managed to position himself within the best in the world: the Creole Popewhich reached fourth place with a score of 4.4. However, in the section called Potato databasewhere the portal classifies the tubers in the categories Better qualified and more popularthe Papa Pastusa and the Sabanera Pope.
In the best qualified category, the Creole Pope occupied fourth place with 4.4 points. For its part, in the category More popularthe three Colombian varieties were recognized:
- Creole potato: 3rd position (4.4 points)
- PASTUSA PAPA: 12. POSITION
- Sabanera Pope: 23. Post
How are the outstanding Colombian potatoes?
Creole Pope
According to Taste Atlas article, the Creole Pope It is an original variety of South America, especially popular in Colombia. It is characterized by its small size, similar to that of a golf ball, and its yellow or dark yellow pulp, which indicates a high content of lutein and zeaxantine.
It grows wild in the highlands of the Andes and has a very fine and tender skin. It is commonly used in traditional dishes such as ajiaco, although it can also be roasted, frying, boiling, pureeing or even grilling.
Pastusa Pope
For its part, the Pastusa Pope It is an original variety of Colombia. It has a yellow or dark yellow peel without spots and a soft and starchy pulp. Generally, it has an oval shape and, when cooking, becomes very tender, which makes it an ideal ingredient for ajiaco, fried potatoes and puree. Is cultivated in the Department of Nariño (region where it was initially registered) and in the high areas of the departments of Cundinamarca and Boyacá (main producing area of the country).
Sabanera Pope
Finally, the Sabanera Pope It is also originally from Colombia. Your skin is purple, and tubers are harder and more than other varieties. They are especially suitable for preparing fries, since they absorb less fat and become more crispy.
These potatoes are used in a traditional soup called ajiaco. Sabaneras are also served as an accompaniment of grilled meat disheswhen they generally steamed and season with salt. Sabaneras potatoes They are grown in rainy and cold climatesand in Colombia they are cultivated predominantly in Cundinimarca, Boyacá, Tolima, Santander, Huila and Magdalena.
It should be noted that, internationally, Idaho (United States) potatoes occupied first place in the most popular category. In the best qualified category the first position was for the Kato Nevrokopiou (Greece) potato, with a score of 4.6.
How was potato production in Colombia during 2024?
In 2024, Potato’s supply in the main wholesale and retail markets of Colombia closed in 1,291,230 tons, presenting a 3.6% reduction compared to 2023. This decrease is equivalent to 48,000 tons less and marks the lowest supply since 2018 .
77%of this contraction was concentrated in Cundinamarca, which reduced its supply in more than 40,000 tons (-7%), followed by Boyacá, with 9,251 less tons (-3.2%). In contrast, Tolima and Norte de Santander increased their offer by 2,132 and 1,721 tons, respectively.
For its part, Nariño was as the third department with the greatest potato supply in the country, contributing 246,392 tons, that is, 19.1% of the national total. This volume is mainly due to the production of municipalities such as Gualmatán, Túquerres, Córdoba and Cumbbal.
As for varieties, the upper potato was the most commercialized with 568,462 tons (44% of the total), followed by the Capiro Diacol (246,919 tons), the Creole (172,124 tons) and the Ica-Unica (164,929 tons). The Superior also highlighted in commercial value, reaching $ 895,000 million, which represents an 18% increase compared to 2023.
Fountain: Taste Atlas/ Sipsa – Dane/ Calculations FNFP Economic Studies – Fedepapa.
Made by: Leidy Lisbeth Easter Barco
