Peruvian Purple Potatoes

I was craving potato salad the other day so headed to Super H-Mart, an Asian grocery store, to pick up some red potatoes. They weren't very fresh so I took a gamble and bagged some purple potatoes that were right next to them. I was feeling adventurous so got them even though I had no idea if they were like red or sweet potatoes. The gamble paid off - they are delicious and highly recommended. They are creamy like red potatoes and hold up nicely so would be perfect in potato salad. I steamed them and made them into mashed potatoes (changed my mind) so I could make them into croquettes for Boo. I am going back tomorrow to get more so I can make potato salad that I'm still craving!

I did some research and they are called Peruvian Purple Potatoes - a.k.a. Delta Blues. These "gems of the Andes" were one of the first potatoes cultivated and thought to be reserved for the Incan kings. They are purple on the inside and outside and get their color from the powerful antioxidant, anthocyanin, which is the same pigment found in blueberries. Antioxidants work to neutralize "free radicals", which are produced by our cells when they are exposed to such elements as chemicals, pollution, smoke, pesticides, and sun, just to mention a few. Free radicals harm our immune system which leads to many degenerative diseases.

I hope H-Mart continues to carry these so I can make all sorts of potato dishes which will be so much healthier and prettier because of the purple color. Here's a pic of the mashed potatoes I made. I added salt, Smart Balance, carrots, zucchini, corn, and broccoli. Delicious!

P.S. - The pic of the potatoes before they were sliced are bright purple because they were wet because I had just washed them. When you see them in the store they're dingier.