What Are The Best Starchy Potatoes and What Are They Good For?

If you have ever wondered why your chips turned out soggy, your mash was gluey, or your potato salad fell apart, the answer almost certainly comes down to one thing – potato variety. Not all potatoes are created equal, and understanding the difference between starchy and waxy potatoes is useful kitchen knowledge, since many recipes call for these types of spuds.

Here is everything you need to know about starchy potatoes — what they are, what makes them special and exactly when to reach for them in the kitchen.

What Makes a Potato Starchy?

Potatoes are broadly grouped into two categories based on their starch content and moisture levels — starchy (also called floury) potatoes and waxy potatoes. Some varieties sit in the middle and are considered all-rounders, but understanding the two ends of the spectrum will help you choose the right WA potato for every dish.

Starchy potatoes have a higher starch content and relatively low moisture content. When cooked, they tend to break down easily, becoming light, fluffy and almost powdery in texture. This is what makes them so good for mash, baked potatoes, chips and anything where you want a soft, creamy or crispy result. Their low moisture content also means they absorb flavours, butter and cream with ease.

Waxy potatoes, by contrast, have a smooth, firm texture and a lower starch content. They hold their shape well when cooked, making them perfect for salads, gratins and dishes where you want defined slices or pieces that stay intact.

All-rounder potatoes sit in the middle ground. They hold their shape fairly well and still soften and fluff when cooked — a safe and reliable choice when you are not sure which variety to reach for.

Which WA Potato Varieties Are Starchy/Floury?

Western Australia grows a great range of potato varieties to suit every cooking occasion. The floury varieties you will most commonly find at WA supermarkets include:

Royal Blue — one of the most popular floury varieties in WA, with a distinctive purple-blue skin and yellow flesh. An outstanding choice for mash, baked potatoes and chips, with a rich, buttery flavour that needs very little embellishment. Also works beautifully as an all-rounder.

Sifra — a yellow-fleshed floury variety that produces exceptionally creamy, smooth mash. Sifra is also a great performer in the home fryer and works across a wide range of cooking methods.

Spudlite (Maranca) — a versatile floury variety that excels at mashing, home fries and roasting. Spudlite is also considered an all-rounder, making it one of the most flexible WA potato varieties available.

Carisma — a lower glycaemic index variety that is naturally lower in starch than most floury potatoes but still produces a beautiful fluffy texture when cooked. One of the best varieties for air fryer and home fries and also works well as an all-rounder.

Cashmere Gold — a gorgeous yellow-fleshed variety that sits comfortably across floury and all-rounder categories. Brilliant for mash, home fries and roasting, with a rich, golden colour that makes every dish look as good as it tastes.

Prince of Orange — a stunning gourmet variety and a genuinely exciting addition to the WA potato family. Prince of Orange works beautifully for mashing and roasting, and its striking colour makes it a real showstopper on the plate.

Maris Piper — a classic floury variety available in WA from July to October, producing exceptional chips and home fries with a light, fluffy interior and crispy exterior.

Neptune — available from November to June, Neptune is an excellent floury variety for home fries and roasting, delivering great crunch and flavour.

Canberra — a highly versatile variety that appears across floury, waxy and all-rounder categories, making it one of the most useful potatoes to have on hand. Works well for mashing, roasting and everything in between.

Columba — another multi-purpose variety that performs across all categories, with a firm texture for roasting and salads as well as good results for home fries and mashing.

For the full guide to WA potato varieties and availability, visit thegoodcarb.com.au/potato-types

What Are Starchy/Floury Potatoes Good For?

Here is a breakdown of the dishes where floury WA potatoes truly shine — along with the best varieties to choose for each one.

Mash

A higher starch content and lower moisture mean they break down smoothly and absorb butter, cream and olive oil without becoming watery or gluey. For the creamiest, smoothest mash, choose a yellow-fleshed variety — Royal Blue, Sifra, Canberra, Spudlite (Maranca), Prince of Orange or Cashmere Gold are all outstanding choices. Simply boil until very tender, drain thoroughly and mash while still hot for the best possible result.

For the ultimate spring upgrade, try our Golden Mash recipe featuring WA grown potatoes, sweet pumpkin and melty Camembert — a bowl of pure comfort that takes classic mash to a whole new level.

Golden Mash

Home Fries, Chips and Wedges

The high starch content of these varieties is what creates that magical combination of a crispy golden exterior and a fluffy, soft interior in a chip or wedge. For the best home fries and air fryer chips, reach for Carisma, Spudlite (Maranca), Neptune, Columba, Maris Piper or Sifra.

Pro tip from the WA Potatoes kitchen: rest your chopped potatoes in salted water for an hour or two, then drain and pat dry before cooking. This removes excess surface starch and results in an even crispier, crunchier finish. Worth every minute of the wait.

Baked and Jacket Potatoes

A floury potato baked whole in the oven or air fryer develops the most incredible crispy skin with a light, fluffy interior that is perfectly designed for loading up with your favourite toppings. Royal Blue and Spudlite are excellent choices here. Simply rub with oil and salt, pierce a few times and bake at 200 degrees Celsius until the skin is golden and the centre gives easily when pressed. Our Air Fryer Jacket Potato recipe is one of the most popular recipes on thegoodcarb.com.au — and once you try it, you will understand why.

Air Fryer Jacket Potatoes

Roasting

Floury varieties also excel when roasted — particularly when you want the classic fluffy-inside-crispy-outside result. For roasting, the WA Potatoes team recommends Carisma, Columba, Canberra, Orchestra, Spudlite (Maranca), Rodeo, Royal Blue, Neptune, White Star, Montana or Mozart. For a truly gourmet roasting experience, Kipfler or Prince of Orange are stunning options that look as impressive as they taste.

Parboiling your WA potatoes before roasting and roughing up the edges in the colander after draining is the professional trick that makes all the difference — those rough edges become incredibly crispy in a hot oven.

Soups and Purees

Because floury potatoes break down so readily during cooking, they are also brilliant for thickening soups and creating silky smooth purees. Simply add diced floury WA potatoes to your soup base and allow them to cook until completely soft — they will naturally thicken the broth without the need for cream or flour. Our Loaded Potato Soup is a brilliant example of this technique in action.

Loaded Potato Soup

Gnocchi

Homemade gnocchi require a floury, dry potato to create the right texture — too much moisture and your gnocchi will be dense and heavy rather than light and pillowy. Royal Blue is the ideal WA variety for homemade gnocchi. Our Rustic Gnocchi recipe on thegoodcarb.com.au walks you through every step.

Rustic Gnocchi

What About All-Rounder Potatoes?

If you are not sure what you want to cook — or you simply want one versatile variety that will serve you well across multiple dishes — all-rounder potatoes are your best friend. Canberra, Carisma, Cashmere Gold, Columba, Prince of Orange, Royal Blue, Sifra and Spudlite all appear in both floury and all-rounder categories, meaning they are considered multi-purpose and will perform reliably across a wide range of cooking methods.

When in doubt, grab one of these and you will not go wrong.

What About Gourmet, Baby and Chat Potatoes?

Gourmet, baby or chat potatoes refer to the small bite-sized spuds, often sold pre-packed at WA supermarkets. These can be any variety — waxy, floury or all-rounder — and are fantastic time savers. Simply wash and cook up whole for a snack, salad, roasted side dish or added straight into your curries or stews. No peeling, no chopping, no fuss — and maximum flavour.

A Few Tips for Cooking with Starchy/Floury Potatoes

Getting the best out of your floury WA potatoes is easy with these simple tricks:

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  Start in cold water when boiling. Placing your potatoes in cold salted water and bringing them to the boil gradually ensures they cook evenly from the outside in. Starting in boiling water can cause the outside to overcook before the centre is done.
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  Drain thoroughly and steam dry. After boiling, return your potatoes to the hot pot for a minute or two to allow excess moisture to evaporate before mashing or further cooking. Excess moisture is the enemy of good mash and crispy chips.
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  Rest in salted water before frying. For the crispiest chips and home fries, soak your cut potatoes in salted water for an hour or two before cooking, then drain and pat completely dry. This removes surface starch and delivers an outstanding crunch.
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  Do not overcrowd the roasting tray. Floury potatoes need air circulating around them to crisp up properly. Too many potatoes on one tray means they steam rather than roast — use two trays if needed and give them plenty of room.
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  Leave the skin on when you can. The skin of a WA potato contains a significant proportion of its fibre, potassium and vitamin C. Baked jacket potatoes and oven wedges with the skin left on are not just more delicious — they are meaningfully more nutritious too.

Ready to cook? Try these recipes:

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  Simple Mash Potato — the foolproof guide to perfect mash using WA grown Royal Blue potatoes
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  Golden Mash — mash elevated with pumpkin, Camembert and fresh sage
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  Air Fryer Chips — crispy, golden and made with WA grown Carisma or Cashmere Gold potatoes
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  Air Fryer Jacket Potatoes — one of our most popular recipes for very good reason
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  Chunky Wedges with Garlic and Rosemary — simple, fragrant and absolutely irresistible
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  Loaded Potato Soup — creamy, hearty and loaded with WA grown goodness
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  Rustic Gnocchi — homemade gnocchi made simple with WA grown floury potatoes

For the full WA Potato Variety Selection Guide, visit thegoodcarb.com.au/potato-types