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| King Edward | |
|---|---|
 King Edward | |
| Genus | Solanum |
| Species | Solanum tuberosum |
| Cultivar | 'King Edward' |
| Breeder | John Butler |
| Origin | Scotter,Lincolnshire,England 1902 |
King Edward is apotatocultivar grown inEngland since 1902, making it one of the oldest cultivars still grown commercially.
The King Edward potato is predominantly white-skinned with pink colouration. It is mostly oval in shape, with a floury texture and shallow eyes.[1]The plant is upright and tall with numerous stems and small green leaves. Its flowers are purple with white-tipped petals.
InRedcliffe Salaman's bookThe History and Social Influence of the Potato first published in 1949, it was noted that parentage of King Edward was unknown. It was bred by a gardener inNorthumberland who called it 'Fellside Hero' and passed into the hands of a grower in Yorkshire and in turn a potato merchant in Manchester who having no use for it passed it onto John Butler ofScotter inLincolnshire. He in turn purchased all the seed stocks available and multiplied the variety on 50 acres of land before renaming the variety King Edward on the advice of a potato merchant.[2]
The Coronation ofKing Edward VII in 1902 coincided with the introduction of this cultivar of potato and its name is believed to originate as a 'commemoration' of this occasion.[3] It is claimed that the grower wrote toBuckingham Palace seeking permission to name his potato after the monarch and that a reply was received granting royal assent.
It is one of the oldest surviving cultivars in Europe.[4]
The King Edward potato is a main crop; in England it is traditionally planted in April for harvest in September. It is suitable to be grown both commercially and inallotments. It is very resistant tocommon scab and offers some resistance topotato blight but is susceptible topotato cyst nematode.[3]
The King Edward has a variety of culinary uses and is renowned for its light fluffy texture; for this reason it is particularly suitable forroasting,mashed potato orbaking, although it is also suitable forsautéing,steaming, and frying aschips. It has been described byDelia Smith as being the best potato with which to makegnocchi.[5]
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