Glycoalkaloid content, cooking quality and sensory evaluation of early introductions of potatoes into New Zealand

The indigenous Maori people quickly adopted early introductions of potatoes into New Zealand. These early cultivars known as Maori Potatoes are smaller in size and differently coloured when compared to modern potato cultivars and are thought to have remained unselected. The glycoalkaloid content of tubers ranged from 38.7 to 142.6 mg kg−1 (mean 76.5). A taste test conducted on 10 different cultivars showed that they were generally well accepted; however all panellists noted a slightly bitter after taste in some of the cultivars. The texture and flavour were within acceptable limits for all the cultivars tested.