Rua Potatoes - any good?

clair4, Sep 29, 9:59pm
I buy Agria and wondered what other potatoes are good.
Some I have purchased in the past are terrible. Which ones should I ignore.
Many thanks

jallen2, Sep 29, 10:00pm
Rua are the best !
Where did you find rua please? I haven't been able to find any for years.

245sam, Sep 29, 10:42pm
Agree - we always used to have Rua until we found them hard to find so nowdays if we can't find them, our next choice is Nadine and have found them to be an excellent alternative; however it does depend on the type of potato you prefer (waxy, floury. ?) and the cooking methods you most prefer.

For good (IMO) potato info' have a look at:-
http://potatoesnz.co.nz/potato-know-how/seasonal-changes-and-potato-varieties/
:-))

jallen2, Sep 29, 11:01pm
Interesting link 245sam :-)
I really like fianna as well so I clearly like a more floury spud. lol.
Nadine are a little waxy and flavourless for me.

kay141, Sep 29, 11:22pm
Last time I had Ruas, they were very soft and bruised(large black spots). They have always bruised easily which could be the reason they are no longer readily available.

rainrain1, Sep 29, 11:22pm
I have a bag of Maris Anchor at the mo, best ones we've had all Winter. Spuds have been terrible this year

kay141, Sep 29, 11:27pm
It's been too wet for them.

rainrain1, Sep 29, 11:32pm
Yes, it has. hopefully we get a good season this year, and many more after that!

herself, Sep 29, 11:48pm
Well, the last bag of Rua potatoes I bought were full of black spots and I was cutting off/out up to half the spud and composting it rather than cooking and eating it. I won't bother with them again. They were very soft too. Nadine have no taste to me. I have tried Moonlight and like them and if I can't find any Agria they are my go to. My favourites are Agria. I find them very versatile - baked/roasted/mashed - all good and find I go back to them time and time again. They (so far) have not disappointed me.

dibble35, Sep 30, 1:17am
Yes I like Moonlight - good all rounder, and Agria

blans, Sep 30, 4:54am
Most spuds will start going soft now, its time for them to sprout and start growing. As for the black spots, every bag i have bought for the last several years have been like this. For the last 8 months have been eating yummy home grown but unfortunatly finished now.

lythande1, Sep 30, 2:00pm
Rua was the old chip variety, now you tend to see Agria more. But now and then Rua pops up, Kings Plants have Rua seed potatoes at the moment.

snapperheadrkp, Sep 30, 3:22pm
My memory says Moonlight are an improved Rua (developed at the Potato Institute here in NZ). Correct me if I am wrong

wasgonna, Sep 30, 6:01pm
That's interesting. Can't stand Rua as they don't see to be as they were years ago, so probably played around with. On the other hand have found Moonlight to be excellent.

kaddiew, Sep 30, 6:08pm
Another plug here for Moonlight. They're often in better condition than some Agrias, at least where I am.

Will never buy the the flavourless, hard but watery Nadines.

beaker59, Sep 30, 10:24pm
Rua are great spuds one of my favourites unfortunately in recent times what you buy in the shops is a pale shadow of the original, same with Agria, what they sell as Agria these days are rubbish.

samanya, Oct 1, 4:41pm
like rainrain1, I like Maris Anchor.
Those are my faves for growing as a main crop.

cgvl, Oct 1, 5:37pm
we are currently eating Rua's at the moment but I don't buy potatoes from the supermarket as we don't eat very many. A bag of potatoes goes off so I just pick up a few ie about 6-8 each time I go out to our local gardens, lovely huge potatoes they are too but from memory they do have a short season.

standard, Oct 2, 3:08am
Just brought 10kg at The Green grocer, Tinwald, Ashburton

jallen2, Oct 3, 1:14am
Thank you - Thats a bit far away from Napier lol. but I appreciate the response :-)

kaddiew, Oct 3, 8:10pm
Just bought a 2kg bag of well sprouted Rua seed spuds marked down from $10 to $1, at the Warehouse. Will plant them as space frees up in my veg garden, and see what happens

Have just today stolen a few tiddlers from my early crop of new spuds; can't wait for dinner.

oopie, Dec 17, 9:14pm
I just bought 10 kg of Rua from Countdown in Kaikohe. Haven't seen them since I was a kid. They're not how I remember them.