Corazon Potato Supplier

Quick Overview

Corazon is a premium red-skinned potato variety prized for its exceptional table qualities and visual appeal. This versatile potato features a distinctive heart-shaped appearance (from which it gets its name, “Corazon” meaning “heart” in Spanish) with smooth red skin and creamy yellow flesh. It offers a perfect balance between waxy and floury textures, making it adaptable to various cooking methods while maintaining excellent shape retention. Corazon potatoes are particularly valued for their rich, buttery flavor and nutritional content, including high levels of antioxidants from their red pigmentation. The variety has gained popularity in both gourmet markets and household kitchens due to its consistent quality, attractive appearance, and reliable performance in diverse growing conditions.

Origin & History

Corazon was developed through a collaborative breeding program between Dutch and Spanish agricultural research institutes in the early 2000s. The variety was specifically created to combine the visual appeal of red-skinned potatoes with superior culinary characteristics for the European market. Its development involved crossing traditional red potato varieties with high-yielding yellow-fleshed cultivars to achieve optimal taste and texture. Corazon quickly gained recognition after its commercial release in 2005, becoming particularly popular in Mediterranean countries for its drought tolerance. Over the past decade, it has expanded globally, with successful cultivation now occurring in North America, South Africa, and select Asian markets, adapting well to various climatic conditions while maintaining its distinctive qualities.

Specifications

Corazon potatoes typically have medium-sized tubers (100-180g) with a characteristic heart-like shape and uniform appearance. The variety features smooth, deep red skin with few shallow eyes and vibrant yellow flesh that maintains color when cooked. It contains a balanced starch content of 14-17%, placing it between waxy and floury categories, with a sugar content below 0.3% to prevent excessive browning. Corazon has a growing season of approximately 90-110 days and shows good resistance to common scab and moderate resistance to late blight. The plants produce high yields of 35-45 tons per hectare under optimal conditions, with excellent tuber uniformity that exceeds 85% of marketable grade.

Key Characteristics

1. Visual Appeal: The striking red skin and heart-shaped form make Corazon instantly recognizable and highly marketable for fresh sales.
2. Culinary Versatility: Its balanced texture works well for boiling, roasting, and salads while maintaining structural integrity.
3. Nutritional Value: Contains elevated levels of antioxidants (particularly anthocyanins) and potassium compared to standard white varieties.
4. Growth Adaptability: Performs well in both temperate and Mediterranean climates with moderate water requirements.
5. Storage Performance: Shows better shelf-life than many red varieties, maintaining firmness and color for up to 6 months in proper storage.

Best Uses

Corazon is primarily an all-around table potato excelling in fresh culinary applications rather than industrial processing. Its waxy-floury balance makes it perfect for roasted potato dishes, where it develops a crispy exterior while remaining creamy inside. The variety is particularly favored for gourmet salads and steamed preparations as it holds its shape beautifully without becoming mushy. While not ideal for standard potato chips due to its red pigmentation, Corazon produces exceptional artisan-style chips with unique color appeal. Some chefs utilize its natural heart shape for decorative culinary presentations. The variety’s moderate starch content makes it less suitable for starch production or mass-processed French fries, positioning it firmly as a premium fresh-market potato.