Idaho potato country
Volcanic soils produce the iconic American russet
Idaho produces nearly a third of US potatoes and dominates the russet potato market in particular.
About idaho
Idaho produces nearly a third of US potatoes and dominates the russet potato market in particular. The production zone centers on the Snake River Plain in southeastern Idaho, where volcanic-ash-derived soils, irrigation from the Snake River, hot dry summer days, cold nights, and a long frost-free season combine to produce potatoes with high dry matter, good storage characteristics, and the classic russet form. The Idaho Potato Commission has trademarked 'Idaho Potatoes' aggressively, and the brand association with quality potatoes is one of the strongest geographic-indication marketing efforts in US agriculture. Major producers include both family-scale operations and large vertically integrated companies (J.R. Simplot built one of the world's largest agribusiness empires on Idaho potato production, including the McDonald's french fry supply relationship that significantly shaped the global frozen-potato industry). The russet is the dominant cultivar by volume, optimized for baking, frying, and processing into french fries, hash browns, and dehydrated products. Specialty cultivars (Yukon Gold, fingerlings, red potatoes) are produced but represent a small share of the volume. The state ships potatoes year-round from controlled-atmosphere storage.
Origin profile
Varieties from Idaho potato country
5 varieties associated with this origin. Tap any variety for its full editorial profile.
Editorial notes
The McDonald's french fry — and by extension the global fast-food fried-potato product — was largely engineered in Idaho through a long collaboration between J.R. Simplot Company and McDonald's starting in the 1960s. The frozen pre-cut blanched fries that defined fast-food consistency were Simplot's product innovation, built on the russet variety's reliable performance through that process. Most American fast-food fries trace back to russets grown within a 200-mile radius of Boise.