Two-tone and made for chips: meet Atsegiñe, the new potato from Álava, Spain

Atsegiñe: the new two-tone potato from Álava that is already raising eyebrows

The Neiker technology centre has registered Atsegiñe, a potato variety with purple skin and two-toned flesh (purple and white) aimed at the chip industry. A story that might at first seem like a minor agricultural breakthrough has sparked a heated debate about whether it is really needed and how novel it actually is. While some see it as an innovation that could shake up the snack market, others dismiss it as an Instagram-friendly product, or point out that similar potatoes already exist elsewhere, such as Andean purple potatoes or the Okinawan sweet potato.

A genuine innovation or a passing fad?

Defenders of the new variety highlight the work of traditional breeding through cross-pollination, noting that this kind of selection has been carried out in farming since time immemorial. The striking colour could attract consumers in a snack market that is saturated. The criticism, however, was not long in coming: some argue it is a product designed to be photogenic on social media rather than for its nutritional or taste qualities. Others point out that coloured potatoes have been grown in South America for centuries, and that France has had similar varieties for 200 years. The question is whether this is really an innovation or a subsidised marketing exercise.

The debate over origin and necessity

One of the most interesting lines of discussion has been the comparison with the Okinawan sweet potato, famous for its association with the longevity of the island's inhabitants. Some shared links showed that this variety is purple inside and is sold as a gourmet product. The visual similarity is obvious, but the tuber from Álava is a potato (Solanum tuberosum), not a sweet potato. The confusion has led some to question whether Neiker's research effort would not have been better spent improving pest resistance or yields rather than colour. There has also been mockery of the name, which in Basque could be read as something related to "defecar" (to take a dump) in Valencian, although the correct pronunciation is "guiñe".

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The fact is that Atsegiñe is already on the variety register and is looking for its niche in the chip industry. Only time will tell whether the bet on colour is a commercial success or just another footnote in the history of gastronomy.

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