Maria’s Tlingit

Also known as Tlingit, Maria’s potato, Marias Tlingit. Named after Maria Ackerman Miller of Haines, Alaska. Light tan skin, yellow flesh. Small fingerling, oblong and finger-shaped, with many eyes. Sets tubers as day length shortens. Use: Tablestock. Has a creamy, nutty flavor. Description: A primitive cultivar grown by the Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska for over 200 years. It is not selectively bred and is genetically distinct from modern commercial potatoes. DNA analysis conducted through the USDA Potato Genome Project at the request of researcher Elizabeth Kunibe confirmed that this variety never passed through Europe, overturning earlier assumptions that European settlers introduced it. Oral histories describe Tlingit and Haida canoe voyages to South America that may have brought potatoes north; other theories credit Russian traders. Traditionally planted in south-facing plots on islands with favorable growing conditions. Elizabeth Kunibe describes it as a “plant it and forget it” variety. Genetically similar to two other Native American primitive potato cultivars: the Ozette (Makah) potato from Washington’s Olympic Peninsula and the Haida potato from Kasaan on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska. One of only four varieties of primitive potatoes traditionally grown by Native North Americans, according to Kunibe. The USDA Forest Service Sitka Ranger District and Sitka Tribe of Alaska have partnered since approximately 2015 to cultivate a community garden and educate the public about this variety.