Newcomers Theo Lindinger and Dominik Klier having only been trading under Caspar Plautz for a month, but they’re already tearing up the market scene one spud at a time.
How many different varieties of potatoes do you think are there in world? Well, Theo Lindinger and Dominik Klier will tell you that there are over 4,000 edible potato varieties each with its own unique characteristics and taste. They’ll also tell you that the name of their stall, Caspar Plautz is named after a Viennese monk from Salzberg who wrote the very first potato recipe in 1621.
Why do they know so much about the humble spud you ask? Well, co-founders recently quit their stable, full-time jobs to pursue their own catering business and market stall selling one thing and one thing only - potatoes. Their stall stocks 25 different types of potatoes at a time and they’re currently open for business at the traditional Viktualienmarkt in the heart of Munich.
However, the guys didn’t have much choice when choosing what ingredient to sell, this was down to the many strict rules and regulations of the market. “The market belongs to the city of Munich, each stall is defined by what they sell and you’re not allowed to sell certain products,” Lindinger explains. “In the 50s during the war, there were over 50 stalls selling potatoes and now there are only two stalls left including us. The other potato stall had already been there for over 30 years, so we had to follow suit and were forced to work with potatoes.”
“It’s been a blessing in disguise, potatoes are an amazing ingredient because you can do so much with it, you can explore every option and be creative in so many ways you didn’t think was possible.”
Since they had access to a large number of potatoes at their disposal they thought about the different ways to use the root vegetable instead of selling them in their raw form. “At first we thought focusing on only one ingredient would narrow our creativity, but it actually hasn’t,” Klier says. “It’s been a blessing in disguise, potatoes are an amazing ingredient because you can do so much with it, you can explore every option and be creative in so many ways you didn’t think was possible.”
Their dishes don’t actually have a lot to do with classic potato we all know and love. One of the most interesting dishes they serve on the menu is a roasted potato with sauerkraut, roasted apples and black pudding. Lindinger says, “We really try to push the boat out on different potato techniques whether it’s puree, mash or turning it into pastry, we want to show customers that there’s so many ways to use potatoes.”
Their new presence on the market has been welcomed with open arms by the older folk that have been there for many generations. The duo are quickly gaining traction within food blogospheres, attracting a younger audience that wouldn’t normally visit the old market and they’re only just getting warmed up.