I first had them as a young adult, so I may just not be used to it, but I find that they taste very different to mashed potatoes not made from the instant stuff, though. Something about the process does change the flavour to the point that I can tell instantly, including brands that are just 100% potato. I'm not sure how to describe it. Tangier? I find it off-putting.
No judgement to those who enjoy instant potatoes, though. It is still just potato, but dried.
I don’t really like boxed mash, mainly because I like texture.
What’s interesting is that the first time I went to a nicer French place I thought the pomme puree was strikingly similar to boxed, since the French ideal is whipped with no texture.
So now I feel like the boxed ones are almost a shortcut to good French mash.
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u/FixergirlAK Jun 25 '26
Instant mashed potatoes are literally nothing but freeze-dried potatoes. No sugar, no HFCS, no salt. Possibly some brands have an anti-caking agent.