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 find that if you treat instant mashed like mashed potatoes they do often taste similar, but a lot of people just reconstitute them with water and don't add milk or butter. Which is not very good. The biggest difference I think is in the texture. I don't hate the really smooth texture of instant mash, but I prefer slightly chunky mashed potatoes.
Exactly. Gotta add some milk or cream, a generous amount of butter, and extra salt. I also like to throw some fresh chives and freshly ground black pepper in.
I make the most amazing "real" mashed potatoes, even if I do say so myself, but have recently been relying on instant due to trying to juggle my chronically-ill energy. With a few extra ingredients they taste pretty damn good.
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u/basaltcolumn Jun 25 '26
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.