What does the term "mashed potatoes" really mean?

[Lila42]

I find this a little odd. I am from the south. And when I talk about mashed potatoes, it is the kind my mother made with a hand mixer. A little milk, butter, salt and pepper, and then whip the potatoes to a nice, creamy texture. I was shocked to eat the same so-called mashed potatoes at my mother-in-law's. She basically cooks the potatoes, adds a little salt and butter, and mashes them by hand. (They don't like pepper.) They are lumpy, dry , and tasteless. So, am I confusing mashed potatoes with whipped potatoes? And how do you like yours?

[Mama Mangia]

They are the same - years ago there were no electric mixers to whip your taters and sometimes the cooks were just too tired to use the old rotary beaters - besides it would have been difficult. So they mased them with a masher which usually left lumps in the taters. Hers were dry because whe did not add a liquid (milk, cream, broth, etc.) and the taste of course is effected by that. I prefer lumps on occasion in my taters - and for small family gatherings we enjoy them that way - for large family gatherings we whip them. Same taste - different texture - that's all.

[Lila42]

That's the thing, they don't taste the same to me at all. They were just a bunch of lumps of potatoes. She must not have put much butter in them. I kept dumping salt and pepper in them. I thought maybe it was just a bad night for her potatoes, but she always makes them that way. You have to get taste from somewhere. If it's light you are going for, a little lite sour cream or light cream cheese makes all the difference. But that's just me, everyone else seemed to eat them just fine.

[r8rpwr]

It must be the seasoning then; different methods of mashing shouldn't really affect the taste.

I agree; a bit of light sour cream adds a really nice taste. Some people add real cream, which I'm sure is great for the heart but is tasty as well.

[medako]

I don't whip my potatoes - we like lumps. But I do add a little milk, some cream cheese (or sour cream), and usually some fresh or dried herbs. Oh, and salt & pepper.

The difference is taste is all about how you season them, not how they're mashed or whipped.