- Season
- Available all year; a shelf-stable dry blend
- Price
- Low
- Nutrition per 100 g
- 209 kcal
- 8.6 g protein
- 4.2 g fat
- 28 g carbs
American Potato Seasoning
Spices
American Potato Seasoning
Koření na americké brambory is a ready-made Czech seasoning blend for 'americké brambory' ('American potatoes'). That is the Czech name for potatoes cut into wedges with the skin left on and baked in the oven until crisp.
In practice
How to store
- On the counter
Keep tightly closed in a cool, dry, dark cupboard away from the hob and oven. Moisture makes the salt clump, and light and heat fade the paprika. After opening, transfer sachets to a small airtight jar.
- In the fridge
Not necessary, and best avoided. Taking the blend in and out of the fridge causes condensation and clumping.
- In the freezer
Not recommended for a dry blend. Cupboard storage is enough.
How to choose
Read the ingredient list, because composition varies a lot between brands. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, and salt is almost always first. Lower salt percentages generally mean more spice per gram. If you need to avoid gluten, check for wheat flour: Kotányi's blend lists it as an ingredient. Also read the 'may contain' statement, which can mention celery, mustard, sesame, soy, milk or egg. Choose small packs unless you cook wedges often, because ground spices lose aroma long before the best-before date. Large tubs are aimed at catering.
What to swap in
Best swap
Make your own Czech-style mix. Combine salt, ground sweet paprika, dried garlic and crushed caraway, plus a little dried parsley or ground coriander if you like. Because you control the salt, you can use less of it than the bought blends contain.
In a pinch
Use salt, sweet paprika and garlic powder, adding caraway if you have it. A Czech potato seasoning ('koření na brambory') or a general grill blend will also work. Check its salt content and reduce or leave out any extra salt.
Preparation
Classic americké brambory: scrub the potatoes well and leave the skin on. Cut them lengthways into even wedges. Waxy or firm potatoes (Czech type A, 'salátové') hold their shape best. If you are using starchier potatoes, soaking the wedges in cold water for about 30 minutes and then drying them well helps them crisp. Toss the wedges with oil and the seasoning. As a rough guide, start with about 1 teaspoon of blend per 500 g of potatoes and adjust from there, since the blend is mostly salt. Spread the wedges in one layer on a lined baking tray and bake at about 200–220 °C for 30–40 minutes, turning once, until golden and tender inside. Some cooks bake the potatoes with oil first and add the seasoning, mixed into a little oil, partway through so that the garlic and paprika don't scorch. Taste a wedge before adding any extra salt.
Don't toss it
Leave the skins on, since the dish is built around them. Leftover baked wedges can be reheated in a hot oven or pan so they crisp again. If the blend has lost its aroma, stir a pinch into sour cream or quark for a quick dip, or use it to season fried or boiled potatoes. It is still perfectly usable, just milder.
In the kitchen
Cooking
The blend is made mainly for oven-baking skin-on potato wedges, which is the americké brambory dish itself. It also works for pan-fried or air-fried wedges, chips, roast potato chunks and potato gratins. A little can season sour-cream or yoghurt dips served with the wedges. In Czech home cooking and pub menus, americké brambory are served as a side dish ('příloha') with grilled or fried meat, or as a snack with a dip. Because paprika and garlic burn easily, avoid very high heat for long periods and don't let the seasoning sit on a dry, very hot tray.
Goes well with
- Potatoes
- Sweet Paprika
- Caraway
- Garlic
- Sour Cream
- Tatarská Omáčka
- Grilled Chicken
- Pork
- Sunflower Or Rapeseed Oil
- Quark Dips
What it is
Koření na americké brambory is a ready-made Czech seasoning blend for 'americké brambory' ('American potatoes'). That is the Czech name for potatoes cut into wedges with the skin left on and baked in the oven until crisp. Spice brands sold in Czechia, such as Kotányi, Avokádo and Vitana, sell it in small sachets, jars and tubs, and larger catering packs are sold through wholesalers like Makro. Despite the name, it is not an American product. 'Americké' refers to the dish, not to where the blend comes from. The blend is mostly salt. Labels list salt at roughly 46% (Kotányi) to 70% (Vitana), and one Avokádo product shows about 60 g of salt per 100 g in its nutrition table. The salt is mixed with dried garlic, crushed or ground caraway, ground sweet paprika, coriander seed and dried parsley. Depending on the brand there may also be black pepper, nutmeg, onion, turmeric, chilli or oregano. Because there is so much salt, the blend seasons the potatoes fully, and you don't add salt separately.
How it tastes
Salt comes first, followed by roasted garlic and the earthy, slightly anise-like note of caraway, a flavour Czech cooks associate with potatoes. Sweet paprika gives a mild, rounded sweetness and the typical orange-gold colour on baked wedges. Coriander adds a light citrus note and parsley a grassy one. Versions with turmeric are more yellow, and those with chilli or pepper are a little hotter. The blend is savoury and comforting rather than strongly spicy.
Common questions
What are americké brambory?
Should I add salt as well as the seasoning?
Is the seasoning gluten-free?
How much should I use?
Can I make it myself?
What do Czechs serve with americké brambory?
Deep dive
2 min read
Varieties
Branded retail blends (Kotányi, Avokádo, Vitana and others)
All are salt-led, but the spices differ. Kotányi lists iodised salt, garlic, caraway, coriander, parsley, paprika, wheat flour, pepper and nutmeg. An Avokádo version lists salt, garlic, sweet paprika, crushed caraway, coriander, parsley, chilli and rapeseed oil. Vitana's blend is about 70% salt with paprika, onion, garlic, leek, turmeric and a long list of other spices, closer to a mild curry-style mix.
Catering packs
The same kinds of blends are sold in large tubs for restaurants and canteens. Spice shops also sell their own house versions.
Homemade mixes
Czech recipes often combine salt, sweet paprika, caraway and garlic, sometimes with oregano or turmeric for colour.
Related but different products
International 'potato wedge' or 'potato seasoning' blends, including American-style ones, are separate products. They often lean on onion, herbs or cayenne rather than caraway, and they are not what a Czech shopper means by this name.
History
The name comes from the dish. 'Americké brambory' is the established Czech name for oven-baked, skin-on potato wedges, a common side dish in Czech homes and restaurants. Ready-made blends named after the dish are now a standard item on the spice shelves of Czech supermarkets. No reliable source documents when or why the dish acquired its 'American' name.
Science
The high salt content lets a small amount of blend season the whole dish. It also helps draw a little moisture from the cut surface, which supports browning. Paprika's colour comes from fat-soluble carotenoid pigments, so tossing the blend with oil spreads the colour evenly over the wedges. The same pigments and sugars in paprika, and the dried garlic, darken and turn bitter if overheated, which is why some cooks add the seasoning partway through baking. Crisp wedges depend on dry surfaces, enough oil and a single layer on the tray. Low-starch (waxy) potatoes keep their shape, and rinsing off surface starch reduces sticking.
Sourcing and ethics
The spices in these blends, especially paprika, coriander and pepper, are internationally traded commodities. Origins are not usually stated on retail packs. Under EU rules, ingredients must be listed in descending order of weight and allergens must be highlighted. Some producers state that their blends are suitable for vegetarians or free of palm oil. If sourcing matters to you, look for brands that name the origin of their spices or that hold organic certification.