Sweet Potato

Also known asKumara · Kamote · Shakarkandi · Ubi Keledek · Ipomoea batatas · 红薯 · 地瓜 · 番薯

Name: Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) — a tapered root with orange, white, yellow or purple flesh and a sweet, earthy flavour. It is not a potato, nor, in most cases, a true yam, though the orange-fleshed types are sold as “yams” in North America.

Description

The sweet potato was domesticated in Central or South America at least 5,000 years ago, and spread across the Pacific before Europeans arrived, as shown by its name kumara in Polynesia. Spanish and Portuguese traders then carried it across Asia and Africa. China is the largest producer today, and it is an important staple in sub-Saharan Africa.

Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene, and have been promoted in Africa to fight vitamin A deficiency, which is a major public health problem. Purple varieties, such as the Okinawan sweet potato, get their colour from anthocyanins, and white or yellow types are drier and less sweet.

Main nutrition value

Orange sweet potatoes are an outstanding source of beta-carotene (vitamin A), and also provide vitamin C, manganese, potassium, vitamin B6 and fibre.

How best to be consumed

Sweet potatoes can be baked, roasted, boiled, steamed or fried, and are best with the skin on.

1. Bake whole until soft, then split open and top with butter, yoghurt or spices.
2. Roast wedges with olive oil, smoked paprika and salt for fries.
3. Boil or steam gently, which gives a lower glycaemic index than baking.
4. Mash into soups, curries, pies and baking, or add to stews.
5. Eat the skin, and store in a cool, dark place, not the fridge.

Overconsumption could cause…

Sweet potatoes are healthy in sensible portions.

1. Oxalates, which matter for people prone to kidney stones when eaten in very large amounts.
2. Higher carbohydrate and sugar intake than most vegetables, which matters for people managing diabetes. Baked sweet potatoes can have a high glycaemic index.
3. Orange-tinted skin from eating very large amounts over time (carotenemia), which is harmless.
4. Added sugar, marshmallows and fat in holiday casseroles and processed sweet potato fries.

GroupsPotatoesRoot VegetablesMorning glory family (Convolvulaceae)Low fatLow sodiumRich in vitamin AFresh

Related foodsTaroYamCassava / YucaOrange Sweet PotatoJapanese Sweet PotatoPurple Sweet Potato

Wikipedia — Sweet potato, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_potato