Small history

Etymology
"Sweet" differentiates it from the potato and indicates its high sugar content; potato comes from the Taino "batata."

Description
A tuber which grows like the potato but belongs to a completely different family.

Very popular in South America, the West Indies and the southern United States, the sweet potato is also beloved of the Japanese. The sweet, orange-colored sweet potato comes in over 400 varieties of differing shapes and sizes, with smooth or rough skins and flesh that can be either dry or moist. There are two main groups: Dry sweet potatoes, with pale, floury fleshy. Moist sweet potatoes, higher in sugar, more orange in color, and softer when cooked.

Nutritional values per 100 g
Calories: 117; Carbohydrates: 27 g; Fat: 0.3 g; Protein: 2 g.
Rich in sugars, tannins, calcium, potassium and vitamins B and C. The darker the flesh, the more vitamin A it contains.

Buying sweet potatoes
They should be firm and unbruised.

Storage
Keep in a cool, dark place. Cold will damage them.

Cooking tips

1. Steam, boil, braise, sauté, etc., like potatoes.
2. Cook them as soon as they are cut; the flesh oxidizes quickly once exposed to air.
3. Avoid any contact with metallic objects (pots, knives), which will discolour them.
4. Bake sweet potatoes in their skins in the oven for 60-75 minutes depending on their size. Peel, cut and use as desired.
5. Sweet potatoes contain no starch, therefore potatoes need to be added to bind sweet potato soup.

Suggestions
Cook in the oven in their skins for one hour. Cut in half, remove the flesh and purée it with butter and orange juice. Season with salt, pepper and ginger. Replace the purée in the skins. Return to the oven for 15 minutes. Serve hot with orange segments.

Boil peeled and quartered sweet potatoes in orange juice with salt, pepper, ginger and nutmeg. Thicken the cooking liquid with starch and add a spoonful of honey.

The Worldwide Gourmet
Madeira - French fried sweet potatoes are a true dessert: the natural sugars crystallize to make the fries crispy. Cook in the oven, cut into cubes and fry until the sides caramelize.

Japan - Similar to Madeira: cut into fries and serve as a dessert.

Morocco - sliced and stewed with braising beef, seasoned with paprika, cayenne, turmeric, cumin, parsley and coriander.