Sweet potato
Ipomoea tuberosum
A quick introduction
Sweet potatoes, sometimes mistakenly called yams, are elongated root vegetables that occur in colours ranging from orange to red, white and purple. Sweet potatoes can be used very similarly to regular potatoes, but their distinct sweet and earthy taste makes this veggie a great addition to a variety of meals. The leaves are edible too (and delicious!). For recipes to use the leaves, see their separate entry in the vegetable archive (under leafy greens).
Storage
Stores for quite a few days in the vegetable drawer of the fridge.
Season
Fall
Suggestions for preparation
Sweet potatoes don't necessarily need to be peeled, but do scrub away any dirt before preparation. Sweet potatoes can then be fried, braised, steamed, grilled, or baked, either whole or chopped up into pieces. Try adding some roasted sweet potato on top of salads, as a side to meat or other roasted veggies, or as a part of a simple curry.
Recipes
This might be our favourite recipe for sweet potatoes: roasted and served with a delicious dip of crème fraiche, lime and lemongrass.
Squid with sweet potato and lemon salsa
Sweet potato quesadilla's
Potato and sweet potato vindaloo