Sweet Potato

You may know sweet potatoes by another name such as kumera or yam, depending on where you come from, but here in Australia we’re generally called sweet potatoes because of our
delicious, sweet flavour. Did you know we’re one of the few vegetables that can be used
for both savoury and sweet dishes? They are a popular and versatile vegetable that has been grown and eaten by many people around the world - They are a staple food of the Maoris, Polynesians and Melanesians to name just a few, As Australians we have certainly taken on sweet potatoes as a regular on the dinner table - after all what would a traditional Aussie baked dinner be without Sweet Potatoes. Though we like to eat them, you may not know too much about them - The Sweet Potato is not related to the potato at all. They belong to the sprawling vine called morning glory. The sausage-shaped tubers are a bit potato-like, but taper to pointed ends unlike potatoes. The skin is smooth and can be white, red, golden or purple. They have a sweet, white, yellow or deep orange flesh which can be either dry or moist.sp1

Sweet Potatoes come from the tropical lowlands of Central and South America and Christopher
Columbus is thought to have introduced them into Europe.
During the American Civil War when food rations were low, Sweet Potatoe was served as a
staple food for the troops for long periods of time. Captain Cook saw the New Zealand
Maoris using them in the 18th century and they were part of the staple diet of the
Polynesians and Melanesians long before the coming of Europeans. There is a record of yams
being brought to Sydney Town on ships of the First Fleet but it is not known whether this
refers to us (in southern USA we’re called yams) or the true yams. The fleet stopped at
Rio de Janeiro on the voyage to Australia and it is quite possible that we may have been
taken aboard the fleet there.

Varieties:
They are sold by colour rather than variety. Kumera - are a sweet potato which has a deep orange flesh. Other types are white, red and purple sweet potatoes.

Benefits:

  • With their flesh ranging in colour from white to orange, the nutritional value varies
    between varieties  Orange-fleshed varieties are very rich in beta carotene and other carotenoids. A 100g serving has more than a day’s supply 
  • White-fleshed varieties are good sources of vitamin C, but the orange-fleshed ones are
    even richer in this vitamin
  • Orange-fleshed potatoes have more sugar, mostly sucrose, and dietary fibre,
    while the white-fleshed ones are higher in starch 
  • they are also a good source of vitamin E and we also have some folate
    (one of the B complex vitamins)
  • They are fat-free and 100g of cooked yellow flesh has 270kJ, while white flesh has 320kJ.sp2

Buying & Storing:
Select those of us with firm, smooth, well-shaped tubers with bright, uniform coloured skin.
Skin colour varies with variety. Store in a cool, dark place with good ventilation. Use within 2 weeks.

Did you know?

  • The orange variety is often called ‘kumara’, a name given to it by the New Zealand Maoris
  • They are native to tropical Central and South America
  • They are a staple in many people’s diets and have become important crops on Pacific islands and in the Orient as well
  • Their skin is very thin and delicate and, therefore, easily broken and damaged
  • Their botanical name is ipomea batatas.