"To err is human, to forgive is divine." Alexander Pope
Ipomoeas batatas is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. It is the Sweet Potato. Its large starchy sweet tasting tuberous roots are a very important vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as Greens. There are more than 100 species in this family, yet I. batatas is the only crop plant of major importance.
It is major importance to me as I love sweet potatoes. Forget about the candied sweet potato, and discover the delicious taste of the plain sweet potato. This is what I consider the most universally hypoallergenic food there is, or least comes as close to fitting the bill.
What you didn't know is that the genus Ipomoea contains the sweet potato but includes several garden flowers that you sometimes see called Morning Glories. Some grow Ipomoea as ornamental plants, but very few. The plant is a vine with alternate heart shaped leaves or sometimes palmate lobed leaves. The edible root is long and tapered.
I learned that China is the largest grower of sweet potatoes, providing 80% of the world's supply. Most are grown for human consumption but some are now grown for pig consumption. I know friends that feed their dog, Max sweet potatoes all the time. I can understand why--they are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta carotene, Vitamin C and vitamin B6. The sweet potatoes with the dark orange flesh have more beta carotene (precursor to Vitamin A) than those with light colored flesh.
Do not let the term sweet potato deter you from eating it. For diabetics it is far better than a white potato which has more sugar and is a simple carbohydrate.
It is easy to prepare sweet potatoes. Choose solid potatoes without any soft spots. The skin should be firm and tight. If you are cooing them together find ones that are the same size. Scrub the potatoes with a brush. Cut out the bad parts.
If baking, these potatoes leak juice when they bake, so put them on a cookie sheet or pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Slit and eat right out of the skins. I prefer to eat the skins of a sweet potato.
You can also steam sweet potato and make a mash out of them. You can also slice raw, unpeeled potatoes, 3/4 inch thick and arrange int her steamer basket and steam for 15 minutes. Diners remove the skin as they eat them --not me ( I love the skins)
Discover the sweet potato and its numerous recipes.
Until tomorrow....
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