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Sweet potatoes are another one of those
vegetables that once tasted, are never forgotten. They are, as the name
suggests, sweet, but they also have a slightly spicy taste. It's this
distinct sweet and savory flavor which makes them such an excellent foil
to many savory dishes and they are fittingly paired with meat dishes
that need a touch of sweetness, like turkey or pork.
History : Sweet potatoes are native to
tropical America, but today they are grown all over the tropical world.
They have been grown in South America from before the Inca civilizations
and were introduced into Spain before the ordinary potato. They also
have a long history of cultivation in Asia spreading from Polynesia to
New Zealand in the fourteenth century. They are an important staple food
in the Caribbean and southern United States, and many famous recipes
feature these vegetables. Candied sweet potatoes, for instance, are
traditionally served with ham or turkey at Thanksgiving all over the
United States, while Jamaica and the West Indies abound with sweet
potato dishes, from the simple baked potato to Caribbean pudding, a
typically sweet and spicy dish with sweet potatoes, coconut, limes and
cinnamon. Sweet potatoes appear to have been introduced to England even
earlier than regular potatoes. Henry VIII was said to have been very
partial to them baked in a pie, believing they would improve his love
life. If Henry VIII was eating sweet potatoes in the early or
mid-sixteenth century, then it's likely he received them via the
Spanish, who, thanks to Christopher Columbus, were busy conquering the
New World, thus experiencing a whole range of tropical vegetables and
fruit.
Varieties : The skin color ranges
from white to pink to reddish brown. The red-skinned variety, which has
a whitish flesh, is the one most commonly used in African and Caribbean
cooking.
Buying and Storing : Choose small or
medium-size ones if possible as larger specimens tend to be rather
fibrous. They should be firm and evenly shaped; avoid those than seem
withered, have damp patches or are sprouting. They will keep for several
days in a cool place.
Preparing and Cooking : If baking,
scrub the potatoes well and cook exactly as you would for ordinary
potatoes. To boil, either cook in their skins and remove these after
cooking, or peel and place in acidulated water (water to which lemon
juice has been added). This prevents them turning brown and it's worth
boiling them in lightly acidulated water for the same reason. Sweet
potatoes can be cooked in any of the ways you would cook ordinary
potatoes-roast, boiled, mashed or baked. However, avoid using them in
creamy or gratin-type dishes. They are both too sweet and too spicy for
that. It is preferable to roast or saute them with onions and other
savory ingredients to bring out their flavor, or mash them and serve
them American-style over chunks of chicken for a crusted chicken pie.
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