To Market Sweet Potato

Newcastle Herald

Wednesday July 11, 2007

Leanne-Mavin Thomson

SWEET potato, or the Maori name of kumara as it sometimes goes by, is a wonderfully versatile vegetable with a delicious sweet flavour as the name suggests.

Sweet potato is native to Central America, brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus.

Sweet potato was always a part of our grandparents' baked dinners; when the corners are allowed to overcook a little they candy beautifully.

Over the years we have become a little more adventurous with them slicing them thinly to make delicious chips; mixing them with other root vegetables, chicken stock and barley to make fabulous soup; mashing them with a little butter, milk and cheese as a topping for shepherd's pie; or roasting them in small cubes, cooling, then tossing through salad.

In Australia sweet potato is available all year round.

It is in especially good supply from now until the end of winter.

We generally have only three varieties available in various sizes. These varieties are known by their colour: the red, with a russet orange flesh; the white with a yellowish white flesh; and the purple, which is purple only on the outside and milky white on the inside.

The leaves of the sweet potato vine can be eaten as you would spinach; although rarely found in the shop, if you are growing them at home it is worth trying.

When selecting your sweet potato choose one of a size to suit the intended use. Use small ones for baking and large ones for steaming, mashing or turning into chips.

Select clean, well-shaped ones for easy preparation and avoid any sprouting, black or soft spots especially around the ends.

Store them as you would regular potatoes, in a dark dry spot.

Once cut, unused portions must be refrigerated.

All sweet potatoes are a great source of vitamin C and potassium and despite their sweetness are a starchy vegetable.

The red or orange-fleshed sweet potato is also an excellent source of beta carotene.

Leanne-Mavin Thomson is a fresh-food marketing consultant.