Some Facts on Sweet Potatoes

10-17-2003, 02:59 PM

* Let's get one thing straight from the beginning...in the
USA there are only sweet potatoes. The orangey ones that get
labeled yams really are sweet potatoes. Real yams are a
whole different vegetable and usually only found in ethnic
markets.

* Sweet potatoes are often confused with yams, but yams are
large, starchy roots grown in Africa and Asia. Yams can grow
up to 100 pounds. Nutritionally, sweet potatoes greatly out-
weigh yams.

* Sweet potatoes are a member of the Convolvulacae or morn-
ing glory family...ipomoea batatas, if you

. Yams are
actually related to gr***es and lilies.

* In appearance, sweet potatoes are smooth, with thin skin;
while yams are rough, scaly skin.

* Archeologists have found evidence that sweet potatoes were
culivated in Peru as far back as 10,000 years ago.

* Christopher Columbus wrote in his journal that the natives
of Hispaniola introduced his expedition to sweet potatoes.
Spaniards were eating the tubers within the year of Colum-
bus' return. Sweet potatoes then spread throughout Europe to
Asia by way of the Phillipines.

* Queen Elizabeth I was sweet on sweet potatoes...she liked
them candied.

* After a bit the tuber lost its luster and fell out of
vogue...except for Empress Josephine who really dug them
(ha, ha, ha). When Napolean took up residence in Elba the
noble sweet potato disappeared from French society tables
and then throughout Europe.

* In China and Japan, sweet potatoes are sold on the street
like roasted chestnuts are here. Many studies demonstrate
that Japan's low rate of heart disease is in part due to
sweet potato consumption.