Sweet Potato : A Winter Delicacy

Sweet potato is a tuberous agricultural produce or a root vegetable of winter season. Its botanical name is Ipomoea batatas of Convolvulaceae or Morning glory family. Although, it is popularly known as a yam in America, it is quite different from yam (Dioscorea alata of Dioscoreaceae family). Sweet potato is found in about 400 varieties with the most popular of white/cream and purple skins and white/cream and orange/pink flesh colors. In shape, the tuber varies from round to taper-ended on both sides.

Its plant is a tropical annual vine that gets quickly damaged by frost. The tubers mature in 3 to 9 months depending on the variety. Its propagation is by cuttings and tubers. For its beautiful flowers in tropical climates, some varieties of it are used as decorative house plants.

As an unmatched source of beta-carotene, sweet potato is a common people’s source of nutrition in many countries for its cheap and easy availability during winters. A single piece may suffice 35 percent of vitamin A needs of an average person going up to 90 percent in some cases. For this benefit, it is essential to add some fat to the preparation of sweet potato for a meal.

Organically grown sweet potatoes may be taken along with skin but conventionally grown tubers must be de-skinned before or after cooking. When flesh of the tuber is exposed to air, it gets oxidized fast and getting darker in color. To prevent oxidation, keep the cut sweet potatoes dipped in water or cook them in sealed containers.

For making this potato digestible and to make its nutrients easily available to human body, it is essential to steam its 12 mm thick cut cuboids or slices or roast the whole unit in a slow fire. The steaming process prepares its nutrients in a better way that takes only 7 minutes.

Yellow or orange flesh color of sweet potato is indicative of its richness in beta-carotene which gets converted to vitamin A in our body.

Purple flesh is indicative of presence of anthocyanin pigment having outstanding anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Even soup prepared using sweet potato leaves has anti-oxidant properties.

Additional advantage of including sweet potato in food is regulation of blood sugar in-spite of the food being sweet by itself. It could be safely consumed by those with type 2 diabetes.