What kind of vegetable is sweet potato? Its beneficial properties and uses

The sweet potato is a remarkable fruit, often compared to the familiar potato. However, the similarities are limited to appearance, while the taste, nutritional value, and calorie content of the sweet potato are quite different.

Sweet Potato: What Kind of Vegetable Is It?

Sweet potato is a tuberous plant of the genus Ipomoea, part of the Convolvulaceae family. Sweet potato is a valuable forage crop.

A bit of history

Sweet potatoes have been cultivated since the Aztec era. Back then, the root vegetable was called "camotli" and was eaten raw, boiled, and fried.

The sweet potato's native land is South America. Some scientists have other theories, believing that the crop originated in the tropical climates of Brazil or Mexico. Sweet potatoes became popular in America and have since spread throughout the world.

Sweet potatoes are mentioned in Polynesia, New Zealand, the West Indies, and Easter Island. The vegetable was introduced to Europe by the Spanish, and then spread to the Mediterranean and eventually to Asian countries.

Botanical description of the plant

All parts of the sweet potato are used in a variety of dishes. The vegetable has long tubers, reaching up to 30 cm. The root vegetable is characterized by tender, juicy, meaty flesh with a thin skin.

The tubers can be round or spindle-shaped. Sweet potatoes can have a bland or very sweet flavor. The flesh can be soft and juicy or dry and hard. When broken, a milky juice will ooze from the tubers. The tubers have no eyes, and sprouts develop from hidden buds.

The plant's flowers develop from the leaf axils and feature a large, funnel-shaped corolla, colored white, pink, or pale pink. The leaves are lobed, palmate, or heart-shaped, with predominantly long petioles. The foliage is bright green.

The composition of tubers can vary depending on care, growing conditions, and variety, which significantly affects their taste. For example, yellow and orange varieties contain more carotene, while purple and lilac varieties contain more anthocyanins (which have antioxidant properties).

Beneficial properties and possible harm

Sweet potatoes possess numerous healing properties due to their chemical composition. Regular consumption of this healthy and nutritious vegetable will provide the body with vitamins and minerals and help relieve certain ailments.

What are the benefits of sweet potatoes?

• Sweet potatoes contain carotene, which is essential for youth and beauty. Collagen helps fight wrinkles and improves skin condition. Eating sweet potatoes guarantees excellent rejuvenation results.
• Sweet potatoes are rich in potassium, which helps combat depression. Any stress causes potassium loss, and eating sweet potatoes will replenish the body with this essential nutrient. They are considered a mild herbal antidepressant, helping you forget about fatigue and irritability.
• Experts recommend sweet potatoes for people prone to high blood pressure. They are considered a good preventative for high cholesterol.
• Consuming this vegetable reduces the risk of developing and maintaining joint diseases. Sweet potatoes have properties that help reduce brain and muscle inflammation.
• Sweet potato is a very healthy food for diabetics because it has a low glycemic index, meaning it is harmless.
• The fruit promotes normal digestion. Sweet potatoes contain dietary fiber, which helps prevent bowel problems. They also reduce pain associated with gastritis and ulcers.
• This vegetable is beneficial for those looking to build muscle mass. Most athletes include it in their diets to achieve optimal results.
• Sweet potatoes have a beneficial effect on smokers. Regular smoking depletes the body of vitamin A. Eating sweet potatoes helps replenish this vitamin.

Sweet potatoes have a higher nutritional value than regular potatoes. 100 grams of sweet potatoes contain 16 grams of carbohydrates with 77 kcal. 100 grams of sweet potatoes contain only 13 grams of carbohydrates with 60 kcal.

Experts believe sweet potatoes are a healthier option because they contain a lot of starch, which can negatively impact your figure. However, both root vegetables have beneficial properties.

Sweet potatoes are not only eaten as food but also used to make medicinal infusions. Any medicinal remedy has certain contraindications. Tinctures and powder made from the raw root should not be consumed by those with ulcerative colitis or during pregnancy.

Regularly eating large amounts of sweet potatoes can lead to kidney stones. Therefore, moderation is essential, as the root vegetable does have some potential for harm.

Features of application

Sweet potatoes are widely used in cooking. They are also used in cosmetics and various medicinal preparations.

All parts of the sweet potato are used as livestock feed, and sweet potato starch in the form of mucilaginous extracts has gained popularity in medicine as an enveloping and emollient agent.

In South America, fabric dye is made from sweet potato juice mixed with lime juice. With the right proportions of juice, you can achieve any shade, from pink to black.

Culinary masterpieces

Sweet potatoes can be fried, boiled, baked, added to porridge, or eaten raw. Young sweet potato leaves and stems, after boiling or soaking, are used in salads. The vegetable can be used to make soufflés, chips, jam, marshmallows, and other various dishes.

Cooked sweet potatoes taste somewhat like a sweet, frozen potato. When eaten raw, they resemble carrots in both color and flavor. Roasted sweet potatoes taste similar to pumpkin, prepared in the same way.

Frittata

Frittata is a unique dish. It's scrambled eggs with vegetables. It's the perfect breakfast option.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• eggs – 4 pcs.;
• sweet potato – 1 pc.;
• milk – to taste;
• herbs, spices, salt – to taste;
• leek – 1 pc.

Preparation:

1. Cut the sweet potato into small cubes and the leek into rings.
2. Fry the vegetables in vegetable oil or bake them in the oven. The sweet potato should be soft and the onion crispy.
3. Pour the egg and milk mixture over the prepared vegetables.
4. Preheat oven to 200 ºC.
5. Bake for 15 minutes.

Delicious sandwiches

A very easy recipe that will require a minimum amount of ingredients and a little free time.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• sweet potato – 2 pcs.;
• cherry tomatoes – 5 pcs.;
• garlic – 4 small cloves;
• avocado – 1 pc.;
• arugula – to taste;
• olive oil – 1 tbsp.

Preparation:

1. Wash the sweet potato and cut it. Brush the halves with olive oil.
2. Preheat oven to 180 ºC.
3. Place the sweet potato in the oven for 20 minutes.
4. Sauté the garlic, cherry tomatoes, and arugula in olive oil. This process takes a few minutes.
5. Mash the avocado with a fork, add salt and spices.
6. Top the baked sweet potatoes with avocado mousse and vegetables. Serve warm.

The mashed potatoes are sweeter than regular potatoes.

Sweet potato mash is just as delicious as regular potato mash. It requires just three ingredients: 500 g sweet potato, 1 tbsp mozzarella, and salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. Wash the sweet potato and peel it.
2. Cut the fruit into small pieces.
3. Pour in a small amount of hot water and boil until soft.
4. Drain the water, reserving some for later use.
5. Add thinly sliced ​​mozzarella to the dish, add salt and mash into a puree.
6. If it turns out too thick, add some of the water in which the sweet potato was cooked.

Sweet potato chips

Sweet potato chips are delicious and crispy. To make them, you'll need sweet potatoes, vegetable oil, salt, pepper, and cinnamon.

Thinly slice the sweet potatoes, place them on a baking sheet, and drizzle with oil, salt, pepper, and a little cinnamon. Bake the chips in a preheated oven at 200ºC (400ºF) for about 15-20 minutes on each side.

Sweet Potato Fritters

Pancakes are very easy to make. Instead of the usual dish, try sweet potato pancakes – they're delicious and filling.

Products:

• sweet potato – 600 g;
• flour – 150 g;
• cream – 300 ml;
• eggs – 3 pcs.;
• baking powder – 10 g;
• vegetable oil – 2 tbsp.

Preparation:

1. Mix eggs, cream, salt, baking powder and flour in a deep bowl.
2. Grate the sweet potato finely and add to the bowl. Mix well.
3. Use the prepared mixture to bake pancakes.
4. Place the mixture on a well-heated frying pan and fry on both sides for several minutes.

Sweet potato and pumpkin soup

Many people enjoy first courses. Sweet potato soup with pumpkin is a very light yet nutritious dish that improves digestive health.

Products:

• vegetable broth – 1 l;
• sweet potato – 500 g;
• pumpkin – 500 g;
• lentils – 40 g;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• olive oil – 1 tbsp;
• salt, pepper, spices – to taste.

Preparation:

1. Take a deep frying pan.
2. Finely chop the onion and fry it a little in oil.
3. Add finely diced sweet potato and pumpkin, lentils, spices, and salt. Cook for five minutes, stirring.
4. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover the pan and let simmer for 40-50 minutes.
5. Blend the prepared soup with a blender.

Proper storage

After harvesting, sweet potatoes are best stored in wooden or plastic containers. Ideally, they should be filled with a sand mixture, sawdust, or straw. Some gardeners recommend wrapping each fruit in paper.

Sweet potatoes should be stored in a room where the temperature is between 13ºC and 16ºC. If the temperature is lower, the fruits may spoil and rot. High temperatures are equally dangerous, as the tubers may sprout.

Frequently asked questions

Many people have various questions about whether sweet potatoes are safe for children, pets, and people with diabetes. Let's take a closer look.

Is sweet potato allowed when dieting and having diabetes?

There are no restrictions on sweet potato consumption. Those on a diet or with diabetes don't need to exclude sweet potatoes from their diet. However, this depends on how the dish is prepared and the quantity consumed.

People with type 2 diabetes don't need to worry about sweet potato consumption at all. However, people with type 1 diabetes need to monitor their carbohydrate intake and insulin dosage.

People watching their blood sugar levels are advised to boil sweet potatoes to reduce the starch content, as starch is a form of glucose in certain compounds. This causes the carbohydrates to dissolve in the liquid. Sweet potatoes, therefore, do not raise blood sugar levels.

Is it okay to feed sweet potatoes to children?

Sweet potatoes are safe to feed to children, starting with their first solid foods. There are no restrictions. Do not include this product in the diet if you have an individual intolerance.

Can you feed sweet potatoes to animals?

Feeding sweet potatoes to other animals is acceptable. It depends entirely on the pet's individual diet. Sweet potatoes contain many microelements, vitamins, and fiber.

Interesting facts

This unique exotic vegetable is valued not only for its richness in valuable nutrients, but also for its unique characteristics.

There are several interesting facts about the root vegetable:

1. Sweet potatoes contain the female hormone progesterone. It increases libido in beautiful women. This is why they can safely be called an aphrodisiac.
2. This versatile product is used to produce starch, sugar, alcohol, and flour. The plant's tubers, leaves, and stems are used for this purpose.
3. Asians prefer to cook dishes from sweet potato varieties whose flesh is purple.
4. Sweet potato seeds are used to make a coffee substitute.
5. Describing the flavor of sweet potatoes in just one word is quite difficult. There are a huge number of varieties, each with its own distinct taste. Sweet potatoes can taste like pumpkin, squash, banana, or chestnut.

Sweet potatoes are a unique fruit, characterized by a sweet flavor with a pleasant aftertaste. This root vegetable is used in cooking, for medicinal purposes, and is recommended for dietary purposes. It has many unique qualities that are prized by gourmets.

Frequently Asked Questions