Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Swooning for Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potato casserole, sweet potato pie, sweet potato fries, sweet potato pancakes, sweet potato chips, just plain sweet potatoes - I love them all.  I even got some sweet potato gnocchi the other day.  It doesn't matter what it is, if it's got sweet potatoes in it chances are I'll like it.  And no, that doesn't include sweet potato poo or any other disgusting thing with sweet potato in it, but you know what I mean.

9 varieties of sweet potatoes, Source: N.C. Sweet Potato Commission

Even though sweet potatoes are native to South America, China is now the world's largest supplier at 80%, growing over 100 varieties. The sweet potato has been domesticated for over 5000 years and is a staple in many Pacific island nations, as well as several countries in Africa.  In Korea, U.S. pizza chains like Pizza Hut and Domino's offer it as pizza topping.  Sweet potato pizza!  Now that's one thing I haven't tried.  Looks good, doesn't it?

Source: Rice of Life

Sweet potatoes are one of the most nutritional vegetables you can eat and is high in beta carotene, Vitamin C, pantothenic acid, and B6, as well as providing a good source of fiber and complex carbohydrates.  Nutritional AND tastes good?  What more could you possibly want from a vegetable?

Source:  parade.com

As a vegetarian, whenever I'm invited for dinner, people always fret about what they're going to feed me.  Just feed me sweet potatoes and I'll be happy as a clam!

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