The sweet potato is the 6th main world food crop and 90 percent of the world’s crop is grown in Asia.- The sweet potato is not even remotely related to the yam. The yam is related to grasses. The sweet potato is related to the morning glories.
- The raw sweet potatoes are packed with several nutrients: calcium (30 milligrams), potassium (337 milligrams), vitamins A (709 grams) and C 92.4 milligrams), beta-carotene (8509 grams), magnesium (25 milligrams),
- There are 2 types of sweet potatoes: the pale yellow with dry flesh and the dark orange with the plumper in shape and sweeter than the yellow type.
- There is an annual three-day festival in Benton, Kentucky that is devoted to sweet potatoes. It is called the “The Tater Day Festival“. The festival is held on the first Monday in April.
- Oprah Winfrey promotes eating more sweet potatoes for its health benefits and their importance in traditional Southern cuisine.
- Sweet potatoes make great “fries”. Just substitute them for your white potatoes when you have a craving for French-fries.
- In China, sweet potatoes, usually the yellow variety is baked in a large iron drum and sold by street vendors, during the winter.
- Pizza restaurants such as Pizza Hut and Dominoes offer sweet potatoes, as they are a popular topping in Korea.
- Companies in the United States and around the world are creating alcohol fuel from sweet potatoes.
For more information on Sweet Potatoes see Sweet Potato website.
