Veggie & Fruit Guide
Veggie & Fruit- Please select from abc list
Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes have been consumed since prehistoric times, making them
one of the oldest vegetables known to man.
The term ‘sweet potato’
is really a misnomer, because they are really as different from potatoes as
carrots are. Sweet potatoes are botanically unrelated to the Irish potato (Solanaceae
family, which includes tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and the weedy
nightshades). Irish or “white” potatoes are tubers, which are thickened
stems and are essentially carbohydrate storage reservoirs for the plant.
Sweet potatoes are a true root, and as a result contain much higher amounts
of complex carbohydrates.
The sweet potato is a large, sweet, starchy
root vegetable. The edible root is irregularly shaped, long and tapered,
with a smooth skin whose colour ranges between red, purple, brown and white.
The flesh ranges in colour from white through yellow, orange, and purple.
Seasonal Availability
Red sweet potatoes are available
all year round while white sweet potatoes are available from
April to November.
Serving Size
One medium sweet potato (80g) or ½ cup cooked
potato provides one serving of vegetables.
Description by variety
Red sweet potato
This variety has red skin and an
elongated shape. The flesh is creamy to
pale orange in colour.
White sweet potato
These are smaller than the red sweet
potato. Their flesh is yellow, drier and less rich with a fluffier
texture when cooked.
