Many
families have their own Thanksgiving favorites, and my family enjoys
having glazed sweet potatoes as part of our holiday meal. These
bright orange tuberous vegetables are a staple around the world, and
are available at this Thursday's Pathfinder Produce market at the
Village Commons from 2 to 5 p.m. Thanksgiving is next week,
November 28, so please stock up on your fresh fruit and vegetable
items, as our market staff will be home enjoying the holiday.
Thanksgiving
this year coincides with Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, an
occurrence that won't happen again for 79,043 years. (The last
time it happened was 1888). There have been many clever jokes
and visual puns, all in the sense of fun, about Thanksgivukkah.
This week's recipe, sweet potato latkes, is our light hearted
contribution to the seasonal humor.
Sweet
potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) belong to the plant family Convolvulaceae,
and is only distantly related to the regular potato (Solanum
tuberosum). Although sweet potatoes are sometimes called yams
in the U.S., the two are botanically distinct. The sweet potato
plant is a vine, and is related to varieties of ornamental morning
glories.
Botanists
believe that sweet potatoes were domesticated more than 10,000 years
ago in Central or South America. It is also speculated that
sweet potatoes were transferred to Polynesia between 700 to 1000 AD
by ancient mariners, who most likely propagated the plants using vine
cuttings. The first Europeans to eat sweet potatoes were members of
Columbus' crew in 1492.
Sweet
potatoes are popular on every inhabited continent, and are considered
staples in underdeveloped countries, as they are fairly easy to
cultivate and are relatively pest-free. China is the world's
largest producer, and uses the crop as animal fodder. In the
U.S., North Carolina leads all other states, growing almost 40% of
our nation's crop.
Sweet
potatoes have been an important part of the diet in the United States
for most of its history, especially in the Southeast. From the middle
of the 20th century, however, they have become less popular, with the
average annual consumption of 3 to 4 lbs per person.
Nutritionally,
sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and
beta carotene, as well as vitamin B6, manganese and potassium.
The sweet potato was ranked highest for overall nutritional value
when compared to other vegetables in a 1990s study by the Center for
Science in the Public Interest.
Enjoy
the week, and don't forget to stock up for two weeks at Thursday's
Pathfinder Produce market!
