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Lore and Myth of the Sweet PotatoWhen is a sweet potato a yam? A recent discussion at Darlene's Produce led me to research that earthy, humble tuber and its origins. I was amazed to discover that the true sweet potato is a member of the morning glory family, (Ipomoea batatas.) There are many different varieties, ranging from dry and starchy types common in tropical regions, some pale and others red or purple, to the moist sweet version, dark orange with beta-carotene, that is popular in the United States. It is this sweet orange version that was confusingly named a "yam" in a 1930's marketing campaign. True yams are starchy tubers of tropical plants that are related to the grasses and lily family. A dozen or so cultivated species have origins in Africa, South America, and the Pacific with varying sizes, textures, colors, and flavors. They are seldom seen in mainstream American markets, where "yam" still means a sugary orange sweet potato. Amazingly, true yams can grow to weigh 100 pounds or more, and in the South Pacific have been honored with their own little houses. They appear to have been cultivated as early as 8000 BCE in Asia. The huge yam tubers are actually storage vessels which provide their plants with water and food during a drought. For that reason they have a longer pantry life than most other tubers. Sweet potato pies….sweet potato soufflés…casseroles…pones….puddings, and puffs: What a glorious array, enough to sate the appetite and warm the cockles of many a mountain heart. And all the result of our American sweet potato, which, when roasted in a Dutch oven, as one mountain writer rhapsodized, would release its sweet juices, "covering the soft potato in a thick syrup as rich and tasty as maple syrup." We planted and harvested an abundance of the lighter, more golden variety of sweet potato on the farm in West Virginia. The newly harvested tubers would be air cured for a few weeks and then stored in the root cellar between layers of oat straw. Somehow Granddad managed to plant just enough to last until next year's crop came in. John Egerton, in his tome, Southern Food, declared that "sweet potatoes are to the….country cooking of the South what beans are to Boston: a signature dish of symbolic importance and great public favor." Sweet potatoes became a huge hit for the colonists mostly due to the ease of cultivation and its versatility in preparation. It is one vegetable that can be boiled, baked, whipped or souffléd and always come out a winner. My favorite sweet potato recipe, both as a child and to this day, is to boil the whole tubers until tender, split them in half lengthwise, and fry in a cast iron skillet until crusty brown and the natural sugar starts to flow and caramelize around the edges. I recently experienced a roasted sweet potato salad which was truly extraordinary. It was delivered to an event in Ashville by a caterer so I was unable to get the recipe. The potatoes had been thinly sliced, roasted and tossed with caramelized red onions with what appeared to be an orange dressing. Does anyone have a recipe for this dish or anything similar? If so, please share your recipe. Mail to me, in care of this newspaper and I will be happy to provide our readers the results in a future column. Another recent discovery for sweet potato preparation came to me from a North Georgia resident. I have since discovered several recipes for sweet potato pudding which are all derived from Tennessee and North Georgia culinary traditions. The recipes insist on using a cast iron skillet with advice to follow the instructions carefully in order to assure a crunchy, candied crust. Let me know if you have a version of this recipe in your family history and some background. SWEET POTATO PUDDING 1 and one half cups butter 1 half cup sugar 1 cup cane syrup 4 cups raw grated sweet potatoes 1 cup sweetened condensed milk 3 eggs, well beaten 1 teaspoon allspice 1 half teaspoon cloves 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup raisins (optional) Melt the butter in cast iron skillet. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Pour into the hot skillet with butter and stir until ingredients are well heated. Put into a 400 degree oven and bake. As a crust forms on sides and bottom of pan, stir back into the center. Do this several times during baking for about 45 minutes. Serve with sweet cream or a custard sauce such as crème Anglais. ` |
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