A Sweet Staple of the Holidays With a Lot of History

Home gardens have traditionally been a reflection of the region’s cultural preferences for fruit and vegetables. Initially the weather and local environment greatly influenced the choice of selections available, but even in the early 21^st century the vestiges of past favorites remain as many of the most popular choices for home production.

After all, if a grandparent has a good Thanksgiving recipe which turned into a family culinary tradition and a tasty connection to the past, the key ingredients had to be locally available.

It might be difficult for members of the millennial generation to believe, but the multitude of autumn and winter grocery selections available today were only a wish a century ago.

One of the home garden staples with a long-standing reputation for high yield and many flavorful uses is the sweet potato. This earth-toned tuber is the basis for traditional side dishes and desserts, and has been resurrected as a new age health food.

Ipomoea batatas, as sweet potatoes are botanically known, is native to the western hemisphere. Archeological evidence indicates they have been cultivated and eaten for at least 5,000 years in the tropical regions of Central and South America.

The similarity between sweet potatoes and morning glory flowers is easy to see. Both plants are vines, but only sweet potatoes produce the popular root crop

Their closest horticultural relative is the morning glory, several of which are native to panhandle Florida. One look at the trumpet shaped bloom quickly reveals a striking similarity between the two.

Curiously, the sweet potato is only a distant relative to the potato (Solanum tuberosum) even though both were domesticated in the same region at about the same point in history.

The simple storage requirements and long shelf life made the sweet potato an ideal candidate for travel food before high-speed transportation. When the first Spanish conquistadors arrived in the New World, the sweet potato had already been carried to the Far East.

While there is scant archeological evidence, it is generally believed the sweet potato was carried to the western Pacific islands by seafaring Polynesians about 1,300 years ago. From there they went on to China, Japan, the Philippines and Korea.

All the while this high volume foodstuff with excellent storage properties continued to be used in its home range. With the arrival of the Spanish and Portuguese, this root crop was relocated to new locales in the west.

While most garden vegetables are grown from seeds and to a lesser degree transplants, sweet potatoes are propagated from “eyes” on its tuberous root. These eyes are actually buds from which future generations are able to sprout.

When preparing a growing bed next spring, the soil should be loose and non-compacted with ample organic matter. Additionally, the soil should be well drained so the roots do not remain in saturated dirt which promotes rot and fungal diseases.

There are many cultivars which have been selectively bred the world over based on local preferences. While similar, they will have a different shade to the tuber’s flesh, taste and texture.

Even sweet potatoes purchased at the supermarket will sprout, under the right conditions. Some will grow well in north Florida, and others not so well.

So, whether enjoying baked sweet potatoes, sweet potato fries, or sweet potato pie at Thanksgiving dinner, just know this tasty tuber has fed folks for many millennia.