Concept in Definition ABC

The sweet potato is a tuber originating from Latin America and there are more than 500 different species. Its sowing is normally carried out between the months of April and June in warm areas. There are three main varieties: white, yellow, and orange. Before your storage it is necessary that this tuber be cured to a temperature 30 degrees. Its scientific name is Ipomoea batatas.

As for its popular name, several terms are used: sweet potato, bataca, sweet potato, sweet potato, moniato or sweet potato.

Main nutritional and healing properties

It contains large amounts of starch, fibers, minerals, and vitamins. Its characteristic sweet taste is due to three substances: fructose, glucose and sucrose.

Its properties vary depending on the color of the pulp or the place where it is planted. Orange sweet potatoes are high in beta-carotene, a substance which promotes vision because it has vitamin A. This food also contains a high content of cotoferol, a vitamin that helps the prevention cancer.

His consumption It favors the condition of the skin, since the magnesium in this tuber helps to generate hyaluronic acid in the body. By containing antioxidants, this food can be useful to prevent the disease Alzheimer's and cardiovascular diseases. Its high level of glucose makes it advantageous to enhance intellectual concentration.

According to some research, the sweet potato has medicinal properties that can be beneficial to fight migraines, heal wounds or stop psoriasis. It has been shown to be effective against cholesterol and hypertension.

Ideas for the kitchen

The gastronomic possibilities of this tuber are practically unlimited. With sweet potatoes you can make puree, fritters, porridges, cook it in the oven, as an element for salads, in the form of potatoes, as an ingredient for soup or cook it on the grill. Although there are many ways to prepare it, its properties are best used after cooking and for this reason eating it raw is not advised.

In the tradition Mexican gastronomy is a highly valued product, especially as a dessert or as a food that accompanies meat.

From a historical point of view

Records of wild sweet potatoes dating back 8000 years have been found in the "Tres Windows" cave in the Peruvian region of Chilca. In its domesticated version, the oldest records are about 2,500 years old. The Mayans and the Incas were the first to domesticate this tuber.

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