As a finger food or in a salad Healthy sweet potatoes also taste raw

Tasty and healthy: Sweet potatoes can also be eaten raw

Sweet potatoes, which are also called Batate, are now no longer found only in the vegetable counters of health food stores but also increasingly in well-stocked supermarkets. In restaurants, they are often offered as a fried side dish to hamburgers. But you can enjoy the delicious and healthy tuber in another form.

Full of important minerals and vitamins

While sweet potato has long been one of the staple foods in many parts of the world, it has often been grown here only as an ornamental plant. Meanwhile, the vegetables but as a regular "Power Food" is becoming increasingly popular. Like the traditional table potato, the potato contains important minerals such as potassium, zinc, calcium and many vitamins. "The proportions of beta-carotene and vitamin A are higher with sweet potatoes. Potatoes provide more folic acid and phosphorus, "explains Silke Noll, nutrition expert of the Consumer Center Bavaria, in a statement. The former are often processed into sweet potato fries, but you can also enjoy them in other ways.

Sweet potatoes are often offered as a fried side dish to burgers. But you can enjoy the delicious and healthy tuber in another form. (Image: karepa / fotolia.com)

Sweet potatoes are not related to potatoes

Sweet potatoes and ware potatoes look similar but are not related botanically. Both are originally from South America.

"The potato is one of the nightshades and tolerates our domestic, rather cool climate," explains the nutrition expert.

The sweet potato, however, is a wind plant and thrives best in a warm tropical climate.

Shorter cooking time

The taste of sweet potatoes is a mix of pumpkin, carrot and potato. They contain more starch and taste as the name suggests sweeter.

They can be cooked, fried, roasted, baked and mashed. The cooking time is about one third shorter.

Unlike ware potatoes, sweet potatoes can also be served raw as finger food or in lettuce.

This is how the tuber can be refined

Depending on the dish, the tuber can be refined with a little salt, coriander, ginger, coconut oil, chili or a few lime splashes. Incidentally, the same applies to potatos as to the conventional potato: the shell can be eaten along with it.

When shopping, make sure that sweet potatoes do not have wet or soft spots. This could be an indication of germs. Small to medium-sized tubers are usually tender, thick rather fibrous.

Sweet potatoes should not be stored in the refrigerator, but at room temperature in an airy-dry, light-protected place. When stored optimally, they will last at least two to three weeks. (Ad)