Batata (Sweet Potato)

sept 11, 2012
ottawa city, ontario, canada

yesterday I went to produce depot and found batata (sweet potato). I like this one very much because it looks ugly in the outside, but the white flesh inside is sweet but not watery.

The North American yam - is the sweet, watery orange flesh one. it is nice, but I do not like it, it is too watery for my taste. i plant this variety to harvest the leaves for food, but if I get any tuber, I will not cook it as boiled sweet potato but add it to soups.

for those who want to know what batata looks like: I found this website:)http://www.foodsubs.com/Sweetpotatoes.html

batata - less moist but very sweet, sweet potato

" boniato = tropical sweet potato = Cuban sweet potato = white sweet potato = white-fleshed sweet potato = batiste = batata = batata dulce = camote   Notes:   Boniatos aren't as sweet and moist as other sweet potatoes, but many people prefer their fluffier consistency and more delicate flavor.  Store them at room temperature and use them soon after your purchase them, since they tend to spoil quickly.  Substitutes: sweet potato (This is sweeter and moister than a boniato.) OR yam (moister) OR russet potato  "

I put one of the tubers today in a glass of water, hoping to produce more slips. Next year, I am hoping to plant lots of sweet potato in my backyard.

The North American Yam - sweet potato looks like this one:

which was describe as: "sweet potato  Notes:   In American supermarkets, sweet potatoes are displayed next to something called "yams," which are moister than sweet potatoes and have darker skins.  But according to the rest of the world (and botanists), we have it all wrong.  To them, our  "yams" are just a variety of sweet potatoes.  They use the word yam to describe a completely different vegetable, something we call a tropical yam.   

Sweet potatoes are quite versatile, but they're most often baked, candied, or made into pies.  It's best not to boil them, as they'll lose much of their flavor.  

 Substitutes:  yams (less mealy and sweeter than sweet potato) OR boniato (less sweet and fluffier) OR mashed cooked pumpkin (especially for pies) ".

I also bought another tuber called yam: which is the true yam (Dioscorea alata). It goes by many names, but ube in my language. Not sweet, but a little bit nice texture for benignit.

Here is what it looks like and what it is called in supermarkets:

"tropical yam = true yam = greater yam = cush-cush = mapuey = yampi = namé =  name = nyami = igname   Notes:   These firm, white-fleshed yams are widely used in tropical countries.   They're somewhat bland and dry, so they're often served with spicy sauces.   Substitutes: sweet potato   ". 

So these were my finds yesterday, and do not be surprise if you find them growing in my backyard next year.