Editing Sweet potato (section)

==Uses==

=== Nutrition ===
{{nutritionalvalue
| name = Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, without salt
| kJ = 378
| protein = 2.0 g
| fat = 0.15 g
| carbs = 20.7 g
| fiber = 3.3 g
| sugars = 6.5 g
| starch = 7.05 g
| calcium_mg = 38
| iron_mg = 0.69
| magnesium_mg = 27
| phosphorus_mg = 54
| potassium_mg = 475
| sodium_mg = 36
| zinc_mg = 0.32
| manganese_mg = 0.5
| vitC_mg = 19.6
| thiamin_mg = 0.11
| riboflavin_mg = 0.11
| niacin_mg = 1.5
| vitB5_mg = 0.9
| vitB6_mg = 0.29
| folate_ug = 6
| vitA_ug = 961
| betacarotene_ug = 11509
| vitE_mg = 0.71
| water = 75.8 g
| note = {{cite web |url=https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168483/nutrients |title=Sweet potato |series=USDA Database |access-date=24 March 2021 |archive-date=3 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403171801/https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168483/nutrients |url-status=dead }}
| source_usda = 1
}}
{{nutritionalvalue
| name = Raw sweet potato
| kJ = 359
| protein = 1.6 g
| fat = 0.1 g
| carbs = 20.1 g
| fiber = 3 g
| sugars = 4.2 g
| starch = 12.7 g
| calcium_mg = 30
| iron_mg = 0.61
| magnesium_mg = 25
| phosphorus_mg = 47
| potassium_mg = 337
| sodium_mg = 55
| zinc_mg = 0.3
| manganese_mg = 0.258
| vitC_mg = 2.4
| thiamin_mg = 0.078
| riboflavin_mg = 0.061
| niacin_mg = 0.557
| pantothenic_mg = 0.8
| vitB6_mg = 0.209
| folate_ug = 11
| vitA_ug = 709
| betacarotene_ug = 8509
| vitE_mg = 0.26
| water = 77.3 g
| note = {{cite web |url=https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168482/nutrients |title=Sweet potato, raw |website=USDA Database |access-date=24 March 2021 |archive-date=3 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403171801/https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168482/nutrients |url-status=dead }}
| source_usda = 1
}}

Cooked sweet potato (baked in skin) is 76% water, 21% [[carbohydrate]]s, 2% [[protein]], and contains negligible fat (table). In a 100 gram reference amount, baked sweet potato provides 90 [[calorie]]s, and rich contents (20% or more of the [[Daily Value]], DV) of [[vitamin A]] (120% DV), [[vitamin C]] (24% DV), [[manganese]] (24% DV), and [[vitamin B6]] (20% DV). It is a moderate source (10–19% DV) of some [[B vitamins]] and [[potassium]]. Between 50% and 90% of the sugar content is [[sucrose]].<ref name="pmid24426034">{{cite journal | vauthors = Lai Y, Huang C, Liao WC | title =Studies of sugar composition and starch morphology of baked sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) | journal = [[Journal of Food Science and Technology]] | volume = 58 | issue = 6 | pages = 1193–11999 | date = 2013 | pmid = 24426034 | pmc = 3791245 | doi = 10.1007/s13197-011-0453-6 }}</ref> [[Maltose]] content is very low, but baking can increase the maltose content from between 10% and 20%.<ref name="pmid24426034" />

Sweet potato cultivars with dark orange flesh have more beta-carotene (converted to a higher vitamin A content once digested) than those with light-colored flesh, and their increased cultivation is being encouraged in Africa where vitamin A deficiency is a serious health problem.<ref name="Neela">{{cite journal |last1=Neela |first1=Satheesh |last2=Fanta |first2=Solomon W. |date=17 May 2019 |title=Review on nutritional composition of orange-fleshed sweet potato and its role in management of vitamin A deficiency (Review) |journal=Food Science & Nutrition |volume=7 |issue=6 |pages=1920–1945 |doi=10.1002/fsn3.1063 |issn=2048-7177 |pmc=6593376 |pmid=31289641}}</ref> Sweet potato leaves are edible and can be prepared like [[spinach]] or [[turnip]] greens.<ref>{{cite web |last=Dyer |first=Mary H. |title=Are sweet potato leaves edible? |url=https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/sweet-potato/are-sweet-potato-leaves-edible.htm |access-date=23 April 2018 |website=Gardening Know How |series=Potato vine plant leaves |date=21 May 2015 |archive-date=23 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323102952/https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/sweet-potato/are-sweet-potato-leaves-edible.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Comparison to other food staples===
The table below presents the relative performance of sweet potato (in column)'''{{ref label|reference_name_G|G|G}}''' to other [[staple food]]s on a [[Dry matter#Dry matter basis|dry weight basis]] to account for their different water contents. While sweet potato provides less edible energy and protein per unit weight than cereals, it has higher nutrient density than cereals.<ref name="ipc1">{{cite book |author1=Scott, G. |url=http://www.cipotato.org/publications/pdf/002468.pdf |title=Roots and tubers in the global food system: A vision statement to the year 2020 |author2=Best, R. |author3=Rosegrant, M. |author4=Bokanga, M. |publisher=International Potato Center, and others |year=2000 |isbn=978-92-9060-203-3 |access-date=22 January 2012 |archive-date=10 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120710185547/http://www.cipotato.org/publications/pdf/002468.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

According to a study by the United Nations [[Food and Agriculture Organization]], sweet potatoes are the most efficient staple food to grow in terms of farmland, yielding approximately {{convert|70000|/ha||adj=pre|[[Kilocalorie|kcal]]}} / day.<ref>{{cite web |title=Roots, tubers, plantains and bananas in human nutrition |url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/t0207e/T0207E04.htm |access-date=29 October 2017 |publisher=[[Food and Agriculture Organization]] |archive-date=29 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029173241/http://www.fao.org/docrep/t0207e/T0207E04.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{Comparison of major staple foods}}

=== Culinary ===
{{more citations needed section|date=January 2016}}
The [[starch]]y tuberous roots of the sweet potato are by far the most important product of the plant. In some tropical areas, the tubers are a [[Staple food|staple food crop]]. The tuber is often cooked before consumption as this increases its nutrition and digestibility, although the American colonists in the [[Southeastern United States|Southeast]] ate raw sweet potatoes as a staple food.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Alicia|date=19 February 2019|title=Can You Eat Sweet Potato Raw?|url=https://www.enkiverywell.com/raw-sweet-potato.html|access-date=14 March 2021|website=EnkiVeryWell|language=en|archive-date=12 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412071812/https://www.enkiverywell.com/raw-sweet-potato.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The vines' tips and young leaves are edible as a [[green vegetable]] with a characteristic flavor. Older growths may be used as animal [[fodder]].<ref name="Abidin, 2004"/>

====Africa====
{{Cleanup lang|section|date=July 2023}}[[File:A seller peeling a sweet potato.jpg|thumb|A seller peeling a sweet potato in [[Ghana]]]]
''Amukeke'' (sun-dried slices of root) and ''inginyo'' (sun-dried crushed root) are a staple food for people in northeastern Uganda.<ref name="Abidin, 2004">
:{{Cite thesis |last=Abidin |first=P.E. |title=Sweetpotato breeding for northeastern Uganda: Farmer varieties, farmer-participatory selection, and stability of performance |type=PhD Thesis |page= 152 pp|year=2004 |publisher=[[Wageningen University]]|location=The Netherlands |isbn=90-8504-033-7}}
:
:Well cited including by Mwanga et al., 2010.
</ref> ''Amukeke'' is mainly served for breakfast, eaten with peanut sauce. ''Inginyo'' is mixed with cassava flour and [[tamarind]] to make ''atapa''. People eat ''atapa'' with smoked fish cooked in peanut sauce or with dried [[cowpea]] leaves cooked in peanut sauce. ''Emukaru'' (earth-baked root) is eaten as a snack anytime and is mostly served with tea or with peanut sauce. Similar uses are also found in [[South Sudan]].

The young leaves and vine tips of sweet potato leaves are widely consumed as a vegetable in West African countries (Guinea, [[Sierra Leone]] and [[Liberia]], for example), as well as in northeastern Uganda, East Africa.<ref name="Abidin, 2004"/> According to FAO leaflet No. 13 – 1990, sweet potato leaves and shoots are a good source of vitamins A, C, and B<sub>2</sub> (riboflavin), and according to research done by A. Khachatryan, are an excellent source of [[lutein]].

In [[Kenya]], Rhoda Nungo of the home economics department of the [[Ministry of Agriculture (Kenya)|Ministry of Agriculture]] has written a guide to using sweet potatoes in modern recipes.<ref>{{cite book |title=Nutritious Kenyan Sweet Potato Recipes |editor=Nungo, Rhoda A. |publisher=[[Kenya Agricultural Research Institute]] |location=[[Kakamega, Kenya]]|year=1994}}</ref> This includes uses both in the mashed form and as flour from the dried tubers to replace part of the wheat flour and sugar in baked products such as cakes, chapatis, mandazis, bread, buns and cookies. A nutritious juice drink is made from the orange-fleshed cultivars, and deep-fried snacks are also included.

In [[Egypt]], sweet potato tubers are known as {{Lang|ar-latn|batata}} ({{Lang|ar|{{Script|Arabic|بطاطا}}|rtl=yes}}) and are a common street food in winter, when street vendors with carts fitted with ovens sell them to people passing time by the [[Nile]] or the sea.<ref>{{cite news |title=The batata man |url=https://ww.egyptindependent.com/batata-man/ |access-date=15 July 2019 |publisher=Egypt Independent |date=19 October 2011 |archive-date=15 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190715111248/https://ww.egyptindependent.com/batata-man/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The cultivars used are an orange-fleshed one as well as a white/cream-fleshed one. They are also baked at home as a snack or dessert, drenched with [[honey]].

In [[Ethiopia]], the commonly found cultivars are black-skinned, cream-fleshed and called ''bitatis'' or ''mitatis''. They are cultivated in the eastern and southern lower highlands and harvested during the rainy season (June/July). In recent years,{{When|date=January 2020}} better yielding orange-fleshed cultivars were released for cultivation by [[Haramaya University]] as a less sugary sweet potato with higher vitamin A content.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Tekalign |last1=Tsegaw |first2=Nigussie |last2=Dechassa |title=Registration of Adu and Barkume: Improved sweet potato (''Ipomoea batatas'') varieties for eastern Ethiopia |journal=[[East African Journal of Sciences]] |year=2008 |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=189–191 |doi=10.4314/eajsci.v2i2.40382 |url=http://haramayajournals.org/index.php/ej/article/view/63/57 |doi-access=free |access-date=20 April 2018 |archive-date=21 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170921215339/http://haramayajournals.org/index.php/ej/article/view/63/57 |url-status=live }}{{Registration required}}</ref> Sweet potatoes are widely eaten boiled as a favored snack.

In South Africa, sweet potatoes are often eaten as a side dish such as [[soetpatats]].

====Asia====
{{further|Roasted sweet potato|Sweet potato soup}}

In East Asia, [[roasted sweet potato]]es are popular [[street food]]. In China, sweet potatoes, typically yellow cultivars, are baked in a large iron drum and sold as street food during winter. In Korea, sweet potatoes, known as {{Lang|ko-latn|goguma}}, are roasted in a drum can, baked in foil or on an open fire, typically during winter. In Japan, a dish similar to the Korean preparation is called ''[[yaki-imo]]'' (roasted sweet potato), which typically uses either the yellow-fleshed "Japanese sweet potato" or the purple-fleshed "Okinawan sweet potato", which is known as {{Lang|ja-latn|beni-imo}}.

[[Sweet potato soup]], served during winter, consists of sweet potato boiled in water with rock sugar and ginger. In [[Fujian cuisine]] and [[Taiwanese cuisine]], sweet potato is often cooked with rice to make congee. Steamed and dried sweet potato is a specialty of [[Liancheng County]]. Sweet potato greens are a common side dish in Taiwanese cuisine, often boiled or sautéed and served with a garlic and soy sauce mixture, or simply salted before serving. They, as well as dishes featuring the sweet potato root, are commonly found at [[bento]] ({{lang-zh|poj=piān-tong}}) restaurants. In [[northeastern Chinese cuisine]], sweet potatoes are often cut into chunks and fried, before being drenched into a pan of boiling syrup.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ttmeishi.com/CaiPu/2c2ec442ae902a40.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071004141104/http://www.ttmeishi.com/CaiPu/2c2ec442ae902a40.htm |archive-date=4 October 2007 |title=CaiPu |language=zh |website=ttmeishi.com}}</ref>

In some regions of India, sweet potato is roasted slowly over kitchen coals at night and eaten with some dressing, while the easier way in the south is simply boiling or [[pressure cooking]] before peeling, cubing and seasoning for a vegetable dish as part of the meal. In the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, it is known as {{Lang|ta-latn|sakkara valli kilangu}}. It is boiled and consumed as evening snack. In some parts of India, fresh sweet potato is chipped, dried and then ground into flour; this is then mixed with wheat flour and baked into ''[[Chapati|chapatti]]'' (bread). Between 15 and 20 percent of the sweet potato harvest is converted by some Indian communities into pickles and snack chips. A part of the tuber harvest is used in India as cattle fodder.<ref name=loeb2009>{{cite book|title=The sweetpotato|url=https://archive.org/details/sweetpotato00thot|url-access=limited|first1=Gad|last1=Loebenstein|first2=George|last2=Thottappilly|year=2009|pages=[https://archive.org/details/sweetpotato00thot/page/n410 391]–425|publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1-4020-9475-0}}</ref>

In [[Pakistan]], sweet potato is known as {{Lang|ur-latn|shakarqandi}} and is cooked as a vegetable dish and also with meat dishes ([[Chicken as food|chicken]], [[mutton]] or beef). The ash-roasted sweet potatoes are sold as a [[snack food|snack]] and [[street food]] in Pakistani [[bazaar]]s especially during the winter months.<ref name=Dawn>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/771928|title=Exploiting sweet potato potential|first=Mohiuddin|last=Aazim|date=17 December 2012|access-date=12 July 2019|publisher=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]|website=InpaperMagazine|archive-date=11 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711215914/https://www.dawn.com/news/771928|url-status=live}}</ref>

In Sri Lanka, it is called {{Lang|si-latn|bathala}}, and tubers are used mainly for breakfast (boiled sweet potato is commonly served with sambal or grated coconut) or as a supplementary curry dish for rice.

The tubers of this plant, known as {{Lang|dv-latn|kattala}} in [[Dhivehi language|Dhivehi]], have been used in the traditional diet of the [[Maldives]]. The leaves were finely chopped and used in dishes such as ''[[mas huni]]''.<ref>{{cite book |author-link=Xavier Romero-Frias |last=Romero-Frias |first=Xavier |year=1999 |title=The Maldive Islanders: A study of the popular culture of an ancient ocean kingdom |location=Barcelona, ES |isbn=978-84-7254-801-5}}</ref>

[[File:茨城名産の干し芋.jpg|thumb|''[[Hoshi-imo]]'', or Japanese dried sweet potatoes, a specialty of [[Ibaraki Prefecture]], drying in [[Ōarai, Ibaraki|Ōarai City]]]]
[[Japanese cuisine|In Japan]], both sweet potatoes (called [[:ja:サツマイモ|''satsuma-imo'']]) and [[Dioscorea alata|true purple yams]] (called {{Lang|ja-latn|daijo}} or {{Lang|ja-latn|beni-imo}}) are grown. Boiling, roasting and steaming are the most common cooking methods. Also, the use in vegetable [[tempura]] is common. {{Lang|ja-latn|Daigaku-imo}} ([[:ja:大学芋]]) is a baked and caramel-syruped sweet potato dessert. As it is sweet and starchy, it is used in ''[[imo-kinton]]'' and some other [[wagashi|traditional sweets]], such as ''[[ofukuimo]]''. What is commonly called "sweet potato" ([[:ja:スイートポテト]]) in Japan is a cake made by baking mashed sweet potatoes.
''[[Shōchū]]'', a Japanese spirit normally made from the fermentation of rice, can also be made from sweet potato, in which case it is called {{Lang|ja-latn|imo-jōchū}}. ''Imo-[[rice|gohan]]'', sweet potato cooked with rice, is popular in Guangdong, Taiwan and Japan. It is also served in ''[[nimono]]'' or ''[[nitsuke]]'', boiled and typically flavored with [[soy sauce]], ''[[mirin]]'' and ''[[dashi]]''.

[[File:Japchae 3.jpg|thumb|Korean ''[[japchae]]'', or stir-fried cellophane noodles made of sweet potato starch]]
In [[Korean cuisine]], sweet potato starch is used to produce {{Lang|ko-latn|dangmyeon}} ([[cellophane noodles]]). Sweet potatoes are also boiled, steamed, or roasted, and young stems are eaten as ''[[namul]]''. Pizza restaurants such as Pizza Hut and Domino's in Korea are using sweet potatoes as a popular topping. Sweet potatoes are also used in the distillation of a variety of Soju. A popular Korean side dish or snack, {{Lang|ko-latn|goguma-mattang}}, also known as Korean candied sweet potato, is made by deep-frying sweet potatoes that were cut into big chunks and coating them with caramelized sugar.

In [[Malaysia]] and Singapore, sweet potato is often cut into small cubes and cooked with [[Colocasia esculenta|taro]] and coconut milk ({{Lang|zsm|santan}}) to make a sweet dessert called ''[[bubur cha cha]]''. A favorite way of cooking sweet potato is deep-frying slices of sweet potato in batter, served as a tea-time snack. In homes, sweet potatoes are usually boiled. The leaves of sweet potatoes are usually stir-fried with only garlic or with {{Lang|zsm|sambal belacan}} and dried shrimp by Malaysians.

In the [[Philippines]], sweet potatoes (locally known as {{Lang|fil|camote}} or {{Lang|fil|kamote}}) are an important food crop in rural areas. They are often a staple among impoverished families in provinces, as they are easier to cultivate and cost less than rice.<ref name="manilatimes"/> The tubers are boiled or baked in coals and may be dipped in sugar or syrup. Young leaves and shoots (locally known as {{Lang|fil|talbos ng kamote}} or ''{{Lang|fil|camote}}'' tops) are eaten fresh in salads with [[shrimp paste]] ({{Lang|fil|bagoong alamang}}) or [[fish sauce]]. They can be cooked in vinegar and soy sauce and served with fried fish (a dish known as {{Lang|fil|adobong talbos ng kamote}}), or with recipes such as ''[[sinigang]]''.<ref name="manilatimes">{{cite web|url=http://archives.manilatimes.net/national/2008/mar/16/yehey/opinion/20080316opi1.html|title=Fusion kamote|date=16 March 2008|newspaper=[[The Manila Times]] (The Sunday Times) Editorials|access-date=20 February 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723201951/http://archives.manilatimes.net/national/2008/mar/16/yehey/opinion/20080316opi1.html|archive-date=23 July 2011}}</ref> The stew obtained from boiling ''{{Lang|fil|camote}}'' tops is purple-colored, and is often mixed with lemon as juice. Sweet potatoes are also sold as street food in suburban and rural areas. Fried sweet potatoes coated with caramelized sugar and served in skewers (''[[camote cue]]'') or as French fries are popular afternoon snacks.<ref name="sunstarph">{{cite web|url=http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/feature/elections-and-banana-cue|title=Elections and banana cue|author=Nicole J. Managbanag|newspaper=[[Sun.Star]]|date=25 October 2010|publisher=sunstar.com.ph/|access-date=20 February 2011|archive-date=7 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110107140211/http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/feature/elections-and-banana-cue|url-status=dead}}</ref> Sweet potatoes are also used in a variant of ''[[halo-halo]]'' called {{Lang|fil|ginatan}}, where they are cooked in coconut milk and sugar and mixed with a variety of rootcrops, [[sago]], [[jackfruit]], and {{Lang|fil|bilu-bilo}} ([[glutinous rice]] balls).<ref name="inq7">{{cite web |url=http://ruby.inquirer.net/specialfeatures/paskongpinoy2005/articles/120205/wine_2.php |title=A recipe that supported a brood of 12 |author=Daluz, Susan G. |year=2005 |newspaper=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|agency=Inquirer News Service |publisher=INQ7 Interactive, Inc. an Inquirer and GMA Network Company |access-date=20 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723154932/http://ruby.inquirer.net/specialfeatures/paskongpinoy2005/articles/120205/wine_2.php |archive-date=23 July 2011 }}</ref> Bread made from sweet potato flour is also gaining popularity. Sweet potato is relatively easy to propagate, and in rural areas can be seen abundantly at canals and dikes. The uncultivated plant is usually fed to pigs.

In [[Indonesia]], sweet potatoes are locally known as {{Lang|id|ubi jalar}} (lit: "spreading tuber") or simply {{Lang|id|ubi}} and are frequently fried with batter and served as snacks with spicy condiments, along with other kinds of fritters such as fried bananas, tempeh, [[Tahu goreng|tahu]], breadfruit, or cassava. In the mountainous regions of [[West Papua (region)|West Papua]], sweet potatoes are the staple food among the natives there. Using the {{Lang|id|bakar batu}} method of cooking, rocks that have been burned in a nearby bonfire are thrown into a pit lined with leaves. Layers of sweet potatoes, an assortment of vegetables, and pork are piled on top of the rocks. The top of the pile then is insulated with more leaves, creating a pressure of heat and steam inside which cooks all food within the pile after several hours.

In [[Vietnamese cuisine]] sweet potatoes are known as {{Lang|vi|khoai lang}} and they are commonly cooked with a sweetener such as [[corn syrup]], [[honey]], sugar, or [[molasses]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Bác sĩ Nguyễn Ý Đức |title=Dinh dưỡng và thực phẩm |publisher=Tủ sách Rộng mở tâm hồn |language=vi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LsU9WOMU6LAC&pg=PA212 |access-date=19 March 2023 |archive-date=22 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422012028/https://books.google.com/books?id=LsU9WOMU6LAC&pg=PA212 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Young sweet potato leaves are also used as [[baby food]], particularly in Southeast Asia and East Asia.<ref name="faosweetpotato">{{cite journal |department=[[South Pacific Commission]] |id=Leaflet No. 13 |title=Sweet Potato |journal=South Pacific Foods |publisher=[[Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations]] |year=1990 |issn=1018-0966 |url=http://www.fao.org/wairdocs/x5425e/x5425e0d.htm |access-date=22 July 2012 |archive-date=17 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217125322/http://www.fao.org/WAIRdocs/x5425e/x5425e0d.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="dost">{{cite web |url=http://www.fnri.dost.gov.ph/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=49 |title=10 Best Foods for Babies |author1=Ma, Idelia |author2=Glorioso, G. |date=January–December 2003 |department=Food and Nutrition Research Institute |publisher=[[Department of Science and Technology (Philippines)|Department of Science and Technology]], Republic of the Philippines |access-date=22 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130527133110/http://www.fnri.dost.gov.ph/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=49 |archive-date=27 May 2013 }}</ref> Mashed sweet potato tubers are used similarly throughout the world.<ref name="emb">{{cite book |editor1=Ember, Carol R. |editor2=Ember, Melvin |title=Encyclopedia of Medical Anthropology |article=Cultures |publisher=Springer |year=2004 |page=596 |isbn=9780306477546 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nrMRezmNrPcC&q=sweet%20potato%20leaves%20baby%20food&pg=PA596 |access-date=6 October 2020 |archive-date=24 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324172708/https://books.google.com/books?id=nrMRezmNrPcC&q=sweet%20potato%20leaves%20baby%20food&pg=PA596#v=onepage&q=sweet%20potato%20leaves%20baby%20food&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref>

<gallery widths="200" heights="200">
File:Jjin-goguma.jpg|{{Lang|ko-latn|Jjin-goguma}} (steamed sweet potatoes)
File:Gungoguma (roasted sweet potatoes) 2.jpg|{{Lang|ko-latn|Gungoguma}}, roasted sweet potatoes
File:Gungoguma drum can (sweet potato roaster) 2.jpg|"{{Lang|ko-latn|Gungoguma}} drum" for roasting sweet potatoes
File:Goguma-mattang.jpg|{{Lang|ko-latn|Goguma-mattang}} (candied sweet potatoes)
File:Sweet from Sweet Potato.jpg|Fried, sweetened sweet potato, India
File:Sweet potato flaky pastry.jpg|Taiwanese pastry
File:Shochu 001.jpg|upright|''[[Shōchū|Imo Jōchū]]'' (Japanese spirits made with sweet potato)
File:HK KTD 觀塘區 Kwun Tong Sau Mau Ping 安泰邨 On Tai Estate shop 名舫酒家 Famous Restaurant food Sweet potato soup January 2022 Px3 03.jpg|Chinese [[sweet potato soup]], popular during the winter
File:Camote tops (talbos ng kamote).jpg|{{Lang|fil|Camote}} tops, a Philippine [[salad]] made from young sweet potato leaves ({{Lang|fil|talbos ng kamote}})
</gallery>

====United States====
[[File:Veggie burger flickr user bandita creative commons.jpg|thumb|Sweet potato fries with a vegetarian burger]]

Candied sweet potatoes are a side dish consisting mainly of sweet potatoes prepared with [[brown sugar]], [[marshmallow]]s, [[maple syrup]], [[molasses]], [[orange juice]], ''[[marron glacé]]'', or other sweet ingredients. It is often served in the US on [[Thanksgiving]]. Sweet potato [[casserole]] is a side dish of mashed sweet potatoes in a casserole dish, topped with a brown sugar and pecan topping.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://southernfood.about.com/od/sidedishcasseroles/r/bl90911u.htm |title=Sweet potato casserole recipe with crunchy pecan topping |author=Diana Rattray |work=About.com |department=Southern Food |access-date=26 November 2010 |archive-date=16 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101116004202/http://southernfood.about.com/od/sidedishcasseroles/r/bl90911u.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The sweet potato became a favorite food item of the French and Spanish settlers, thus beginning a long history of cultivation in Louisiana.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yambilee.com/content/view/12/26/ |title=History of the Louisiana Yambilee |website=Yambilee.com |access-date=14 April 2008 |archive-date=13 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513140217/http://www.yambilee.com/content/view/12/26/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Sweet potatoes are recognized as the [[state vegetable]] of [[Alabama]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Ivey OKs Naming Sweet Potato as Alabama's State Vegetable |publisher=[[usnews.com]] |date=17 April 2021 |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/alabama/articles/2021-04-17/ivey-oks-naming-sweet-potato-as-alabamas-state-vegetable |access-date=20 April 2021 |archive-date=20 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420110134/https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/alabama/articles/2021-04-17/ivey-oks-naming-sweet-potato-as-alabamas-state-vegetable |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Louisiana]],<ref>{{cite web |title=RS 49:170.11 |work=Revised Statutes |publisher=Louisiana State Legislature |url=https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=181346 |access-date=28 July 2018 |archive-date=28 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180728221322/https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=181346 |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[North Carolina]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/pubsweb/symbols/sy-sweet.htm |title=Sweet Potato – North Carolina State Vegetable |publisher=State of North Carolina |access-date=17 February 2014 |archive-date=22 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422140045/http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/pubsweb/symbols/sy-sweet.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Sweet potato pie]] is also a traditional favorite dish in [[Cuisine of the Southern United States|Southern U.S. cuisine]]. Another variation on the typical sweet potato pie is the [[Purple sweet potato haupia pie|Okinawan sweet potato haupia pie]], which is made with purple sweet potatoes.

[[File:McDonald's sweet potato fries.jpg|thumb|right|Sweet potato fries served at a [[McDonald's]] restaurant]]

The fried sweet potatoes tradition dates to the early nineteenth century in the United States.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=https://hearttohearthcookery.wordpress.com/2011/10/02/sweet-potato-fries-are-not-new/ |title=Sweet potato fries are not new |date=October 2011 |website=hearttoearthcookery.com |publisher=Historical Society of York County, Pennsylvania |last=McLellan Plaisted |first=S. |access-date=3 May 2018 |archive-date=4 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504012759/https://hearttohearthcookery.wordpress.com/2011/10/02/sweet-potato-fries-are-not-new/ |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable ([[WP:NOTRS]]).|date=March 2024}} Sweet potato fries or chips are a common preparation and are made by [[julienning]] and [[deep-frying]] sweet potatoes in the fashion of [[French fried potatoes]]. Roasting sliced or chopped sweet potatoes lightly coated in animal or vegetable oil at high heat became common in the United States at the start of the 21st century, a dish called "sweet potato fries". Sweet potato mash is served as a side dish, often at [[Thanksgiving dinner]] or with [[Barbecue#American South|barbecue]].

John Bettencourt Avila is called the "father of the sweet potato industry" in North America.<ref>{{cite book |last=Johns |first=Stephanie Bernardo |date=1981 |title=The Ethnic Almanac |publisher=Doubleday |isbn=9780385141437 |page=373}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Hook |first=Julius Nicholas |date=1983 |title=Family Names: The Origins, Meanings, Mutations, and History of More Than 2,800 American Names |publisher=Collier |isbn=9780020800002 |page=178}}</ref>

====Oceania====
{{See also|Māori cuisine|Sweet potato cultivation in Polynesia}}

[[Māori people|Māori]] grew several varieties of small, yellow-skinned, finger-sized kūmara (with names including {{lang|mi|taputini}},<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.openpolytechnic.ac.nz/assets/Marketing/Research/Current-working-papers/MaoriKumara.pdf |title=A guide to growing pre-European Māori kumara |author=Burtenshaw, M. |year=2009 |publisher=[[The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand]] |access-date=17 February 2011 |archive-date=22 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522094638/http://openpolytechnic.ac.nz/assets/Marketing/Research/Current-working-papers/MaoriKumara.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> {{lang|mi|taroamahoe}}, {{lang|mi|pehu}}, {{lang|mi|hutihuti}}, and {{lang|mi|rekamaroa}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document//Volume_56_1947/Volume_56,_No._4/Original_kumara,_by_Enid_Tapsell,_p_325-332/p1 |title=Original Kumara |first=Enid |last=Tapsell |year=1947 |work=TJPS |volume=56 |issue=4 |pages=325–332 |access-date=17 February 2011 |archive-date=24 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724191414/http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document//Volume_56_1947/Volume_56,_No._4/Original_kumara,_by_Enid_Tapsell,_p_325-332/p1 |url-status=dead }}</ref>) that they had brought with them from east [[Polynesia]]. Modern trials have shown that these smaller varieties were capable of producing well,<ref name="Stuff.co.nz_2371731">{{cite news |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/2371731/Heritage-kumara-shows-its-worth |title=Heritage kumara shows its worth |author=Wilson, Dee |date=29 April 2009 |work=[[The Marlborough Express]] |access-date=15 November 2011 |archive-date=14 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614131642/http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/2371731/Heritage-kumara-shows-its-worth |url-status=live }}</ref> but when [[American whalers]], sealers and trading vessels introduced larger cultivars in the early 19th century, they quickly predominated.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thegrower.co.nz/article_view.php?aid=263 |title=Waitangi tribunal and the kumara claim |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724194448/http://www.thegrower.co.nz/article_view.php?aid=263 |archive-date=24 July 2011 |newspaper=The Grower |publisher=[[Horticulture New Zealand]]}}</ref><ref name="NZ_Herald_10421870">{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/agriculture/news/article.cfm?c_id=16&objectid=10421870 |title=Kumara claim becomes hot potato |author=Stokes, Jon |date=1 February 2007 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |access-date=15 November 2011 |archive-date=22 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120122075430/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/agriculture/news/article.cfm?c_id=16&objectid=10421870 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="NZ_Herald_10422951">{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10422951 |title=DNA analysis expected to solve kumara row |date=8 February 2007 |agency=[[NZPA]] |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |access-date=15 November 2011 |archive-date=30 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120130142635/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10422951 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia | url= http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/kumara | title= Kumara | encyclopedia= An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand | editor= A. H. McLintock | orig-date= 1966 | date= 2005 | isbn= 978-0-478-18451-8 | first= Douglas Ernest | last= Yen | access-date= 11 February 2011 | archive-date= 25 April 2013 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130425070347/http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/kumara | url-status= live }}</ref>

Prior to 2021, archaeologists believed that the sweet potato failed to flourish in New Zealand south of [[Christchurch]] due to the colder climate, forcing Māori in those latitudes to become (along with the [[Moriori]] of the [[Chatham Islands]]) the only Polynesian people who subsisted solely on [[Hunter-gatherer|hunting and gathering]]. However, a 2021 analysis of material excavated from a site near [[Dunedin]], some {{cvt|250|km|mi}} further south, revealed that sweet potatoes were grown and stored there during the 15th century, before the industry was disrupted by factors speculated to be due to the [[Little Ice Age]].<ref name="plos" />

Māori traditionally cooked kūmara in a [[hāngī]] ([[earth oven]]). This is still a common practice when there are large gatherings on [[marae]].

In 1947, black rot (''[[Ceratocystis fimbriata]]'') appeared in kūmara around Auckland and increased in severity through the 1950s.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Slade |first1=D. A. |title=Black rot an important disease of Kumaras |journal=New Zealand Journal of Agriculture |date=1960 |volume=100 |issue=4 }}</ref> A disease-free strain was developed by [[Joe Gock|Joe]] and [[Fay Gock]]. They gave the strain to the nation, earning them the Bledisloe Cup in 2013.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Loren |first1=Anna |title=Bledisloe Cup for service to horticulture |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/manukau-courier/9012161/Bledisloe-Cup-for-service-to-horticulture |access-date=24 December 2018 |work=[[Manukau Courier]] |date=8 August 2013 |archive-date=25 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225031119/http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/manukau-courier/9012161/Bledisloe-Cup-for-service-to-horticulture |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/loading-docs-how-mr-and-mrs-gock-saved-the-kumara-2016 | title=Loading Docs 2016 – How Mr and Mrs Gock Saved the Kumara | publisher=[[NZ On Screen]] | work=Loading Docs | access-date=10 July 2019 | archive-date=10 July 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190710132015/https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/loading-docs-how-mr-and-mrs-gock-saved-the-kumara-2016 | url-status=live }}</ref>

There are three main cultivars of kūmara sold in New Zealand: 'Owairaka Red' ("red"), 'Toka Toka Gold' ("gold"), and 'Beauregard' ("orange"). The country grows around 24,000 metric tons of kūmara annually,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.freshfacts.co.nz/files/freshfacts-2018.pdf|title=Fresh Facts: New Zealand Horticulture|date=2018|website=Plant & Food Research|issn=1177-2190|access-date=4 August 2019|archive-date=7 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707053253/https://www.freshfacts.co.nz/files/freshfacts-2018.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> with nearly all of it (97%) grown in the [[Northland Region]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz/local/news/ohakune-has-its-carrot-and-dargaville-has-its-kuma/3676978/ |title=Ohakune has its carrot ... and Dargaville has its kumara |work=[[The Northern Advocate]] |first1=Mike |last1=Barrington |first2=Robyn |last2=Downey |date=18 March 2006 |access-date=24 July 2012 |archive-date=24 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724193541/http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz/local/news/ohakune-has-its-carrot-and-dargaville-has-its-kuma/3676978/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Kūmara are widely available throughout New Zealand year-round, where they are a popular alternative to potatoes.<ref name="Stuff.co.nz_1397627">{{cite news |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-wine/recipes/1397627 |title=How to cook with kumara |date=3 March 2009 |newspaper=[[Taranaki Daily News]] |access-date=15 November 2011 |archive-date=14 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614131620/http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-wine/recipes/1397627 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Kūmara are often included in roast meals, and served with [[sour cream]] and [[sweet chili sauce]].{{citation needed|date=July 2019}} They are served alongside such vegetables as potatoes and pumpkin and as such, are generally prepared in a savory manner. They are ubiquitous in supermarkets, roast meal takeaway shops and hāngī.

[[File:Papes de moniato (País Valencià, 1951).jpg|thumb|right|Drying sweet potatoes ([[Ribera Alta (comarca)|Ribera Alta]], 1951)]]
Among the [[Urapmin people]] of Papua New Guinea, [[taro]] (known in [[Urapmin language|Urap]] as {{Lang|urm|ima}}) and the sweet potato (Urap: {{Lang|urm|wan}}) are the main sources of sustenance, and in fact the word for 'food' in Urap is a [[compound (linguistics)|compound]] of these two words.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Joel |last=Robbins |year=1995 |title=Dispossessing the Spirits: Christian Transformations of Desire and Ecology among the Urapmin of Papua New Guinea |journal=[[Ethnology (journal)|Ethnology]] |volume=34 |issue=3 |pages=211–24 |jstor=3773824 |doi=10.2307/3773824}}</ref>

====Europe====
In the [[Veneto]] ([[northeast Italy]]), sweet potato is known as {{Lang|vec|patata mericana}} in the [[Venetian language]] ({{Lang|it|patata americana}} in Italian, meaning "American potato"), and it is cultivated above all in the southern area of the region;.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Parrella |first1=Giuseppe |last2=Troiano |first2=Elisa |date=6 October 2021 |title=First report of Sweet potato virus G in sweet potato in Italy |journal=New Disease Reports |language=en |volume=44 |issue=2 |pages=1 |doi=10.1002/ndr2.12050 |issn=2044-0588|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.regione.veneto.it/videoinf/rurale/prodotti/pat_americana.htm |series=Mondo agricolo veneto |title=la patata americana di Anguillara<!-- Bot generated title --> |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100112083605/http://www2.regione.veneto.it/videoinf/rurale/prodotti/pat_americana.htm |archive-date=12 January 2010}}</ref>

In Spain, sweet potato is called {{Lang|es|boniato}}. On the evening of [[All Souls' Day]], in [[Catalonia]] (northeastern Spain) it is traditional to serve roasted sweet potato and chestnuts, [[panellets]] and sweet wine. The occasion is called {{Lang|es|La Castanyada}}.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Català |first=Col·lectiu de |date=1979 |title=Mots. La Castanyada |url=https://raco.cat/index.php/CarrerArbres/article/view/296568 |journal=Carrer dels Arbres. Revista anuari del Museu de Badalona |issue=5 |pages=2 |issn=2014-9794}}</ref><ref>[[:es:Castanyada#Castañada]]</ref> As of 2023 Spain is the largest sweet potato producer in Europe.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The European market potential for sweet potatoes {{!}} CBI |url=https://www.cbi.eu/market-information/fresh-fruit-vegetables/sweet-potatoes-0/market-potential |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=www.cbi.eu}}</ref>

====South America====
In [[Peru]], sweet potatoes are called {{Lang|es|camote}} and are frequently served alongside [[ceviche]]. Sweet potato chips are also a commonly sold snack, be it on the street or in packaged foods.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

[[Dulce de batata]] is a traditional [[Argentine cuisine|Argentine]], Paraguayan and Uruguayan dessert, which is made of sweet potatoes. It is a sweet [[Fruit preserves|jelly]], which resembles a marmalade because of its color and sweetness but it has a harder texture, and has to be sliced in thin portions with a knife as if it was a pie.

====Globally====
Globally, sweet potatoes are now a staple ingredient of modern [[sushi]] cuisine, specifically used in [[Makizushi|maki]] rolls. The advent of sweet potato as a sushi ingredient is credited to chef [[Bun Lai]] of [[Miya's]] Sushi, who first introduced sweet potato rolls in the 1990s as a plant-based alternative to traditional fish-based sushi rolls.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/outdoors/a22396/truth-is-in-the-muck-invasive-species-delicacies/|title=The Sushi Chef Turning Invasive Species Into Delicacies|first=Ryan|last=Knighton|date=6 October 2016|website=[[Popular Mechanics]]|access-date=22 April 2019|archive-date=22 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190422160326/https://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/outdoors/a22396/truth-is-in-the-muck-invasive-species-delicacies/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2019/02/01/sushis-role/ |title=Sushi's Role |last=Kleiner |first=Matthew |website=[[Yale Daily News]] |date=1 February 2019 |access-date=12 July 2019 |archive-date=22 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190422160328/https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2019/02/01/sushis-role/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://yalealumnimagazine.com/articles/4337-sushi-celebrity |title=New Haven: Sushi celebrity |last=Arnott |first=Christopher |website=[[Yale Alumni Magazine]] |date=September–October 2016 |access-date=12 July 2019 |archive-date=22 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190422160330/https://yalealumnimagazine.com/articles/4337-sushi-celebrity |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Molecular gastronomy===
Freezing a sweet potato until solid, baking at a low temperature, then increasing to a high temperature brings out the sweetness by caramelizing converted sugars.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sontag |first1=Elazar |title=For a 'Proper Proper Proper' Baked Sweet Potato, Freeze It First |url=https://www.eater.com/22219076/why-you-should-freeze-your-sweet-potatoes-recipe |website=Eater |access-date=1 November 2022 |language=en |date=8 January 2021 |archive-date=1 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101064013/https://www.eater.com/22219076/why-you-should-freeze-your-sweet-potatoes-recipe |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Best Way to Cook Whole Sweet Potatoes |url=https://www.seriouseats.com/frozen-roasted-sweet-potato-5210149 |website=Serious Eats |access-date=1 November 2022 |language=en |date=19 November 2021 |archive-date=1 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101064007/https://www.seriouseats.com/frozen-roasted-sweet-potato-5210149 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Chan |first1=Chin-Feng |last2=Chiang |first2=Chih-Ming |last3=Lai |first3=Yung-Chang |last4=Huang |first4=Che-Lun |last5=Kao |first5=Shu-Chen |last6=Liao |first6=Wayne C. |title=Changes in sugar composition during baking and their effects on sensory attributes of baked sweet potatoes |journal=Journal of Food Science and Technology |date=5 December 2012 |volume=51 |issue=12 |pages=4072–4077 |doi=10.1007/s13197-012-0900-z |pmid=25477683 |pmc=4252450 |language=en |issn=0022-1155}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nabubuya |first1=Agnes |last2=Namutebi |first2=Agnes |last3=Byaruhanga |first3=Yusuf |last4=Schuller |first4=Reidar B. |last5=Narvhus |first5=Judith |last6=Wicklund |first6=Trude |title=Viscoelastic properties of sweet potato complementary porridges as influenced by endogenous amylases |journal=[[Food Science & Nutrition]]|date=16 July 2017 |volume=5 |issue=6 |pages=1072–1078 |doi=10.1002/fsn3.492 |pmid=29188034 |pmc=5694867 |issn=2048-7177}}</ref>

===Ceramics===
[[File:Camotemuseolarco.jpg|thumb|Sweet potato, [[Moche culture]], 300 CE, [[Larco Museum|Larco Museum Collection]]]]

Ceramics modeled after sweet potatoes or {{Lang|es|camotes}} are often found in the [[Moche culture]].<ref>{{cite book |author1=Berrin, Katherine |author2=[[Larco Museum]] staff |year=1997 |title=The Spirit of Ancient Peru: Treasures from the Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera |location=New York, NY |publisher=[[Thames and Hudson]]|title-link=Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera}}</ref>

===Dyes===
In South America, the juice of red sweet potatoes is combined with [[lime (fruit)|lime]] juice to make a [[dye]] for cloth. By varying the proportions of the juices, every shade from pink to black can be obtained.<ref name=Verrill>{{cite book |last1=Verrill |first1=Alpheus Hyatt |last2=Barrett |first2=Otis Warren |title=Foods America gave the World: The strange, fascinating and often romantic histories of many native American food plants, their origin, and other interesting and curious facts concerning them |year=1937 |location=Boston, MA |publisher=L.C. Page & Co. |page=47 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lIlCAAAAIAAJ |access-date=11 September 2020 |archive-date=24 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324172709/https://books.google.com/books?id=lIlCAAAAIAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Purple sweet potato color]] is also used as a natural [[food coloring]].<ref name=":1">{{cite web |url=https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2013/september/purple-sweet-potatoes-among-new-naturals-for-food-and-beverage-colors.html |title=Purple sweet potatoes among "new naturals" for food and beverage colors |date=September 2013 |access-date=6 May 2017 |archive-date=9 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170509053537/https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2013/september/purple-sweet-potatoes-among-new-naturals-for-food-and-beverage-colors.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Aquariums===
Cuttings of sweet potato vine, either edible or ornamental cultivars, will rapidly form roots in water and will grow in it, indefinitely, in good lighting with a steady supply of nutrients. For this reason, sweet potato vine is ideal for use in home [[aquarium]]s, trailing out of the water with its roots submerged, as its rapid growth is fueled by toxic [[ammonia]] and [[nitrates]], a waste product of aquatic life, which it removes from the water. This improves the living conditions for fish, which also find refuge in the extensive root systems.{{citation needed|date= June 2021}}

===Ornamentals===
[[File:Sweet potato flower.jpg|thumb|An ornamental sweet potato flower]]
Ornamental sweet potatoes are popular landscape, container, and bedding plants. Grown as an annual in zones up to [[Hardiness zone|USDA hardiness Zone 9]], they grow rapidly and spread quickly. Cultivars are available in many colors, such as green, yellow, and purple.<ref>{{Cite web|date=12 June 2017|title=Sweet Potato Vine: How to Grow These Gorgeous Flowing Vines|url=https://www.epicgardening.com/sweet-potato-vine/|access-date=15 October 2021|website=Epic Gardening|language=en-US|archive-date=13 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211013215058/https://www.epicgardening.com/sweet-potato-vine/|url-status=live}}</ref> Some ornamental varieties, like 'Blackie', flower more than others.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Growing Sweet Potato Vine (''Ipomoea batatas'') – Garden Design|url=https://www.gardendesign.com/vines/sweet-potato-vine.html|access-date=15 October 2021|website=GardenDesign.com|archive-date=21 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021155018/https://www.gardendesign.com/vines/sweet-potato-vine.html|url-status=live}}</ref> These ornamental cultivars are not poisonous, and although the leaves are edible, the tubers do not have a good taste.<ref>{{Cite web|title=''Ipomoea batatas'' (Edible Sweetpotato, Ornamental Sweetpotato, Sweetpotato, Sweetpotato Vine, Water Spinach)|url=https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ipomoea-batatas/|access-date=15 October 2021|website=[[North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox]]|archive-date=27 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027181921/https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ipomoea-batatas/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=14 August 2020|title=Are Ornamental Sweet Potatoes Edible? {{!}} Gardener's Path|url=https://gardenerspath.com/plants/vegetables/ornamental-sweet-potatoes-edible/|access-date=15 October 2021|website=Gardener's Path|language=en-US|archive-date=26 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026204844/https://gardenerspath.com/plants/vegetables/ornamental-sweet-potatoes-edible/|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{clear}}