A Spud for the Ages
Did you ever wonder how long sweet potatoes have been on America’s menu? After doing some research, I found out that Sweet Potatoes are native to Central and South America and were a dietary staple of the Aztecs and Incas. Petrified sweet potatoes that are almost 20,000 years old were even found in the caves of Peru. I guess cooking Sweet Potatoes was so easy, even a caveman could do it.
By the time Christopher Columbus arrived on our shore in 1492, sweet potatoes were being cultivated by Native Americans. Columbus and his men liked them so much that they took them back to Europe. In addition to being a tasty treat for the crew, they were easy to store in the cool holds of their ships. Although they didn’t know it, those sweet potatoes were a great source of Vitamins A and C which helped the crew ward off diseases on their long voyage home.
As settlers moved to the the new world, sweet potatoes became a staple of their diet. Who would have thought that this delicious, yet often overlooked vegetable was feeding our colonists for 300 years before we even became a country.
It is even possible that sweet potatoes were served at the first Thanksgiving. Sugar was in very short supply in 1621, so there was no sweet potato pie at that feast. I’m guessing that since marshmallows were not made commercially until 1948, that yummy sweet potato casserole was not on the menu either. Most likely, the sweet potatoes were roasted over hot coals. This is still a fun method to try if any of you have a fireplace or cookstove. Food Network’s Paula Deen tells you just how to prepare this unique and oh so easy recipe.
Sweet potatoes were still popular around the time that the “colonies” were becoming a county. As a matter of fact, George Washington was a sweet potato farmer before he became our first president. Since that time, sweet potatoes have continued to be an important part of US history. During the civil war, a coffee substitute was made from sweet potatoes. In the 1920s, George Washington Carver published 118 new uses for this awesome food. During the Great Depression they provided an inexpensive and nutritious food source for the masses. Today, the Sweet Potato is considered on of the new Super-Veggies thanks to its low glycemic index, high fiber content and loads of vitamins. Almost every modern diet plan is singing the praises of sweet potatoes.
Considering the fanfare the sweet potato has received throughout history, it is easy to see that this versatile veggie will be enjoyed for many generations to come. There are so many ways to love this versatile super-veggie, it is sure to get even more popular as time goes on.