Japanese Sweet Potato: Today's new food is something I spotted during yesterday's Whole Foods run. While their produce department isn't usually adventurous enough for me, I can occasionally find something that's blog-worthy. After coming up empty handed in the fruit area, I noticed these Japanese sweet potatoes towards the back of the section. I like traditional sweet potatoes (especially prepared with butter and brown sugar), so I was curious to find out how these Japanese hybrids were different. The skin had more of a purplish color than the brown ones I'm used to, but other than that, my eye couldn't tell any difference.
I wanted to find out how this one tasted without piling on seasoning or butter, so I threw it in the oven at 350 degrees until it was soft and a bit crispy on the outside. When I cut it open, I was surprised to see that the interior was a whitish-green color, not orange like the traditional ones. It may sound ridiculous, but I love it when food ends up looking different on the inside than I expected. Luckily, my cooking method resulted in the potato being appropriately soft and edible, so I dove in.
After a few bites, I decided that I couldn't really tell much of a difference between this Japanese variety and the kind we're used to in America. It had the same sweet, starchy flavor, and it was just as tasty as any other I've eaten. I can't see buying these again in place of the cheaper orange ones, but I'm glad I tried just the same.
Apparently, these Japanese potatoes are used in many different dishes in Asian countries, while the North American version seems to only be used in a handful of dishes here in comparison. Don't get me wrong - I love me some sweet potato casserole (I was raised in the south, after all), but I hope I get to try some of the Asian-inspired dishes one day.
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