Food

National Cook a Sweet Potato Day 2024: Date, History and Facts

The beloved sweet potato, a vegetable that millions of Americans eat every day, is the subject of National Cook a Sweet Potato Day, which takes place every year on February 22.

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National Cook a Sweet Potato Day 2024: February 22nd is National Cook a Sweet Potato Day each year. In the United States alone, millions of people adore and consume this vegetable every day. It’s common for people to mistake sweet potatoes for yams, but that is untrue. Sweet potato cultivars produce tubers with multicolored flesh and skin.

National Cook a Sweet Potato Day History

Billions of people eat sweet potatoes all over the world, but especially in America. This is a very adaptable sweet root vegetable that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or as a snack in salads and soups. The starchy tuberous roots of the vegetable are its most vital component. Still, the shoots and leaves are edible as well. While many American colonists in the Southeast ate raw sweet potatoes, cooking them can improve their digestibility and nutritional value.

Since both sweet potatoes and common potatoes are members of the Solanales order, they are distant cousins. It is thought that Polynesia was the home of sweet potato cultivation prior to Western exploration. Subsequently, it is said that they have spread to South or Central America, usually by way of vine cuttings rather than seeds. It’s thought that sweet potatoes were domesticated about 5,000 years ago in Central America. The remains of Peruvian sweet potatoes discovered in South America have been observed to be from 8000 B.C.

Sweet potatoes were brought from Luzon to the Chinese province of Fujian in 1594. Governor Chin Hsüeh-Tseng (Jin Xuezeng) further encouraged growing sweet potatoes. In 2019, there were 92 million metric tons of sweet potatoes produced worldwide. With 56% of global production, China was the leader in this category.

Additionally, sweet potatoes made their way to Europe, as documented in “Elinor Fettiplace’s Receipt Book,” which was assembled in England in 1604.

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Activities for National Cook a Sweet Potato Day

Plant a vine of sweet potatoes.

It’s very simple to plant sweet potato vines, especially if you have a garden. Plant it in the early summer or late spring. Depending on the variety, space them 10 to 36 inches apart. If you’re using a pot, make sure the containers have drainage holes in the bottom and use premium all-purpose potting soil.

Go through “Little Sweet Potato”

Before going to bed, read your child “Little Sweet Potato.” The quest of Little Sweet Potato to find the ideal home for him is chronicled in the book.

Fry sweet potatoes.

Do you miss those mouthwatering french fries? Instead, switch it up and make sweet potato fries. Watch a movie or television show while enjoying a delicious and nutritious snack.

Five delightful facts about potatoes

Sweet potatoes and yams are not the same thing; sweet potatoes are a type of root vegetable, while yams are a starchy tuber.
Sweet potatoes, unlike regular potatoes, prefer long, hot growing seasons.
Sweet potatoes are colored orange, white, or purple, among other hues.
Sweet potatoes are a staple food in Rwanda and Uganda and are highly popular throughout the world.
In the US, North Carolina’s official vegetable is the sweet potato.

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Why is National Cook a Sweet Potato Day so much fun?

They are extremely good.

Sweet potatoes have a lot of health benefits. They are low in calories and fat and high in fiber. In addition to a wealth of minerals and vitamins, they also contain higher levels of vitamins A and C. Additionally, they contain a lot of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that aids in shielding the body from harmful free radicals.

Utilized for a variety of reasons

Sweet potatoes serve additional functions besides just food. In South America, red sweet potato juice is frequently combined with lime juice to create a fabric dye. In fact, different shades ranging from pink to black can be achieved by adjusting the juice’s proportions.

Advantageous to fish

Cuttings from sweet potato vines will quickly grow roots in water provided they receive adequate lighting and nutrients. Because of this, they can be used for trailing out of the water with their roots submerged and for in-home aquariums. It draws harmful ammonia and nitrates—a waste product of aquatic life—out of the water, which drives the growth. As a result, this may help fish live in better conditions.