Holiday dinners wouldn’t be complete without sweet potatoes, those zaftig beauties that some folks love to hate. Here’s good news: Sweet potatoes come in colors besides orange, from cream to the deepest purple. Textures and flavors vary as well.
At Global Foods Market, in Kirkwood, there are two unusual sweets: the Boniato, a tropical batata with a deep-red skin and a pale creamy flesh that retains a dry texture when baked, and the Japanese sweet potato, which falls somewhere between an Idaho baker and a sweet.
EarthDance Farms in North County offers three certified organic cultivars at the Ferguson Farmers’ Market, including the Beauregard, a bright-orange sweet potato that can be baked, roasted, steamed, or mashed. You’ll also find the O’Henry, with a white skin, and the Murasaki, a red-skinned beauty with a creamy flesh.
You can find two new options at Lucky’s Markets. The Jewel sports a coppery skin and a medium-orange flesh that tastes moderately sweet. The Garnet, with its bright-red skin and yellowish-orange flesh, makes a stunning baked potato; leave the skin on for the best color when roasting.
And if you happen upon Stokes Purple sweet potatoes, pick them up. They remain a deep purple even after being cooked. They’re rare, creamy, and delicious.
