Proof That Sweet Potato Recipes Are A Thanksgiving Necessity (2024)

FAQs

Why are sweet potatoes eaten at Thanksgiving? ›

A holiday favorite, the sweet potato gained popularity in the late 1800s when southerners replaced sweet potatoes with yams. Since then you can find the vegetable in many holiday side dishes and desserts. The main difference between sweet potatoes and yams is their exterior texture, inner coloring, and flavors.

Sweet potato casserole was first promoted by a marshmallow company. Although it might seem strange to eat a dessert-like side dish alongside savory food, such sweet dishes have been common in American cooking since way back, according to Kitchn.

Potatoes or sweet potatoes: 5 to 6 ounces per person, which equals about 1 large Yukon Gold or white potato, or half of a large sweet potato.

Most people point to a 1917 pamphlet by the Angelus Marshmallow Company as the first time sweet potatoes and marshmallows came together. This company is believed to be the first to commercially-produce and sell the squishy white marshmallows we know, roast, and snack on today.

Sir Walter Raleigh introduced potatoes to Ireland in 1589 & the potato has been linked to Irish history ever since. Mashed potatoes, the most common way to enjoy potatoes at Thanksgiving, became an American staple in the 1700s. As far back as 1747, Americans were mashing up potatoes with butter, milk, salt, & cream.

Vitamins and Minerals

Just one sweet potato gives you 102% of the vitamin A you need each day. This helps keep your eyes healthy as well as your immune system, your body's defense against germs. It's also good for your reproductive system and organs like your heart and kidneys.

China is the world's biggest producer and consumer of sweetpotato, where it is used for food, animal feed, and processing (as food, starch, and other products).

The sweet potato casserole with pecans recipe originated in the South, and early variations of the recipe included different ingredients like cream or milk. The recipe has morphed over to the years to the recipe we know today, and Ruth's Chris is famous for its version of this side dish.

Native Americans were known to have grown sweet potato extensively by the 1700s and soon thereafter it became a popular staple of the South. Even today, sweet potato is much more popular in the south than the north as a food.

North Carolina leads the nation

Around 100,000 acres of sweet potatoes are harvested in North Carolina each year, which is more than other top-producing states like Mississippi, Louisiana, and California combined.

Can I freeze mashed sweet potatoes? ›

Allow the mashed sweet potatoes to cool completely, then transfer them (in serving size portions) to zip-top bags or other freezer-safe containers. For added protection, wrap in at least one layer of foil. Freeze flat for up to six months. Thaw in the refrigerator.

Root vegetables are designed by nature to hold their shape and consistency, so three weeks out is the perfect time to stock up on onions, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and parsnips. Store them in a cool, dry place.

The first Europeans to taste sweet potatoes were members of Christopher Columbus's expedition in 1492. Later explorers found many cultivars under an assortment of local names, but the name which stayed was the indigenous Taino name of batata.

The prevailing explanation is that Polynesian voyagers had sailed to South America and brought the sweet potato back to the islands on their return. Archaeological and genetic data seemed to support this conclusion, although scientists have questioned some of this evidence over the years.

Sweet potato casserole, which generally has marshmallows on it, is a sickeningly sweet dish, typically eaten at Thanksgiving, which starts with sweet potatoes and then adds brown sugar, vanilla and marshmallows, among other things.

In 1621, the vegetable had not yet made its way to the colonies. And sweet potatoes were first discovered in the Caribbean, but they too had not been introduced into North America at the time of the first Thanksgiving.

Potato and sweet potato are examples of analogous organs. Both sweet potato and potato have a common function i.e., storage of food in the form of starch. Hence, they show convergent evolution. But they both differ in structural origin as the sweet potato is a root modification while the potato is a stem modification.

After emancipation, when African American cooks gained more access to their own equipment and refined ingredients, they continued the tradition of baking with yams and sweet potatoes — especially the pie. These deep roots became the foundation of a strong tradition in African American food culture.

What was not on the menu was potatoes. White potatoes from South America and sweet potatoes from the Caribbean had not made it to North America by this first feast so no mashed potatoes or really potatoes of any kind like we see today.