Daily Crack - History of the Sweet Potato
Just a few things you might not know about our famous potato.
- Sweet Potatoes are a tuberous root.
- They were the main source of nourishment for American homesteaders and soldiers of the Civil and Revolutionary Wars.
- The American Indians were growing Sweet Potatoes long before the arrival of Columbus.
- Columbus brought the sweet potato back to Spain who then started exporting them to England.
- They are very healthy and full of vitamin A & C as well as potassium, calcium, and iron.
- Sweet Potatoes were first grown in Central and South America about 5,000 years ago.
- George Washington grew sweet potatoes on his farm in Mt. Vernon.
- With their skin left on a sweet potato has more fiber than a bowl of oatmeal.
- The sweet potato helped Scarlett O’Hara to keep her 19” waist. Her nanny fed her sweet potatoes before going out so she wouldn’t get fat on party foods.
- They don’t like refrigerators.
- Sweet Potatoes are a part of the Morning Glory family.
- Sweet potatoes are good baked, mashed, or fried, and are also made into cookies, pies, soups, and chips.
- James Taylor wrote a song called “Sweet Potato Pie.” Below is a link to an old video of James Taylor performing his song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh60VmEOpCU