The scientific name of sweet potatoes is Ipomea batatas. This is a starchy root vegetable. Currently, the largest producer of sweet potatoes is North Carolina but it was initially thought to have originated in Central or South America. The tuberous roots of a sweet potato plant are eaten as a vegetable just like a regular potato.
Sweet potatoes come in different colors such as yellow, orange, purple, brown, or red. They have smooth skin and are long in size. There are two major types of sweet potatoes.
- Dark-skinned, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are soft and sweet with copper-brown skin and bright orange flesh. They are commonly found in the U.S.
- Golden-skinned, pale-fleshed sweet potatoes have light yellow flesh and tend to have a drier texture. They are less sweet than dark-skinned sweet potatoes.
In general, sweet potatoes are sweeter and moister than regular potatoes. They are also considered to be extremely robust vegetables because of their long shelf life. This allows them to be throughout the year. You can store it for up to 2-3 months if kept in a cool and dry place.
1. Is sweet potato a vegetable?
The very common and popular notion about fruits and vegetables is that they are different types of plants whereas they are really complementary to each other. They have a very interesting bond between them which you might not know. Primarily, we need to know that the specific part of a tree is called fruit. Not every tree or plant grows fruit but whichever does, the process is the same. The flower of the plant has to bloom and pollinate then ovaries start growing one or more seeds that turn into fruit eventually.
It is sometimes hard to differentiate between fruits and vegetables. For example, if we talk about tomatoes or cucumbers what do we call them? Do we consume it as a fruit? We don’t. We consume it as a part of our savory meals which makes them vegetables. But if we consider the way they are grown, it makes them fruits. Fruits are usually grown from the ovum of the flower of the concerned tree. It could be from a single ovum or more than that. Whereas, any part of a plant can be a vegetable like its stem, leaves, fruits, roots, or anything.
2. Is sweet potato a vegetable? What are the differences between fruits and vegetables?
There exists a very common confusion about the concept of fruits and vegetables. It is usually differentiated on the basis of how it is consumed. Other than that, there are some facts that make them different from each other. Although they are different from each other, they have a wide connection between them as well.
On the contrary, vegetables are not any specific part of a plant. Any part can be a vegetable like its root, stem, flower, fruit, leaf, or anything. The very common examples are carrots, potatoes, onions, beet, spinach, lettuce, and so on. These are the roots and leaves of the plants.
These two elements are also classified based on the region and the culture. If it is being eaten like a savory meal along with other proteins then it can be considered a vegetable. When it comes to culture and region, the aspect and spectrum of this concept enlarge at its best. This becomes a very diverse concept in this case. In tropical areas, pineapple is consumed as a fruit whereas, in different other areas, they cook pineapple in their savory meals which makes it a vegetable that way.
3. Is sweet potato a vegetable? What do we say?
We have been trying to discuss how to identify a fruit as a fruit and a vegetable as a vegetable. But factually a fruit grows from a single or more ovum of a flower whereas any part of a plant can be considered a vegetable. And potato being the root of a plant is also considered a vegetable. In this case, sweet potato has worldwide recognition of being a vegetable. It is never consumed raw but cooked. People of all continents and regions consume sweet potatoes as a part of their savory meal. It is a very popular and common vegetable that is afforded by any class of people.
Summary;
The scientific name of sweet potatoes is Ipomea batatas. This is a starchy root vegetable. Currently, the largest producer of sweet potatoes is Noth Carolina but it was initially thought to have originated in Central or South America. The tuberous roots of a sweet potato plant are eaten as a vegetable just like a regular potato.
The very common and popular notion about fruits and vegetables is that they are different types of plants whereas they are really complementary to each other.