Who invented purple potatoes

Unlike its darker skinned counterpart, the tubular-shaped Okinawan sweet potato has a buff or light brown colored skin with a violet-purple flesh. This tuber has a slightly sweet taste and a creamy texture, lending itself to the same recipes you would use with orange sweet potatoes.

By Patricia S York. Save FB Tweet More. The purple coloring of the potato was cultivated here in Okinawa. Eventually, Polynesians brought the purple sweet potato to the rich, volcanic soils of Hawaii, where it continues to flourish today. About that purple coloring? The color comes from anthocyanins. Ube is commonly used in desserts all over the world—in ice creams, tarts and even donuts!

Also known as a purple yam, ube is a staple of the Filipino kitchen and is well-loved all over Asia as a dessert ingredient for its sweet and nutty flavor. First of all, we have never seen ube available fresh in the States.

You can blame the misconceptions on the plethora of information and imagery on the internet. Now, the ube that is used widely comes as a jam Ube Halaya or in a powder, extract, or frozen form. Now, go forth and explore all the majesty of purple sweet potatoes and let us know which ones you like best!

To check out more of our Ultimate Guides, click here , here and here. Demystifying different types of purple sweet potatoes, one tuber at a time! Take a look at what makes each variety different. It took many more decades before potatoes became a prominent part of the European diet. Since then, the potato has travelled all over the globe, becoming one of the most important foods in the world. Although it may seem like a simple tuber, the potato has played a great role in human history.

Today you can find over 4, varieties of native potatoes grown in the Andean highlands of Peru. They come in every shape and colour, including blue, yellow, red, pink and even bright purple Peruvian potatoes. The country even celebrates National Potato Day on 30 May each year!

Potatoes are more than just food in Peru, and are an important part of Peruvian heritage. Many local farmers cultivate different potato varieties to preserve historic traditions. Different communities trade special varieties of potatoes and gift them at weddings and celebrations.

Potatoes can also be used for medicines, and are said to relieve headaches and skin irritation.