The Unbelievable History of Sweet Potatoes

"Some say that the sweet potato could have spread by natural, nonhuman means." "Are you suggesting that sweet potatoes migrate?" "It could grip it by the husk." "It's not a question of where he grips it!"

I never thought that I would reach a point in my life where I was watching YouTube videos discussing the history of Sweet Potatoes at 4am

Iʻm Māori from Aotearoa/New Zealand. My people have oral histories of how some of our ancestors (before coming to New Zealand) traveled East in search of lands to flee political untest. When they arrived to (likely) Chile, they had seen it was already well populated but the people there were friendly and welcoming. An exchange occured, including assisting in some skirmishes, ‘marriages’, sharing of knowledge, and with our ancestors receiving the kūmara (sweet potato), uhi (yam), and such. Those ancestors returned home (at the time, Tahiti) and then the food crops spread across the Pacific through trade and so forth. I was told these stories as a child and it makes me happy to see others hearing about them, albeit through scientific discovery.😊

I'd like to welcome you all to a classic 4 AM Fire of Learning upload.

Glad you mentioned that what are called "yams" in U.S. grocery stores are actually sweet potatoes. I've had a hard time convincing people of that.

I was not ready for that epic outro

you say unbelievable but I'm literally about to trust everything you say without a second thought

For all of us that can't sleep. Thanks 👍😊

That outro was legendary. Truly a masterpiece of a video.

The sweet potato is also the best option for making alcohol, since it has a natural source of alpha amylase needed for converting starch to sugars. Normal potato's for vodka is a much more complex process.

Growing up, we ate ALOT of sweet potatoes cooked every way you can imagine. Yet all of our friends turn their noses up to & hated them. Cool to see the history of something as basic, yet as important as the sweet potato

Small omission: the (white) potato is anatomically a tuber or starch storing vessel, whereas the sweet potato is a root proper, though it too consists mainly of starch. As such, the sweet potato may be slightly more nutritious than the potato.

Could you please do more videos on common fruits and vegetables and their Origins? For some reason I find this subject fascinating! The history of tomato is also interesting!! Another one that's pretty interesting is the history of the cabbage and how it developed into broccoli cauliflower and brussel sprouts. Maybe the history of turnips and rutabagas?

I live near a place that was a commune, started by a bunch of mostly urban college students, and they survived a long, somewhat harrowing first winter back in the 70s on sweet potatoes and soybeans, which were the only crops they planted that grew.... They learned fairly quickly how to make tofu. I lived elsewhere at the time, and fortunately did not experience winter party tent living with hundreds of people fueled by beans and sweet taters....

Sweet potatoes were introduced to Japan specifically in response to a famine, just as they were in China. A Japanese noble imported them from China to relieve a long famine and they remain a favorite in Japan today.

Funny thing about Botata >> Patata >> potato: In the South Cone (Chile ~Argentina) we call the Patata "Papa". AND the Sweet potato "Batata"

Here in Portugal, we still have some traditional cultivares circulating. I think the varieties survived because of the diferent culinary uses. From the big orange peel kind that make great stews to the more slender dark grey peel kind which is very good to roast.

When it comes to sweet potatoes in the Pacific islands, you might be ineterested to learn about inca Tupac Yupanqui's expedition to Polynesia. He apparently reached Awachumbi (Mangareva island) and Ninachumbi (Easter Island) in the mid XVth century. There are many archeological findings to support this theory as well as cultural elements such as the King Tupa legend in Mangareva, inca style constructions in Rapa Nui and ancient quipus found in the Pacific Islands. Quipus were a method to record information used by the Incas equivalent to writing. Prior to this, there was sporadic commercial contact between western South America and Polynesia. Thor Heyerdahl proved in 1947 that such a voyage was possible using native South American technology.

I associated the sweet potato with Polynesia and thought that was where it originated. I am amazed that it actually comes from Central America and that it is evidence that Polynesians had contact with native people of the Americas. Incredible!

I LOVE(d) sweet potatoes! When my dog was still alive I would bake a couple of them and we would sit there together and eat them like monkeys peeling and eating bananas. I haven't had one since she passed...They probably won't taste the same ever again.