I’ve consumed a fair amount of potato in my lifetime, but no other spud can compare to the subtle perfection of the sweet potato. The rustic red skin, the delicate sweetness, what it tastes like with a pinch of black pepper: there is little room for rivalry. To aptly express my admiration, I have scribbled an ode to my favourite starch, the sweet potato.

“Who ever loved that loved not at first bite?” – not Shakespeare

You are the banter’s best friend

You were my banting companion – the starch that stuck with me through thick and thin. At times I thought I would break, but you suppressed my craving for slap chips and reminded me that good carbs do exist. For a complex carbohydrate, you are simply delicious.

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You are multitalented

Whether grilled, baked, sautéed or mashed, you always come out on top. Sweet potato, you are a triple-threat. There are no flavour profiles you cannot handle; no desserts you cannot sweeten; no main course you cannot complement. You even perfect a chocolate pudding.

You are proudly plus-sized

Oh how puny the common white potato looks beside you. Not only is your size a symbol of your unmistakable grandeur, it gives me so much more to work with. Gone are the days of lugging around a sack of potatoes… Two busty, plus-sized sweet potatoes are all I need to bake a large tray of lightly peppered potato fries.

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You are the key ingredient in the sweet potato chip

Speaking of sweet potato fries: if I could pen a sonnet about the sweet potato chip, I would. From the moment I tasted my first sweet potato chip at Royale Eatery, I knew regular fries would no longer cut it. While I maintain that you are perfect just the way you are, that little bowl of sweet chili dipping sauce is a worthy sidekick.

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You keep me well

Don’t underplay it, sweet potato: you kept me well throughout the cold winter. There’s no denying it was your rich concentration of Vitamin D and Iron that kept my immune system strong.

You are sensational in a soup

Sautéed until soft and whipped up in a blender, you are the perfect ingredient for a stellar soup. Whether it’s a fragrant Thai soup or a cool vichyssoise, my darling sweet potato, I find it hard to enjoy a soup without you.

You are a natural stress-reliever

Sweetest potato, this is no fallacy – you are a rich source of magnesium, the miracle mineral that promotes relaxation and prevents stress. It’s not just sentiment; it’s science.

You keep me young

Not just in the whimsical ‘young at heart’ sense. Your rich Vitamin C content produces enough collagen to preserve my skin’s elasticity while your high concentration of carotenoids helps protect me against the effects of ageing. How could I ask for more?

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