After a quick Google search, I learned that they’re Japanese white sweet potatoes of the Murasaki variety. I also read that they have a very different taste and texture than more popular sweet potatoes. I decided to try them, and they are now a staple in my kitchen that I incorporate into breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Here’s what you can expect and how you could use them in your dishes.
How They Tasted
After experimenting with these little purple beauties, I can confirm that Japanese sweet potatoes are unlike any other potato I’ve ever had. The inner white flesh has a nutty, earthy taste with a very subtle sweetness—they’re like the best possible combination of a russet potato and a yam. Whether baked, fried, sauteed, or mashed, Japanese sweet potatoes come out perfectly every time, and since they’re a bit drier than regular potatoes, they get super browned and crisp in the oven.
How I Prepped Them
The first time I cooked with Japanese sweet potatoes, I decided to make some healthy baked french fries to pair with homemade chickpea veggie burgers. I like my potato wedges to be a bit more hearty and rustic, so I usually leave the skin on. Not only did my baked Japanese sweet potato fries taste delicious, but they were almost too beautiful to eat. When cooking with white sweet potatoes, the magenta skin becomes even more bold and colorful and the white flesh takes on a golden hue. To add even more flavor to my fries, I finished them off with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and some dried rosemary. They were incredible (so much so that my husband requested I only buy Japanese sweet potatoes from here on out).
Additional Recipe Ideas
Since then, I’ve made countless meals with Japanese sweet potatoes as the star of the dish. From Mediterranean cuisine to Mexican, and even Italian, this starchy veggie is easy to incorporate into any cuisine. I’ve cooked them up with ground chorizo and jalapenos for spicy tacos or cut them into chips to dip into tzatziki and hummus. You could also:
Create a nourishing breakfast hash with cubed sweet potato, ground sausage, and a sunny-side-up egg. Get creative with a Japanese sweet potato PB&J by making potato slices into “toast” with a generous schmear of almond butter and jelly. Make a classic baked potato with all of your favorite fillings.
