Produce Briefs...
Orange Honeydew Melon
Oval-to-round and a delicious cross between a cantaloupe and a honeydew, the very fleshy juicy orangish-yellow pulp of the orange honeydew melon is encased in a hard very yellow matching rind.
Galia Melon
The Galia melon has a lightly netted golden yellow rind with a pale glacial green succulent flesh that has a signature spicy sweet flavor with tropical and perfumed aromatics.
Seasons/Availability
Camotes can be found year round; however their peak season is throughout the winter months.
Current Facts
Camotes are related to the morning glory and can be found in the ground beneath trailing vines. Camotes, or sweet potatoes, are often mistaken for yams. Yams grow only in the tropics, whereas you can find Camotes growing in warm climates outside of the tropics.
Description/Taste
Camotes, or sweet potatoes, are tuberous root vegetables. The mottled skin ranges in color from purples and reds to browns and oranges. The flesh of a Camote can be firm and dry, like a potato, though some can be soft and moist. They are softer when cooked and have a higher sugar content, which causes the flesh to caramelize when baked.
Applications
The Camote has a wide range of uses; it can be baked, fried, or mashed. Slice the Camote and dehydrate or bake the slices for chips. It can be added to a variety of sweet or savory dishes. In Central America, it is used to make soups or stews. The tops, or leaves can also be used in salads and are widely sold as leafy greens in Malaysia. Camotes are canned, cooked and frozen, or pureed and used as filling for pie. In China, Camotes or Zishu, are roasted in their skins in large drums and sold by street vendors. Roast whole and peel away the blackened skin to scoop out the softened flesh.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
The Camote has been used in folk medicine for generations in Central and South America. It can be used for asthma, burns, fever, stomach and intestinal distress, and tumors. The leaves have been used in tonics, as an astringent, bactericide, demulcent, fungicide, and laxative; it has also known to have an aphrodisiac quality.
Geography/History
Camotes are native to Central and South America, They grow abundantly in warm weather with very low chances of frost. It is one of the most important food crops in this region and both the roots (the Camote itself) and the leafy shoots are a vital source of nutrients. It is commercially produced in North Carolina and Louisiana in the United States. Camotes are a staple in dishes in India and China, where the Camote is known as "Zishu," and particularly in the Philippines, where it is known locally as the Kamote.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Camotes. One
is easiest, three is harder.
