Sweetest Of Spuds: A Tuber's Very Brief History

Americas

Origin and Staple Food: Sweet potatoes were a vital part of the diets of Caribbean islanders long before European contact.

Columbus Discovers Them (1492): When Columbus landed in the Bahamas, he encountered sweet potatoes and noted their similarities to African yams.

Spanish Jesuit's Comment: A Spanish Jesuit praised sweet potatoes, calling them “a good thing to eat.”

British Isles

John Gerard's Herball (1597): The English herbalist included an illustration of the sweet potato and noted its nourishing qualities.

Popularity in England: Sweet potatoes became popular, with many early “potato” recipes likely referring to sweet potatoes.

Grown for Henry VIII: They were cultivated at Hampton Court, introduced to Henry VIII by Catherine of Aragon.

Local Cultivation

Post-Catherine of Aragon: After Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine disintegrated, sweet potatoes were grown locally at Hampton Court.

Good Huswife’s Jewell (1596): The first printed recipe containing sweet potatoes described how to make a tart that was “a courage to a man or woman.”

New England

Absence in Pilgrim's Diet (1621): Pilgrims in early New England did not have sweet potatoes, as they were not native to the region and not mentioned in early settlement records.

Oldest US References from England: Early American references to sweet potatoes are actually found in English documents.

Modern References

Folger Library Recipe from Warwickshire: A recently unearthed recipe for sweet potato pudding from Warwickshire calls for sweet potatoes, eggs, sugar, and sherry, highlighting the transatlantic exchange of the vegetable.