Getting to Know Sweet Potato Plants That Are Rich in Nutrients

Sweet potato plants (Ipomoea batatas) which are known as cassava, huwi boled (Sunda), Tela rambat (Java), petatas (Papua), sweet potato (England), and shoyo (Japan) are sources of carbohydrates that are quite important in the digestive system. our food security. Since long ago, in Indonesia, sweet potatoes have become a staple food for the people in the villages. In Africa, sweet potatoes are an important staple food source.

The botanists and estimates of the area of origin of the sweet potato plant are New Zealand, Polynesia, and Central America. Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov, a Soviet botanist, confirmed that the primary center of origin for the sweet potato plant was Central America.

Sweet potatoes began to spread throughout the world, especially tropical climate countries in the 16th century. The Spaniards spread sweet potatoes to Asia, especially the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia.

The part of the sweet potato plant that is used is its root nutrition which forms tubers with high (carbohydrate) levels. In addition to carbohydrates as the main ingredient, sweet potatoes also contain vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals (antioxidants) and fiber (pectin, cellulose, hemicellulose).

In Asia, besides being used for the tuber, the young leaves of sweet potato are also made into vegetables. There are also sweet potatoes that are used as ornamental plants because of the beauty of their leaves.

There are several varieties of sweet potatoes in Indonesia, namely Daya, Borobudur, Prambanan, Mendut, Kalasan, Muara Takus, Cangkuang, Sewu, and Cilembu. Each variety has a distinctive taste that is different.

Sweet potatoes can be cultivated through stolons / vines. how to plant it is quite easy, by hoeing the land you want to plant so that the stolons / sweet potato vines are easily inserted into the soil. Sweet potatoes will grow well when the land is exposed to direct sunlight. Giving UREA or Organic fertilizer will increase the yield of a better crop.

Here are some variants of the sweet potato family that are popular in Indonesia.

1. Sweet Potato

Cilembu sweet potato is a sweet potato that is typical of the Cilembu area, Sumedang, West Java. This sweet potato has a creamy skin color. The color of the flesh or tuber contents is yellowish cream. The taste of Cilembu sweet potato is very sweet so it is suitable to be processed into boiled or roasted / baked sweet potatoes.

Cilembu sweet potato has an ivory skin, veins, and length, while the sap will melt like honey when roasted. This sweet potato is very sweet and fluffier, unlike most people. The sweet taste of Cilembu sweet potato will be more pronounced if the sweet potato is roasted in an open space, especially if the raw sweet potato is stored for more than one week.

2. Purple sweet potato

This sweet potato has a purple color on the skin and contents. Some purple sweet potatoes also have purple leaves when they are young or just sprouting. This sweet potato has a dark purple color with a sweet and savory taste.

Benefits of Purple Sweet Potatoes are full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are important for the body. The purple color of this tuber is obtained from the anthocyanin content. This compound is what makes purple sweet potatoes rich in antioxidants. The benefits of purple sweet potato can prevent disease and maintain overall health.

3. Red Potato

Red sweet potato, one type of sweet potato that is often processed into various dishes such as compote, fried food, and ice cream. Red sweet potatoes have a red color on the skin and inside. The taste of this sweet potato is sweet with a softer, imitative texture.

Based on research conducted by the Bogor Agricultural Institute, red sweet potatoes from Papua contain beta-carotene compounds that can reduce HIV/AIDS infection. So it is proposed to be the main diet of people with HIV / AIDS other ingredients.

When compared with other staple foods, ordinary sweet potatoes contain the highest vitamin A-forming compounds, reaching 14187 IU per 100 gram serving, or reaching 89% of daily needs. Beta carotene is one of the compounds forming vitamin A.

4. White Potato

This sweet potato has a white filling with a denser texture. White sweet potato has a sweet taste. For white sweet potatoes, the skin is yellow, red and purple.

Consuming white sweet potatoes not only has a good effect on health but is also a healthy snack. Rich in protein and fat that lowers blood sugar levels in diabetics.

5. Yellow Potato

This sweet potato has a yellow filling. For the skin, usually the skin is orange. There is also a yellow sweet potato with a red skin color. The content that is quite high in yellow sweet potatoes is vitamin A or beta carotene and vitamin C.

For those of you who are on a weight loss program, you can also eat yellow sweet potatoes because they only contain 105 calories in burned yellow sweet potatoes.

In addition, other nutrients that are no less important in sweet potatoes, such as vitamin B6, manganese, and potassium. The choline content in yellow sweet potatoes is also very good because it helps absorb fat and helps nourish the brain's nerve cells so that it increases memory.

With the many nutritional content in these sweet potatoes, it is very good for you to add sweet potatoes to your healthy menu every day. Thus the introduction of the sweet potato plant. Hopefully it will motivate you to enjoy it, feel the benefits, and also preserve it.