The moist, orange flesh of the sweet potato, made succulent by the addition of butter and spices, is a staple on Southern tables at holidays and, thanks to modern growing methods, at any other time. It is just as American as apple pie, perhaps even more so, since it was one of the plants that Columbus found growing in abundance in the "New World," called batata by the natives. And to clear up a misnomer, sweet potatoes are not yams. The sweet potato is a storage root while yams are tubers, bulbous underground stems. For the health conscious, sweet potatoes are listed among the "whole foods," foods that have not had their nutrients processed out. Fresh Grocer Tony Tantillo says sweet potatoes, "ounce for ounce, provide more vitamin A from beta-carotene than carrots, half of your daily requirement of vitamin C, more fiber than oatmeal, potassium, iron and vitamin B6." And two-thirds cup of sweet potatoes provide 100 percent of the daily requirement of vitamin E, he said.

An average-sized sweet potato has a little more than 100 calories, no fat, no cholesterol and is loaded with minerals and fiber. And www.bellybytes.com touts sweet potatoes pack a powerful wallop for good health. "They pack a triple punch against cancer with folate, vitamin C and beta-carotene; contributes to heart health with potassium and B6; controls cataracts with vitamin A; fights osteoporosis with potassium, magnesium, fiber, vitamin C and beta-carotene; and beats the blues with vitamin B6.

While sweet potatoes do their magic from the insides, they can also be used to beautify the outsides. One submission to www.makeyourcosmetics.com praises the beta-carotene in sweet potatoes as particularly good for the skin and suggests combining cooked sweet potato with honey, egg yolk and rose oil to be used as a facial.

Garnering o-o-o-ohs and a-a-a-ahs at the table, sweet potatoes can be used in sweet and savory recipes, adding their distinctive flavor and particular nutritional punch to any dish.

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