Sweet potato

Sweet potatoes have deep ties to the American South and southern regional cooking. They are an important agricultural crop in the southern states, though they are grown elsewhere in the country (New Jersey and California being the other top producers) as well. The flesh is naturally sweet due to an enzyme in the potato that converts the majority of its starches to sugar as the potato matures. Still, most traditional American recipes call for generous quantities of additional sweeteners such as maple syrup, brown sugar, molasses, and, of course, marshmallows for the odd, but apparently essential, candied sweet potatoes served for Thanksgiving dinner. This strange combination was popularized in the 1920s, and though it is doubtful that anyone other than young children actually likes it, the dish is so ingrained in the holiday menu we will probably never be rid of it.