Produce
Sweet potato
Also called kumara, Sweet Potatoes
A starchy, sweet tuber (Ipomoea batatas), not a potato and not a true yam. In Peruvian ceviche a boiled slice cools chilli and lime.
Origin
Central and South America. Korean kitchens treat it as a snack and a stew vegetable; Andean kitchens treat it as a side to raw fish.
Flavour
Sweet, chestnutty when roasted, more like pumpkin than like a white potato. Burnt sugars on the cut face taste bitter, not caramel.
How to use it
For ceviche, boil or steam a slab until just tender, then cool — it should take the heat of the chilli without falling apart. For dakgalbi, cut into chunks that will cook in the same time as the chicken, in a little oil and sauce, so they glaze rather than mash. Roasting at a proper heat gives caramelised edges; steaming keeps the flavour cleaner. Ordinary potato will not give the same sweetness next to lime; pumpkin is closer in flavour and weaker in structure.
Storage
Cool, dark, ventilated. Cut raw pieces discolour; cook them soon.
Recipes using it
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