U.S. Sweet Potatoes All the Rage in Europe

Great Britain gave us Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, and John Lennon, so now we're returning the favor... sending the Brits all our sweet potatoes.

While the U.S. dollar sinks deeper into the toilet, American sweet potato exports, between 2005 and 2009, have more than doubled, reaching $51.4 million. Great Britain is the major buyer.

Wow, I can't picture our sophisticated tea-sipping neighbors to the east, cooking up those disgusting sweet potatoes with the marshmallows on top. My word!

American sweet potatoes are becoming very popular in Europe. In Ireland - yes, Ireland, the holy land for spuds - sweet potato imports from the United States are up $125,000. Not a lot? It was zero in 2005.

People from the South are going to laugh at this, but for a long time supermarkets in Europe branded sweet potatoes as in "exotic" vegetable. So, why is sweet potato mania now taking Europe by storm? One answer is kind of funny.

Food safety is a big deal in Europe, and size matters. Luckily new equipment has helped American farmers grow more uniform looking sweet potatoes, making them more acceptable by European standards. Just like the Brits, so concerned with keeping up appearances.

The North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission - no really, there's actually a potato commission - says increased marketing efforts and promotions in European supermarkets have also increased demand overseas.

I'm happy to see this. I think good trade relations between countries is necessary for global prosperity. Plus, sweet potatoes are so good, they're one of my favorite foods; baked, roasted, French fried, whatever! Just not with marshmallows, that way wreaks of mental illness. Sorry.

Now, if you want to add some class to your holiday meal, and not the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, try Mama Pugliese's sweet potato recipe.

Sweet Potatoes With Maple Syrup

3 to 4 sweet potatoes, cut into 1 inch thick slices
1/4 cup natural maple syrup
2 tbsp soy or almond milk
1/4 tsp cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice
Sprinkle of salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a shallow baking dish with non-stick spray. Add all of the ingredients on to a baking dish. Toss well to mix and coat potatoes. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Uncover, turn gently, and continue cooking for an additional 20 minutes, or until fork-tender.

Image credit: DisneyLiving

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