Sweet Potato Candy

[KazeCraven]

So I baked a sweet potato today... a bit too long.

Normally, when this happens I get a black, burnt mess in my oven. Today, however, I decided I would try cooking at a lower temperature to avoid this. To my surprise, my sweet potato still leaked, but upon scraping the stuff off the pan and cooling it under water (trying to actually wash it away) I had what looked, and subsequently tasted, like candy.

In short, out of pure luck, I distilled some sugar out of the sweet potato, carmelized it, and formed it into a tasty hunk of flavored sugar. Yum!

Or, should I say, Yam!

 

[aracaris]

I don't really imagine particularly liking it (not a huge fan of sweet potatoes), but I'm kind of curious what a candied sweet potato would taste like. I have some sweet potato fries that I'm going to try as well, have a feeling I won't really like them, but I could be surprised.
I have birds that love sweet potatoes and yams though.

 

[KazeCraven]

Actually, I've had sweet potato fries, and I have to say that I like potato fries better, despite liking sweet potatoes.

And the 'candy' was pretty mellow as far as candies go; not really as sweet as most candies I've had, unless I've just forgotten what candies taste like (not a big fan of sweets, so I just don't eat them). Probably because of the water in the sweet potato (and the water I used to cool it off). I'd imagine it wouldn't take off very well, even if I managed to refine the method.

 

[echoplex]

Yeah, I think I've had something similar, like how it sort of caramelizes in the pan, taking in almost all the sugar it seems. I love sweet potatoes, and I'm glad the food finally has its own thread. It's about friggin time. (next up: onions, garlic, blueberries, ...)

 

[Ska]

If any food is deserving of it's own thread it is definitely tacos!

 

[Cognisant]

A sushi thread would be fun.

 

[shoeless]

i approve of a sushi thread. i had the most AMAZING sushi ever in florida a few weeks ago. it was pretty godly.

anyway, i love sweet potato fries. possibly more than i love potato potato fries. of course, you have to do it right.

i think i might make some this week, that sounds pretty delicious.

 

[Thoughtful]

Pizza thread. Actually, we already have a movie section and a music section, why no food section? the INTP connoisseurs must be heard!

 

[Grove]

There is such a thing as potato candy, and depending on where they were from, your great-grandparents knew about it. I'm not going to look it up right now, but I think the process has something to do with mashing the potatoes, adding sugar and food coloring until you get a dough like substance. Then roll it out, cut thin strips and roll those strips up. I'm imagining it is something like the cow tail candy.

 

[KazeCraven]

Hmmm, interesting. I'm not too terribly surprised.