Vegetables
Sweet Potato
Sweet Potato is a market group of tapered storage roots whose skin and flesh colours vary by variety.
- 繁體中文
- 番薯
- English
- Sweet Potato
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Ubi jalar
- Tagalog
- Kamote
What is it?
Sweet Potato is a market group of tapered storage roots whose skin and flesh colours vary by variety. This page follows the authoritative HK-market name and identification scope.
How to identify it
Look for a tapered tuber with relatively smooth skin; purple, yellow or orange is not a universal rule.
- tuber commonly tapers at both ends
- skin is usually smoother than taro
- skin and flesh colours vary by variety
Common confusion
Taro has more fibrous ringed skin and may show fine purple flecks when cut; sweet potato is usually smoother.
Common Hong Kong household uses
Use Sweet Potato only where the recipe names it, following the stated amount and cooking method.
Preparation or handling
Wash thoroughly under clean running water immediately before preparation; CFS does not recommend soap or produce wash.
Storage
Follow CFS vegetable-storage guidance and purchase directions; if washed before storage, dry thoroughly first.
Helper tip
Taro has more fibrous ringed skin and may show fine purple flecks when cut; sweet potato is usually smoother.
What Ma’am or Sir may say
買番薯。The employer is asking you to buy Sweet Potato; check the market sign or original package.
Useful market phrase
我想買番薯。Does the image look correct?
Last reviewed
Sources
- Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department — Public Market Items Multilingual Booklet
- Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department — Public Market Items - Gourds
- Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department — Gourds and other vegetables Cantonese pinyin
- Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety — Safe and Fresh: Practical Tips for Storing Vegetables
- Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety — Pesticide Residues in Food - Frequently Asked Questions