Since when has a sweet potato been a 'new food'?

Posted on 22 Nov. 2016
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cookbuzz Editorial

More global travel for today's youth is one of the reasons we've been shunning original staple foods for more exotic alternatives. Sadly, it seems to be a case of 'in the blue corner: bread, rice and pasta, and in the red corner: cous cous, quinoa, chorizo and olives'. A survey carried out by butter brand Lurpak's Spreadable Infusions uncovered a whole range of modern ingredients that now appear in our everyday shop. Sweet potatoes top the list with an increase of 55% in the last 12 months, with Greek yoghurt (46%) and hummus (35%) not far behind. Also in the list are lentils (33%), halloumi (19%) and soya milk (13%). But it's not just foreign ingredients that are jumping into our baskets. Traditional food variations such as pitta breads, bagels, almond milk and feta cheese have also seen a marked increase, as consumers lean towards more international tastes. The humble white loaf is almost an anachronism as we're quite happy to push it aside and have a baguette nestle alongside a wholemeal plait next to a flatbread. Lurpak's Infusions range bows to the trend for new, bold and exciting flavours, introducing Smoked Chipotle, Chilli & Lime and Sea Salt & Pink Peppercorn spreads. You might not even need any fillings, they sound so good. How about going a step further and mixing them into dressings, sauces or dips? We might bemoan the dearth of the plain white roll with some margarine, but who really isn't excited by a dollop of something unfamiliar but tempting on an almost unpronounceable flatbread or wrap?

Pictured above is Sweet Potato in a Honey Salad, see the recipe here.