Post by macmex on Dec 14, 2020 15:44:30 GMT
At least in a large portion of the Pacific Rim region, white fleshed sweet potatoes are very popular. Our family lived in Mexico from the late 80s until 2005 and there, until I brought in some other varieties, we were pretty much limited to a red skinned, white fleshed sweet potato, which was commonly called Morado (red/purple). This sweet potato had red skin and white flesh. We found it drier than the traditional American sweet potato, but it was good. In fact, after 13 years I really started to get into this sweet potato, all the while growing my collection of varieties in my Mexican garden. I did find some orange fleshed sweet potatoes there, as well as purples. But the white fleshed was by far most common, and, in my observations it sold much better in the market place.
When we returned to live in the USA I was SO TEMPTED to bring along some slips of my sweet potatoes, but that was strictly against the USDA's rules, so I left them all. I fondly remembered El Morado, not finding anything quite like it for some time. I started growing Brinkley White, which is an excellent sweet potato, albeit different in texture and flavor from Morado.
In 2013 I had a catastrophic failure of all my sweet potato roots, set aside for slips. They had gotten too cold and refused to grow. Biting the bullet, I contacted Gary Schaum, of Duck Creek Farms, and set about ordering slips so as to have a crop that year. In extreme generosity, Gary not only sent me the varieties I requested but also asked me if I'd try some others. He ended up sending me more slips than I could have afforded, and definitely more than I would have dreamed of growing that year. Among them was Grand Asia, whose description reminded me of Morado, down in the Republic of Mexico. I grew it, and, sure enough, it resembles that sweet potato so closely that I could not tell the difference. I was ecstatic about reconnecting with an old friend.
Since that time I've seen a variety labeled Morado offered. I bet it's the very same, but I resisted getting it, as Grand Asia works just fine.
Grand Asia consistently makes huge crops in my garden, just as Morado out produced all other varieties I trialed in Mexico. Sometimes I estimate that it produces four times the weight in roots as some other varieties. It is definitely a vigorous sweet potato variety.
This sweet potato may strike you as "hoe hum" in flavor if you don't give it time to cure after harvest. I wait until Thanksgiving to start using it in the kitchen. Also, I've noticed that longer cooking brings out the sugars and even makes it a bit moister in texture. It can be somewhat dry at times. I just had one, though, which I cooked 90 minutes at 325 F, and it was pretty moist and quite sweet. It's nearly impossible to convey the flavor of this sweet potato. It's delicate, yet quite filling. I consider this, or one like it, to be a necessity in my garden.
This is a root, baked for 90 minutes. No sweetening necessary, not even if you have a sweet tooth!
Some years ago Grand Asia threw a yellow fleshed sport. I saved some roots and planted it to try it out. It took two seasons to get a decent sample, as we had rodent problems. In 2018 I decided not to keep the yellow fleshed version. It was just "okay," nothing special. But I've been two years now, rouging out that yellow fleshed variant. It's pretty persistant. Hopefully in 2021 I will be back to all white fleshed Grand Asias. Back in the 90s Morado threw a deep orange fleshed sport in my Mexico garden. That sport had excellent flavor and quality. I don't know why, but in my experience, white fleshed sweet potatoes can sometimes change to yellow or orange fleshed, and that, through vegetative propagation, not seeds.
When we returned to live in the USA I was SO TEMPTED to bring along some slips of my sweet potatoes, but that was strictly against the USDA's rules, so I left them all. I fondly remembered El Morado, not finding anything quite like it for some time. I started growing Brinkley White, which is an excellent sweet potato, albeit different in texture and flavor from Morado.
In 2013 I had a catastrophic failure of all my sweet potato roots, set aside for slips. They had gotten too cold and refused to grow. Biting the bullet, I contacted Gary Schaum, of Duck Creek Farms, and set about ordering slips so as to have a crop that year. In extreme generosity, Gary not only sent me the varieties I requested but also asked me if I'd try some others. He ended up sending me more slips than I could have afforded, and definitely more than I would have dreamed of growing that year. Among them was Grand Asia, whose description reminded me of Morado, down in the Republic of Mexico. I grew it, and, sure enough, it resembles that sweet potato so closely that I could not tell the difference. I was ecstatic about reconnecting with an old friend.
Since that time I've seen a variety labeled Morado offered. I bet it's the very same, but I resisted getting it, as Grand Asia works just fine.
Grand Asia consistently makes huge crops in my garden, just as Morado out produced all other varieties I trialed in Mexico. Sometimes I estimate that it produces four times the weight in roots as some other varieties. It is definitely a vigorous sweet potato variety.
This sweet potato may strike you as "hoe hum" in flavor if you don't give it time to cure after harvest. I wait until Thanksgiving to start using it in the kitchen. Also, I've noticed that longer cooking brings out the sugars and even makes it a bit moister in texture. It can be somewhat dry at times. I just had one, though, which I cooked 90 minutes at 325 F, and it was pretty moist and quite sweet. It's nearly impossible to convey the flavor of this sweet potato. It's delicate, yet quite filling. I consider this, or one like it, to be a necessity in my garden.
This is a root, baked for 90 minutes. No sweetening necessary, not even if you have a sweet tooth!
Some years ago Grand Asia threw a yellow fleshed sport. I saved some roots and planted it to try it out. It took two seasons to get a decent sample, as we had rodent problems. In 2018 I decided not to keep the yellow fleshed version. It was just "okay," nothing special. But I've been two years now, rouging out that yellow fleshed variant. It's pretty persistant. Hopefully in 2021 I will be back to all white fleshed Grand Asias. Back in the 90s Morado threw a deep orange fleshed sport in my Mexico garden. That sport had excellent flavor and quality. I don't know why, but in my experience, white fleshed sweet potatoes can sometimes change to yellow or orange fleshed, and that, through vegetative propagation, not seeds.
