National Cook a Sweet Potato Day

Categories:: Food & Beverage
Tags:: Cooking Healthy Food Vegetable
Where:: United States
Date change rule:: Every February 22
Holiday emoji:: 🍠

National Cook a Sweet Potato Day arrives every February 22, inviting everyone to celebrate this incredibly versatile and nutritious root vegetable. From savory to sweet, there are countless ways to enjoy sweet potatoes. Experiment with new recipes, share your favorite dishes, and inspire others to cook up some sweet potato goodness!

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Platforms
Social
Hero
History
Timeline
Businesses
FAQs
Importance
Celebrate

Expected National Cook a Sweet Potato Day Deals

While we await official 2027 promotions, history shows that grocery stores and specialty food retailers often feature sweet potato deals. Look for discounts on fresh sweet potatoes at stores like Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s, and Kroger. Restaurants, including health-focused chains and farm-to-table eateries, may offer limited-time menu items featuring sweet potatoes, such as sweet potato fries, roasted sweet potato bowls, or sweet potato pies. Brands like Alexia Foods might promote their frozen sweet potato products, and cookware brands such as Le Creuset or Staub could highlight bakeware perfect for roasting. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as February 22 approaches.

Platform Guide for National Cook a Sweet Potato Day

Instagram

Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #CookASweetPotatoDay. Share vibrant photos of your sweet potato creations, from savory fries to sweet casseroles, or a quick recipe video.

TikTok

Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #CookASweetPotatoDay. Film a quick-cut video demonstrating a unique sweet potato recipe, or a ‘sweet potato vs. yam’ explainer.

Facebook

Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #CookASweetPotatoDay. Share your family’s favorite sweet potato recipe or a poll asking how people prefer to cook them.

National Cook a Sweet Potato Day Hero

George Washington Carver

George Washington Carver (c. 1864–1943) was an American agricultural scientist and inventor who promoted alternative crops to cotton, such as peanuts and sweet potatoes. His research at the Tuskegee Institute developed hundreds of uses for these crops, helping Southern farmers improve soil health and diversify their income. Carver's work significantly elevated the economic importance and public awareness of sweet potatoes.

History of National Cook a Sweet Potato Day

Sweet Potatoes are widely consumed by billions across the globe and mainly in America. This sweet root vegetable is very versatile and is used in salads and soups and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, snack, or dinner. The most important part of the vegetable is the starchy tuberous roots. Nevertheless, the leaves and shoots are also edible. Eating cooked tubers can increase their nutritional value and digestibility; however, many American colonists in the Southeast consumed raw sweet potatoes.

Sweet potatoes are a distant relative of the common potato as they both belong in the order Solanales. It is believed that before Western exploration, sweet potatoes were grown in Polynesia. Later, it is said they have spread to Central or South America typically through the spread of vine cuttings rather than seeds. In fact, it is believed that Central America domesticated sweet potatoes around 5,000 years ago. According to the Peruvian sweet potato remnants found in South America, it has been observed that they date back to 8000 B.C.

In 1594, sweet potatoes were introduced in the Fujian province of China from Luzon. Governor Chin Hsüeh-Tseng (Jin Xuezeng) further encouraged growing sweet potatoes. In the year 2019, the global production of sweet potatoes was measured at 92 million tonnes. China led this production with 56% of the world’s total.

Sweet potatoes also arrived in Europe and it is recorded in “Elinor Fettiplace’s Receipt Book,” compiled in England in 1604.

National Cook a Sweet Potato Day timeline

16th Century

Sweet Potatoes Become a Delicacy

Sweet Potatoes are introduced in Europe and declared a delicacy.

1521 — 1598

Sweet Potatoes in the Philippines

Sweet potatoes are introduced in the Philippines.

1764

Sweet Potatoes in Korea

Sweet potatoes are introduced in Korea.

1995

North’s Carolina’s State Vegetable

The General Assembly officially designates sweet potatoes as the state vegetable.

How Businesses Can Celebrate National Cook a Sweet Potato Day

Local restaurants can feature sweet potato specials, from gourmet sweet potato fries with unique dipping sauces to sweet potato-based desserts. Grocery stores can host cooking demonstrations, offering samples of roasted sweet potatoes or sweet potato casseroles, and provide recipe cards. Farmers’ markets can highlight local sweet potato growers and offer tips on selecting and storing the best tubers. Even non-food businesses can participate by sharing healthy sweet potato recipes with employees or customers.

National Cook a Sweet Potato Day FAQs

When is National Cook a Sweet Potato Day?

In 2027, National Cook a Sweet Potato Day will be observed on Monday, February 22. This mid-week timing encourages home cooks to incorporate quick and easy sweet potato dishes into their weeknight meals.

What is the difference between a sweet potato and a yam?

While both are root vegetables, yams are botanically different from sweet potatoes. True yams are native to Africa and Asia, while sweet potatoes originated in the Americas. The ‘yam’ found in most U.S. supermarkets is actually a soft, orange-fleshed sweet potato.

How many varieties of sweet potatoes are there?

Globally, sweet potatoes boast thousands of distinct varieties, with new cultivars constantly being developed. In the U.S., popular types include the orange-fleshed Beauregard and Jewel, known for their sweetness, and the firmer, drier Japanese sweet potato.

What are the health benefits of sweet potatoes?

Beyond their delicious taste, sweet potatoes offer significant health advantages. They contain antioxidants that combat inflammation, and their complex carbohydrates provide sustained energy, making them an excellent choice for a balanced diet.

National Cook a Sweet Potato Day Activities

Plant a sweet potato vine
Planting sweet potato vines is quite easy, especially if you have a garden. Plant it in late spring to early summer. Space them 10 to 36 inches apart depending on the variety. If you’re using a pot, use high-quality, all-purpose potting soil and ensure that the containers have drainage holes in the bottom.
Read “Little Sweet Potato”
Read “Little Sweet Potato” to your child as a bedtime story. The book explores Little Sweet Potato’s quest to find a home that's just right for him.
Make sweet potato fries
Craving those delicious potato french fries? Mix it up and make sweet potato fries instead. Put on a movie or show and snack away on your tasty and healthy meal.

5 Sweet Facts About Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potato vs. Yams
Contrary to popular beliefs, sweet potatoes and yams aren’t the same — the former is a sweet root vegetable and the latter is a starchy tuber.
Hot seasons
Sweet potatoes like long and hot growing seasons as compared to regular potatoes.
Variety of colors
Sweet potatoes come in different colors such as orange, white, and purple.
Popularity
Sweet potatoes are very popular in many parts of the world and a staple in Uganda and Rwanda.
State vegetable
Sweet potato is the state vegetable of North Carolina in the United States.

Why We Love National Cook a Sweet Potato Day

They’re super healthy
Sweet potatoes are super healthy. They’re high in fiber and low in fat and calories. They also contain more vitamin A and C along with a load of minerals and vitamins. They are also rich in beta carotene, an antioxidant that helps to protect the body against free radicals.
Used for multiple purposes
Sweet potatoes aren’t just used for eating but also for other purposes. The juice of the red sweet potato is often mixed with lime juice to make a dye for cloth in South America. In fact, by varying the proportions of the juice, multiple shades from pink to black can be obtained.
Beneficial for fish
Subject to good lighting conditions and a steady supply of nutrients, sweet potato vine cuttings will rapidly form roots in water and grow in it. Owing to this, they can be used for in-home aquariums and trailing out of the water with their roots submerged. The growth is fueled by toxic ammonia and nitrates, a waste product of aquatic life, which it removes from the water. Thus, this can improve the living conditions for fish.