Sweet, dense, and ultra-nutritious, sweet potatoes are the ultimate cool weather comfort food. Specialty food producers are catching wise to the appeal of the vividly-hued tubers, and are incorporating sweet potatoes into all sorts of sweet and savory gourmet products. Here's a roundup of great sweet potato specialty foods:
1. Food Should Taste Good Sweet Potato Chips
Image Courtesy of Food Should Taste Good
Regular readers of this site may have noticed that I often mention the tortilla chips from Food Should Taste Good. That's because they're reliably tasty, they've got a great crunch, and they're made from recognizable ingredients. The Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips capitalize on the natural affinity between stone ground corn and sweet potato; a touch of sea salt sharpens the flavors and adds balance. As chips go, these are a pretty healthy choice, too — a serving provides 3 grams of fiber and 20% of the daily value for Vitamin A. Certified Vegan and Gluten Free. OU Kosher. GMO-Free. Available in supermarkets nationwide, or buy online by the case at foodshouldtastegood.com. Price: $23.76/case of 24 1.5-oz bags; $39.48/12-bag case of 6-oz bags.
2. Sweet Marguerites Sweet Potato Chocolates
Image courtesy of Sweet Marguerites, © William Swoboda
Sweet Marguerites Artisanal Chocolates explores the elusive savory qualities of so-called "fifth taste" with its Umami chocolates; the special line includes a sweet potato carmel accented with white chocolate and panko bread crumbs. Shop online at sweetmarguerites.com. Price: $9 for a 5-piece, 5-flavor Umami sampler. Also available in single-flavor boxes of 5, 12 ($18) or 24 ($34).
3. Lowcountry Produce Sweet Potato Butter
A 2010 sofi™ Award Silver finalist, Lowcountry Produce's Sweet Potato butter is smooth and lush. Spread it on muffins, biscuits, or toast. Mix it into pancake batter, use it in place of tomato sauce on homemade pizza dough, or bake it into puff pastry shells or tartlets. Shop online at lowcountyproduce.com. Price: $8/16 oz.
4. Polka Dot Bake Shop Sweet Potato CrispiThins
Cupcakes earned the Charlotte-based Polka Dot Bake Shop a devoted local following. Now, with the launch of its savory Sweet Potato CrispiThins, the bakery is poised to gain fans throughout the country. Inspired by North Carolina's top crop, Polka Dot Bake Shop's crunchy cracker thins come in Original, Cracked Black Pepper, Rosemary & Olive Oil, and Chipotle with Smoked Paprika flavors. A gluten-free sweet potato cracker is in the works. Available at specialty shops around the country, or online at polkadotbakeshop.com. Star-K Kosher. Price: $28 for a 4-box, 4-flavor sampler.