How Sweet (Potato) It Is

Who’s the new star on restaurant menus high-end and low? The humble sweet potato, previously seen only at Thanksgiving dinners or soul food restaurants, is suddenly feeling the love.

Perhaps the rise of the sweet potato isn’t surprising the way french fries have been demonized as causing U.S. waistlines to swell. But as this Los Angeles Times article notes, years of health experts extolling the sweet potato as a healthy option didn’t do much to change consumption patterns. Then the sweet potato fry appeared on the scene, and the feeding frenzy was on!

The number of restaurants serving sweet potato dishes has risen 14 percent in three years, according to Technomic. Now, the Times reports, potato farmers are struggling to keep up with the craze, which has even spread overseas.

Now, sweet potato fries are starting to trickle down from higher-end and fast-casual chains to quick-service restaurants. With appeal to both parents and children, it’s no wonder the sweet potato fry is serving as the “thin end of the wedge” to introduce kids to this vegetable.

How is your restaurant using sweet potatoes? What do you think will be the next sweet-potato dish to hit it big?