Filipino Sweet Treat: Camote Delight

I always find Filipino delicacies very tempting. Whether in the malls or street stalls, it's always as if it calls out for me to buy some.

Last week, while browsing through the Cebu tag, I bumped into a post about Camote Delight. There is probably more than a thousand food posts here, but that particular one really caught my eye. Drooling while looking at the photos, I just knew I had to make my own the next chance I get.

Good thing is my hubby didn't forget to buy the ingredients, so here it is! My own version of @thian2817's Camote "Sweet Potato" Delight.

Here are the ingredients I used:

• 1 kg purple sweet potatoes
• 1 big can condensed milk
• 1 cup margarine or butter (My take is, margarine works better with kamote.)
• banana leaf, for presentation (optional)

The procedure is super simple, it won't really take so much of your time.

1 ) Boil the sweet potatoes until soft. Length of time may vary depending on the burner or pot used, but in my case, it took about 25-30 minutes.

2 ) Let cool and set aside prior to peeling. It may cause serious burns if you're going to peel while steaming hot.

3 ) In a bowl, mash the sweet potatoes, most preferrably, right after peeling.

4 ) Pour in the condensed milk and continue mashing. This incorporates the ingredients, this way, you can determine the sweetness of the mixture.

5 ) Add in the margarine and continue mashing until the ingredients are evenly mixed together. Be cautious in adding margarine because too much of it may affect the consistency of the mixture.

Once you're done mixing, it's time to mold. You have two (2) options to do so:

1. You can spread the mixture on a flat tray, let cool in the fridge, and slice in squares afterwards, or;
2. You can mold them with the palm of your hands (that's what I did) and lay them on top of a banana leaf or serving platter.

There you have it! A very easy-to-prepare sweet treat that kids of all ages will surely love. Not only is it delicious; some health benefits also go along with it.

I also created a quick video of us making this Kamote Delight. Check it out below:

Let me also share with you some important facts and trivia about this not-so-humble root crop.

The sweet potato is one of the oldest vegetables. It is a root vegetable that produces large, starchy and tuberous roots, which belongs to the family Convolvulaceae along with water spinach and morning glory. Any tropical and warm regions where there is sufficient water is a good location for sweet potatoes to be cultivated.

Sweet potatoes are believed to have originated in either Central or South America. Because sweet potatoes are a reliable crop and a good source of carbohydrates, it has been introduced to many parts of the globe, from Polynesia to Hawaii all the way to New Zealand, China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines and to the Africas.

Here's what sweet potatoes are being called in other countries:

Philippines - kamote or camote	Argentina and Puerto Rico - batata
Peru - kumar	Polynesian and New Zealand - kumara
Caribbean - boniato	India - shakar-kandi
China - fan shu	Fiji - kumala
Indonesia - ubi-jalar	Japan - Satsuma imo
Malaysia - keledek	Sri Lanka - bath-ala
Thailand - man-thet	Southern parts of India - kelang

Wow! Who would have thought that the sweet potato is everywhere! Aside from having very interesting names, the sweet potato has a lot of health benefits, too. Let's check them out:

• Sweet potatoes can improve your digestion.
• It also boosts your immune system.
• If you want to gain or lose weight, sweet potatoes are a good addition to your diet.
• Since it's high in beta-carotene, sweet potatoes are effective in curing inflammation, both internal and external.
• The aroma of sweet potatoes are effective in curing nose congestion.
• Sweet potatoes are also known to be a good remedy to drinking and smoking addictions.

Do you feel like having a basket full of sweet potatoes now? Go get some, satisfy your sweet tooth, and stay healthy while you're at it.

Thank you for reading!

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