Sweet potatoes are an important staple food, each type having unique characteristics and flavors that suit various recipes and tastes. This variety not only enriches Vietnamese cuisine but also diversifies nutritional sources.
Distinguishing Common Types of Potatoes
In addition to sweet potatoes and regular potatoes, many other root vegetables are also referred to as “potatoes” in Vietnam. They are rich sources of carbohydrates and contain many essential micronutrients, serving as ingredients for many delicious dishes.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes come in various types with different colors. (Photo: Washington Post).
Sweet potatoes feature a thin skin with various colors such as purple, yellow, red, or white. The flesh can also be richly colored, with names like white sweet potato, yellow sweet potato, and purple sweet potato often derived from these hues.
They typically have a sweet, creamy, soft, and fragrant taste. This root vegetable is packed with nutrients, including vitamins A and C, as well as antioxidants. Sweet potatoes can be roasted, boiled, fried, stewed, or used in baking.
Potatoes
Potatoes are a familiar food in daily meals. (Photo: Allrecipes).
Potatoes have a thin, smooth skin with yellow or white flesh, depending on the variety; their sizes can range from very small to very large. They have a nutty flavor that is less sweet than sweet potatoes.
Potatoes are a rich source of carbohydrates and contain many vitamins C and B6. Their versatility is immense, used in frying, baking, boiling, as well as in soups, stews, mashed dishes, salads, and even pasta and baked goods.
Taro
Taro has a large size with many horizontal grooves on its skin. (Photo: Destined247).
Taro is large with a brown skin that features many horizontal grooves. Based on the characteristics of the flesh, there are several types, such as purple taro, white taro, and yellow waxy taro.
Taro is commonly used in soups, stews, or baking. When cooked, it becomes soft and creamy with a rich flavor. This root provides high fiber, vitamins A, C, E, B6, folate, and essential minerals like magnesium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, and potassium.
Yam
Yams are often used in soups or boiled. (Photo: Mountain Farmers).
Yams are small, oval or round, with a thin skin that has many dark brown veins. The flesh inside is ivory or light green. They are sticky, with a rich, creamy, and lightly fragrant flavor. They are often used in soups, stews with meat, or made into yam cakes.
In addition to being high in fiber and starch, yams are also rich in calcium, iron, manganese, vitamins C and E, etc.
Mallow
Mallow is highly nutritious. (Photo: Vinmec).
Mallow has a dark brown-black skin and light purple or white flesh. Its texture is often crisp and smooth, with a rich, creamy, and slightly sticky taste, typically less sweet than sweet potatoes.
Mallow is often used to make soups or stews with meat and can also be stir-fried or fried. This food provides a lot of sodium, potassium, and vitamin C…
Cocoyam
Cocoyam. (Photo: Pinterest)
Cocoyam has a long shape, rough skin with many hairs, and smooth white flesh. This root vegetable has a light sweetness, fragrance, and stickiness, with a rich nutrient profile including many essential minerals and vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin B5, magnesium, manganese, potassium, thiamine, and folate…
Cocoyam is commonly used in soups, or can be boiled or roasted, depending on preference.
Cassava
Cassava is a common tuber among the Vietnamese. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Cassava has a long body, rough brown skin, and white flesh. The simplest way to prepare it is to boil and dip in sugar or steam with coconut milk. Cassava is also used to make sticky rice, desserts, cakes, or processed into flour for various dishes.
Ginger Lily
Ginger lily is an ingredient for making vermicelli. (Photo: Vnras).
Ginger lily is often referred to as “dong riềng” due to its shape resembling ginger roots but larger in size. The skin is purplish-red, with white flesh. Ginger lily is high in fiber, making it excellent for digestion and helpful in alleviating constipation. It is low in calories, making it beneficial for those looking to lose weight.
Other nutrients found in this root include vitamins B9, phosphorus, potassium, and iron…
White Dong (Dong Root)
Dong root has many health benefits. (Photo: Pinterest)
White dong root is long and slender, yellowish ivory in color, with white and fibrous flesh. It has a sweet, refreshing taste and is typically boiled and eaten directly or used to make vermicelli.
Land Sasa
Land Sasa resembles sweet potatoes in shape. (Photo: Pinterest).
Land Sasa, a famous specialty of Lao Cai, looks quite similar to sweet potatoes with yellowish or white flesh. This type of root is high in water content, with lower starch levels compared to other potatoes, and has a sweet, refreshing taste when eaten raw, becoming sweet and palatable when boiled. Land Sasa offers numerous health benefits, including digestive support and treatment of cardiovascular issues and diabetes…
