# Sweet potato fries **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 12, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157 "2013-05-12T16:09:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/41 "2013-05-16T13:29:04Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > I’m so confused. I’ve never been able to get this one. What is the difference, exactly? > **[What’s the difference between yams and sweet potatoes?](https://www.straightdope.com/21342461/what-s-the-difference-between-yams-and-sweet-potatoes)** > [@Cecil Adams](#): > > Contrary to what even some grocery store produce guys think, yams and sweet potatoes are unrelated vegetables, though in both cases you’re eating the root of a tropical vine. Sweet potatoes, _Ipomoea batatas_ (“batata” is the original Taino name, whence potato), are an American plant of the morning glory family, whereas yams are of the genus _Dioscorea_. Yams, which are rarely seen in the U.S. and Canada but are a staple in tropical regions, can grow up to seven feet in length. ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/42 "2013-05-16T15:58:34Z")
> [@Miss\_Woodhouse](#): > > I can’t imagine them with ketchup. that would just be nasty. The flavors wouldn’t work together at all. Sweet potato fries are, however, absolutely fantastic with creamy honey mustard sauce. I’m not a big fan of sweet potatoes, but I do love them with honey mustard. So good. This. I discovered them for the first time at an area O’Charley’s not too long ago. I’d never even heard of them, but decided to give them a go, based on my server’s recommend AND she suggested the honey-mustard over the ketchup. It was a match made in heaven. 🙂 If you’re using ketchup, stop. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/43 "2013-05-16T16:40:10Z")
Hm, honey mustard just might work. I don’t think that’s been an option anywhere I’ve seen them, though. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/44 "2013-05-16T16:45:19Z")
Sweet Potato Fries must be cut rather thick or else they shrivel up into chewy nothing. Also, they’re really good with some kind of spicy mayo dip. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/45 "2013-05-16T17:53:44Z")
Aioli goes with both y’know, sweet and regular. And…the frozen sweet potato fries from Trader Joe’s are not bad at all. White foods (potatoes, pasta, rice, bread, etc) turn to sugar; sweet potato fries are an okay substitute for those on restricted diets. ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/46 "2013-05-16T18:10:05Z")
I like them with a mixture of sriracha and ketchup for dipping. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/47 "2013-05-16T18:35:41Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > I’m so confused. I’ve never been able to get this one. What is the difference, exactly? American yams are different from African yams. They aren’t the same thing, at all. Some people like to be pedantic and claim that the american yams aren’t really yams. The same people also like to cliam that what we call cantelope isn’t really cantelope. Those people typically don’t understand how language works. (And sweet potato fries are a big fat meh.) ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/48 "2013-05-16T19:46:48Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > We make them on occasion. Toss in a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, then pop them under the broiler for a bit until they develop a crispy exterior. Turn them, do the same. We do this at home as well. They’re yummy! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/49 "2013-05-16T20:09:29Z")
Given that “American yams” already have another perfectly good unambiguous name, and given that calling them both “yams” leads to absurd statements like “Yams aren’t related to yams”, I hardly think it’s pedantic at all. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/50 "2013-05-16T21:43:19Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Given that “American yams” already have another perfectly good unambiguous name, and given that calling them both “yams” leads to absurd statements like “Yams aren’t related to yams”, I hardly think it’s pedantic at all. It is. It’s a perfectly valid name for certain types of sweet potatoes, and every dictionary I’ve seen recognizes it. It doesn’t cause confusion until someone pops up and says "those aren’t really yams!’ African yams are all but nonexistant in this country, and foods go by different names in different parts of the world all the time. What we call wasabi in the US isn’t what was originally called wasabi. It’s horseradish. Ditto canteloupes/musk melons. But everyone knows what you’re talking about when you ask for those things. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/51 "2013-05-16T21:46:14Z")
African yams can be deep fried, but it is not the best preparation for them, as they can get dry and fiberous and don’t really get a good crust. Boiled yams, though, are heavenly. A small plate of boiled yams holds the promise of absolute carbohydrate fullness like no other food. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/52 "2013-05-16T23:13:38Z")
> [@Miss\_Woodhouse](#): > > I can’t imagine them with ketchup. that would just be nasty. The flavors wouldn’t work together at all. Sweet potato fries are, however, absolutely fantastic with creamy honey mustard sauce. I’m not a big fan of sweet potatoes, but I do love them with honey mustard. So good. Red Robin’s sweet potato fries are the best out of all the spf’s I’ve tried. I prefer them to their steak fries. They serve them with a spicy ketchup and the combo is heavenly! ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/53 "2013-05-21T00:55:52Z")
Love love love sweet potato fries. Around these here parts they’re usually served with a mayo or other creamy dip. ---
**Author:** ![ChickaPicosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@ChickaPicosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChickaPicosa)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/54 "2013-05-21T22:50:58Z")
I adore sweet potato fries. I regularly make them at home in the oven, tossed in a little olive oil and roasted red pepper & garlic spice. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157.md?page=2)