Vegetarian Ventures: Love Letter to a Sweet Potato

Dear Sweet Potato,

I have been enamored with you ever since our first encounter. I still remember the day when my mom fed me a spoon of you, puréed, from an Earth’s Best baby food jar, and I immediately knew that I could never look at any other vegetable the same way again. It is you that I can thank for the healthy orange tinge to my skin and hair during my childhood, almost like a natural spray tan. My parents used to warn me that if I ate too many of you I would turn into a sweet potato, but that only encouraged me to eat more.

I cannot imagine celebrating the holidays without you. You are always dressed to impress, baked to perfection and sprinkled with a dash of cinnamon and brown sugar. You carry with you the essence of autumn, family, togetherness, and cold nights spent huddled by the fireplace. On Thanksgiving I give thanks for your presence in my life, and you are always the greatest gift on Christmas.

I will forever treasure the time we spent together in Peru, where I learned that you were first cultivated by the Incas 10,000 years ago. Learning about your heritage was an informative and enriching experience, and I now feel that I understand you on a deeper level. I could tell that you felt at home in Peru because you were especially sweet and flavorful; I sincerely hope that one day we can return to your homeland to settle down together.

Thank you for not only pleasing my taste buds but also satisfying my nutritional needs by providing me with beta-carotene, vitamin B6, magnesium, and copious other vitamins and minerals. Without you in my life, I would be sad, lonely, and plagued by nutritional deficiencies. I love you in all of your many forms—roasted, steamed, baked, grilled, even puréed out of a jar—and I appreciate that you love me in all of mine. You have witnessed my transformation from an orange baby into a happy, healthy young woman, helping me to grow in ways that a regular potato never could.

Always and forever,
Sophie

-Sophie Litwin