Wild Sweet Potato looks similar to chestnuts, but it tastes even sweeter and more fragrant. The aroma of wild sweet potato can be smelled from a distance of about 20 meters. Is it safe to eat wild sweet potatoes raw?
Image of Wild Sweet Potato
Can wild sweet potatoes be eaten raw?
Wild sweet potatoes contain a higher amount of resistant starch when eaten raw, making it difficult to digest. It is best to cook them before consumption.
During the heating process, resistant starch is converted into regular starch, making it easier to absorb the nutrients.
How to eat wild sweet potatoes
1. The fruits of wild sweet potatoes can be eaten. They are very aromatic and sweet when ripe, and the fragrance can be smelled from a distance of about 20 meters.
In the Sichuan region, it is said that wild sweet potatoes are ripe on the 6th day of the 6th lunar month, and become soft and rotten on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month. Therefore, the best time to eat wild sweet potatoes is in midsummer.
2. After cleaning the wild sweet potatoes, remove the stem on both ends before eating.
Note that there are male and female wild sweet potatoes, and only the male ones should be eaten. The female ones are dry and inedible. Also, do not consume ones that have worms inside.
Image of Wild Sweet Potato
Medicinal uses of wild sweet potatoes
1. Wind-dispelling and heat-clearing properties
The entire plant of wild sweet potatoes can be used as medicine. Its most important effects include dispelling wind, clearing heat, promoting blood circulation, and relieving menstrual disorders.
It is often used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of respiratory inflammation, rheumatism, edema, and other diseases. It can be decocted for internal use or applied externally.
2. Hemostatic and detoxifying effects
Wild sweet potatoes have excellent hemostatic effects. When someone is bleeding uncontrollably due to an injury, the wild sweet potatoes can be crushed and applied externally to the affected area to stop the bleeding. It can also be used to treat snake bites by following the same method, changing the poultice once a day to quickly eliminate toxins from the body.
