Ancient Trade Root: How the Sweet Potato got to China

Imagine for a moment what life might be like if 16th-century sailors and explorers hadn’t introduced potatoes to Europe. How different would your dinner look? More importantly, would your ancestors have survived? 

The discovery of the potato and its introduction to the continent’s colonial powerhouses by the likes of Sir Walter Raleigh or Christopher Columbus – depending on what history books you read – was pivotal. Potatoes provided a stable, easily cultivated food source that prevented famine and improved nutrition among the poorest in society. 

Coincidentally, at around the same time, on a different side of the world, a very similar story was unfolding, but instead of the humble tuber we know in the West, it was the introduction to China of the more exotic sweet potato. In China, it goes by different names depending on what region you’re in. The most commonly used monikers are hongshu (red potato) and ganshu (sweet potato).

Today, we’re going to talk about how sweet potatoes made their way to China, and how, as a relatively recent import to this ancient civilization, they became a staple food among the common folk.