Although not one of the more common greens around, these leafy guys actually contain more nutrients and dietary fibre than many other green leafy vegetables. They also possess a bunch of other pros over their green comrades. While similar in texture to spinach, sweet potato greens lack the oxalic acid that spinach has, which can sometimes leave a funny taste or feel in your mouth. Sweet potato greens are also tender and mild tasting, as opposed to kale or silverbeet, which can be much tougher and stronger in flavour.

Sweet potato greens – which are actually the plant’s aboveground leaves – have long been a popular green addition to African, Southeast Asian and Pacific Island cooking. We love this delicious recipe of sweet potato greens in coconut cream, or this one for sauteed greens. Get traditional with this dish of Liberian greens and rice, or for an Indo-Chinese twist, try these stir-fried leaves in chilli. We are also interested to test our Southern American cooking skills, with these three sweet potato greens recipes.

If you can’t readily find sweet potato greens at your local farmers market, ask a stallholder selling sweet potatoes if they have any available to sell for the following week. You can also try specialty Asian grocers and fruit and vegetable shops. Alternatively, our approaching wet season is the perfect time to start your own sweet potato patch, and although your root vegetables won’t be ready until autumn, you’ll have an abundance of leaves to pick until then.