It originally comes from America, from the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula, the Orinoco Delta and Venezuela. They are related to potatoes and arrived in Europe 100 years earlier than potatoes and were highly valued. Today, there are four hundred different varieties, which differ in colour from purple, reddish, orange, yellow or white, to shape and the intensity of their sweet taste. They contain fructose, glucose and sucrose. They have a high content of iron, vitamins A, B, C, E and fibre.

They have a sweet taste and a slightly warm nature. It supports the production of blood and fluids, and tonifies the stomach and spleen.