During these shopping excursions, my mother taught me how to pick the best fruits and vegetables.
Heavy oranges meant they were full of juice.
If grapes were plump, they were good to go.
Simply Recipes / Getty Images
Anything with bruises was a red flag.
Always pick the slender and long ones, she told me in Cantonese.
Not the heaviest or biggest ones?
Simply Recipes / Getty Images
In the oven, long, slender sweet potatoes cook more evenly.
The skin caramelizes thoroughly, and the even cooking enhances the root vegetable’s natural sweetness.
Large and round sweet potatoes also contain more water, which can dilute the potatos sweetness.
The verdict was clear after an hour in the oven and extensive taste testing.
Maybe it was a placebo effect, or my young tastebuds really were that discerning.
The fatter potato just didnt taste as sweet.
Out of the oven, theyre nutty and buttery, like big, sweet chestnuts.
Each roast takes me back to my childhood and those quiet moments with my mother.
She didnt nurture me with gentle, flowery words.
Cantonese is a direct and unembellished language; my mother was no exception.
For that, Ill always be grateful.
