Eastern Shore sweet potatoes have historic roots.
For more than 150 years, farmers along Virginia’s coastal regions have cultivated a coveted and notoriously hard to grow variety of heirloom sweet potato, known as the Hayman. Named after sea captain Daniel Hayman (who first introduced the strain to North Carolina’s Elizabeth City ports in 1856 after returning from the West Indies), these hyper-sweet, subtropical white potatoes were quickly popularized as a regional novelty. Spread northward by a network of Methodist preachers, the potato soon became a beloved staple of farmers along the Methodist-dominated Eastern Shore.
As the years passed, however, hardier, higher-yielding, disease-resistant sweet potatoes were developed, and most growers abandoned the Hayman. Subsequently, the heirloom was increasingly relegated to the gardens of sentimental cultivators.
“The problem with the Hayman is it’s darn hard to grow,” explains Jerry Greene, a grower at Suffolk’s Orapeake Farms who specializes in sweet potato cultivation. “There are other heirlooms, like the Virginia Baker, for instance, that are much easier to grow and yield more too … The bigger commercial farmers don’t bother with the things at all.”
Even so, among the ranks of sweet potato connoisseurs, the Hayman has retained a special place. According to Greene, this fondness derives from familial nostalgia and a tendency to root for the proverbial ‘ugly duckling.’Aesthetically speaking, the tubers aren’t much to look at. Small and oddly shaped, the potatoes feature bumps and raised veins—a mottling often likened to something you might encounter on the backs of a 90-year-old’s hands. Furthermore, when sliced, the flesh hues slightly green.
But when you eat them? The dense skin provides a nutty, almost crunchy accompaniment for the distinctly sweeter-than-any-tater-you’ve-ever-bought-at-the-store interior and because of that, the Hayman has been making something of a comeback. Seeking to meet demand generated by the slow-food movement, small-scale, heirloom vegetable farmers in the Eastern Shore and Tidewater regions have sought to revitalize the variety.
“I grow them partly for the challenge, partly because my wife loves the taste, but mostly because of the history,” says Greene. “There are 90-year-olds on the Eastern Shore and in Suffolk that remember growing up with these. Haymans are part of our history for a long, long time and I think they ought to continue to be available.”
To purchase Hayman sweet potato plants, or learn more about the variety, visit Orapeake Farms’ website, SweetPotatoesGrow.com
How to Best Enjoy a Sweet Potato:
SELECTION—Buy ‘em dirty as opposed to clean. Wash your potatoes just before cooking, as this preserves the flavor.
STORAGE— Whatever you do, don’t store them in the refrigerator. Sweet potatoes will keep for months when stored in a dark, dry place where the temperature doesn’t drop below 55 degrees.
COOKING—Wipe the potatoes all over with olive oil and wrap with foil. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and bake for around an hour. When serving, present them minus any additional sweeteners, as they tend to be plenty sweet on their own.
