Cauliflower and kale have both had their time in the sun, now it’s purple sweet potato’s turn.

The violet-coloured veg has just been named Vegetable of the Year for 2024 by an expert panel in celebration of Veganuary.

The UK-based movement encourages people worldwide to try a vegan lifestyle during the month of January and to be honest, it’s a New Year’s Resolution our bodies are begging for.

Not only is the purple sweet potato packed with fibre, vitamins A and B, and antioxidants, these tubers are so darn pretty they could have won over even the harshest judge.

Purple sweet potatoes are also really good for you. They contain the same beta carotene pigment as their orange cousins, a known antioxidant that helps the body reduce or prevent oxidative stress in the body.

But where the purple veg really shines is in its much higher levels of anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are the antioxidants that give purple fruit and veg its distinct colour (blueberries, purple cauliflower, plums, dragonfruit).

Related story: 100 of our best-ever vegan recipes to see you through the month

Not to be confused with the similarly hued ube, which gives many Filipino desserts their delightful damson shade, the purple sweet potato is very much its own thing. Both are tubers, however, the ube lives firmly planted in the yam fam, while the purple sweet potato is, well, a sweet potato.

The purple sweet potato is having a real moment (and we’d love to work with its PR agent) thanks to its recent feature on Netflix’s Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones where it was cited as a superfood for health and longevity.

The sweet potato has been a staple of Southeast Asian, Polynesian, and Micronesian cultures for centuries though the tuber itself is indigenous to South America. The purple sweet potato was brought to Japan in the 1600s and is a staple of the diet in Okinawa (a Blue Zone region).

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