Sweet potatoes were freshly arrived from the New World (America) and this Elinor Fettiplace recipe shows that they had already been adopted as a foodstuff. The recipe is delicious and is still a traditional dish for Thanksgiving in America. It is interesting to note how many new ingredients were finding thier way onto the table in the Stuart period: chocolate, potatoes and even (somewhat revoltingly) tobacco soup.
"To Butter Potato Roots
Take the roots and boile them in water, then peele and slice them, put some rosewater to them and sugar, the pill of an orenge & some juice of the orenge, so let them boile a good while, then put some butter to them& and when the butter is melted serve them. This way you may bake them, but put them unboiled into the paste."
Alternate method: