Street Food: How to pick a good sweet potato

I don't think they are actually cooked over coal. Those round fuels with several holes in them that they use to heat the stoves are usually made of compressed charcoal dust, so the effect is more or less the same as eating over a bar-b-q.

Actually, Shanghai Daily had a warning about this last year. The drums they cook on previously contained dangerous chemicals and a crackdown by officials found that all the drums confiscated still contained high amounts of chemical residue. There are risks and there are RISKS. Don't do it.

Don't let me dissuade you barrel man, enjoy your cultural treat and for your sake, I hope I am right.

coal contains mercury, think about that when you are handling those potatoes with your bare hands.

Are you an expert on barrels too? 55 gallon drums are not just for oil or "toxic waste" - like in movies. They're also used for all sorts of ordinary things as well. If oil or "toxic waste" had been stored in them before the smell would be released quite pungently when you burned coals in them.

Nothing like a little ignorant scare mongering . . .

Now its time for a nice roasted potato . . .

That's my point, What do barrels contain? Toxic waste? Sewage? Oil?

And you think the sellers clean them well? Anyway, enjoy.

Can't believe Shangahiist is advising on carcinogenic food.

Can't believe it? The same place where we can get odes to a pastrami sandwich?

Give me a break. Living in Shanghai and just breathing the air is cutting years off my life anyways. Let me eat my sweet potato.

Sweet potato is said one of the most healthy food. If it is carcinogenic, then it must be caused by some other things, like the used barrel, but not the food itself.

BTW, in the last sentence, "litle" should be "little", I guess.

:)

A sister from Torontoist here.

Carcinogens or not, I love those sweet potatos. I've only eaten the ones out front of the sadly defunct donjiadu market.

perfect for a wintry evening? Perfect for getting cancer.

DO NOT EAT THESE POTATOES

The barrles they used previously contained you don't want to know what.

Can't believe Shangahiist is advising on carcinogenic food. Maybe Mark's a newbie but surely Dan knew this.

you mean those aren't just pocket sized edible hand warmers? ;)

usually grilled sweet potato,like on the photo, is called hong(1) shan(1) yu(4)- 烘山芋. before cooked, it's called hong(2) shu(3) - 红薯

山芋＝红薯

never heard this name "白薯", where u get it?

and i thought they were just selling hand warmers!

:)