Sweet potatoes probably came to Corfu with the Venetians, as did many other New World crops, sometime during the sixteenth century, where they remained poor man’s fodder for hundreds of years. It took the English to popularize them, by showing Corfiote aristocrats the virtues of serving them with syrup. Nevertheless, they have been cooked on a grill or in a pan in the classic Greek way, with olive oil and garlic. Roasted sweet potatoes were the classic accompaniment to Christmas turkey. There is also one great old recipe for sweet potatoes cooked with onion and cayenne, in a countryside rendition of bourtheto.