Three words can sum up the increasing popularity of sweet potatoes in the foodservice industry: sweet potato fries.

They’re stars on restaurant menus across the country, and some fine dining establishments are pursuing different fresh-cut angles and could lead the public toward other fresh-cut yams.

“More and more restaurants are serving sweet potato fries as either an appetizer or side dish,” said Sue Johnson-Langdon, executive director of the North Carolina Sweet Potato Council, Smithfield. “Also, people are doing sweet potato chunks as part of their food prep. Some are fresh-cut, but not a lot.”