Eating potato leaves?

[Deleted User]

First a word of warning - Do not try this at home

I've always been told you should not eat green potatos or potato leaves because you will get an upset stomach, apparantly due to the alkaloids in them. Lately I've been reading "A long way gone" in which Ishamel Beah writes as though eating potato leaves is very common in Sierra Leone where he grew up.

"That night we were temporarily happy that we had some money, and were hoping to buy some cooked rice with cassava or potato leaves for dinner... we were dissapointed to find that those who had been selling cassava leaves, okra soup, and potato leaves... had ceased to do so."

There are other times when he mentioned eating potato leaves, but lacking an eBook and therefore a search function I'll stick with just that quote.

So given that most of the internet says not to eat them, but this guy who seems to have grown up eating them acts as though there's nothing wrong with them confuses me. Perhaps they grow some sort of low alkaloid variety of potato in Sierra Leone?

So lacking the balls to try it out myself (or having the wisdom not to!) perhaps someone can shed some light on this issue.

Once again, do not try this at home. I will not be resposible if you harm yourself or others.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

I would imagine it's referring to sweet potato leaves, which are totally edible and safe to eat, and supposedly are quite good.

 

[Attacker3]

If I grew potatoes I would try it, but I don't have the potatoes.