A true yam (left) compared to an orange-fleshed sweet potato (right).
The orange vegetables you see labeled "yams" in many grocery stores are actually sweet potatoes. Yams are a completely different vegetable and belong to a separate plant family. Sweet potatoes have traditionally been referred to as "yams" in parts of the US and Canada—creating confusion on the real identity of these root vegetables.
True "yams" grow on a tropical vine that is rarely cultivated in the US. They are popular in South and Central America, and in parts of Asia and Africa. The flesh of yams is typically white or yellow, but may also be purple to pink. They vary in size from that of an average potato up to 7 ½ feet long and can weigh up to 120 pounds. Yams are high in vitamin C, fiber and potassium but have less vitamin A than sweet potatoes.
Yams can be prepared much like sweet potatoes; however, to find them you will need to locate a market that specializes in international foods.
Most people think that long, red-skinned sweet potatoes are yams, but they really are just one of many varieties of sweet potatoes.
A true yam is a starchy edible tuber that is generally imported from the Caribbean. It differs greatly from the sweet potato in taste, texture, appearance and family.
Depending on the variety, sweet potato flesh can vary from white to orange and even purple. The orange-fleshed variety was introduced to the United States several decades ago. In order to distinguish it from the white variety everyone was accustomed to, producers and shippers chose the English form of the African word “nyami” and labeled them “yams.”
Even though the USDA requires that orange-colored sweet potatoes always be labeled “sweet potato,” most people still think of sweet potatoes as yams regardless of their true identity.
SWEET POTATO, YAM OR BOTH?
QUIZ TIME!
1. I am a tuberous root with sweet moist flesh.
2. I am orginially from Africa and am hardly sold in U.S. markets.
3. I am super sweet and can grow over 7 feet in length!
4. My skin can range from thin and pale to dark and thick.
5. I am toxic when eaten raw, but perfectly safe when cooked.
6. I am known for my high content of Vitamins A and C.
7. I have rough skin that is difficult to peel and can even be hairy at times, but it softens when baked.
8. My flesh can sometimes be purple!
9. I have an oblong body with tapered ends.
10. I have a very low glycemic index – a special health benefit to diabetics.
ANSWERS
1. Both. Sweet potatoes and yams are considered tuberous roots and both are sweet and delicious.
2. Yam. Are you surprised? Yams grow in tropical climates, primarily in South America, Africa
and the Caribbean.
3. Yam. They have a higher sugar content than sweet potatoes and can grow to be enormous!
4. Sweet potato. Paler skinned sweet potatoes have white flesh which is not as sweet and moist as the darker skinned, orange flesh sweet potatoes.
5. Yam. Unlike the sweet potato, yams must be cooked to be safely eaten. Preparation is a time-consuming process involving several minutes of pounding and boiling to remove toxins.
6. Sweet potato. Yams do not contain as much Vitamin A and C as sweet potatoes.
7. Yam. Sweet potato skin is thinner and smoother.
8. Both. Purple Okinawan sweet potato is often confused with the purple yam called ube.
9. Sweet potato. It can be short and fat or long and thin, but it will always taper at the ends.
10. Both. The sweet potato and yam are also both loaded with potassium, magnesium and phosphorous.
I use purple yams to make my UBE! It's Philipeno and I make it for Thanksgiving every year. This year I made mini pies :)
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