What is the difference between a sweetpotato and a yam?
Yams are a monocot (a plant having one embryonic seed leaf) and from the Dioscoreaceae or Yam family. Sweet Potatoes, often called ‘yams’, are a dicot (a plant having two embryonic seed leaves) and are from the Convolvulacea or morning glory family.
Is a yam the same as a potato?
What you know as yams are most likely not actually yams. In fact, your “classic” potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams are all in different plant families. However, they all are widely cultivated for their nutritious starchy belowground plant structures called “tubers.”
Are yams the same as sweet potatoes?
Yes, both yams and sweet potatoes are vegetable tubers, but they both come from different families. Yams are from Dioscorea, while sweet potatoes are from Ipomoea batatas. Taste Sweet potatoes are pretty sweet, but yams are not so sweet. They have a very distinct taste. Popularity
Are yams better than potatoes?
Yam covers your daily need of Potassium 12% more than Potato. Yam contains 2 times more Manganese than Potato. While Yam contains 0.397mg of Manganese, Potato contains only 0.2mg. These are the specific foods used in this comparison Yam, raw and Potatoes, flesh and skin, raw.
Whats the difference between a yam and a sweet potato?
Yams are starchy and have a rough, brown exterior. They can grow up to 45 feet long and are eaten in parts of Latin America, West Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia. Sweet potatoes are a New World root vegetable and have a softer, reddish skin and a creamier, often darker interior.
What tastes better yam or sweet potato?
Sweetpotatoes are almost always sweeter than yams. They have versatile flavor easily altered by cooking methods.
Does yam taste like sweet potato?
What Do Yams Taste Like? Compared to sweet potatoes, yams have an earthy, neutral taste. They can be mildly sweet but mostly take on the flavor of the seasonings used in the dish. Yams must be cooked before eating because they are toxic when eaten raw.
Why do grocery stores call sweet potatoes yams?
The reason for the name mix-up, she explains, is because Louisiana sweet potato growers in the 1930s marketed a new breed of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes as “yams” to distinguish their crop from other states' produce—and it stuck.
Which is healthier to eat sweet potato or yam?
Sweet potatoes tend to have slightly fewer calories per serving than yams. They also contain a bit more vitamin C and more than triple the amount of beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the body.
Which one is healthier sweet potato or yam?
Sweet potatoes are more nutritious than yams. Sweet potatoes and yams are both healthy foods, and they look similar. Sweet potatoes, however, have higher concentrations of most nutrients and more fiber.
Can I use yam instead of sweet potato?
The main reason you can't substitute sweet potatoes for yams, or vice versa, is because the two root vegetables taste entirely differently and have very different nutritional compositions. A yam is starchy and dry, but a sweet potato is, as the name suggests, sweet and moister.
Why do Americans call yams sweet potatoes?
So, how did the confusion arise? It seems that American slaves referred to the soft orange-fleshed sweet potatoes as “yams” because of their similarity to the true yams they knew from Africa. Growers began using this name to distinguish them from the firm white-fleshed varieties of sweet potatoes, and the name stuck.
Can yam be eaten raw?
Unlike sweet potatoes, yams are toxic if they're eaten raw, but they're perfectly safe when cooked. True yams can generally be substituted in any sweet potato recipe.
What do Hawaiians call sweet potato?
ualaThree were essential staple food crops — kalo (taro), ulu (breadfruit), and uala (Hawaiian sweet potato).
Are yams good for diabetics?
Yams are rich in fibre that helps control glucose levels in the blood. As it ranks low on the glycemic index, it is suitable for people with diabetes.
Can dogs eat yams?
Yes, your dog can eat yams—just remember to cook them first. By boiling or cooking these starchy root vegetables, you rid them of certain tannins and compounds that could prove toxic to your dog. While raw yams might not be good for your dog, cooked yams are an excellent whole food for your furry friend.
Which is softer yams or sweet potatoes?
Yams are typically softer than sweet potatoes. The yam and sweet potato are quite different plants, although they may look somewhat alike. In most cases, if you are eating a very sweet orange or yellow fleshed potato, you are actually eating a sweet potato and not a yam.
What is sweeter than a sweet potato?
Move over, yams! There's another sweet potato that's been enriching our lives with vitamins and starchy sweetness for over a thousand years. Meet the kumara, a sweet starchy root vegetable commonly grown in the North Island of New Zealand.
Why are sweet potatoes called yams?
Enslaved Africans in the Americas began calling the indigenous sweet potato "yam" because it reminded them of the food staple they knew in Africa. For this reason, throughout the American South, the term is commonly applied to sweet potatoes. Interestingly, the confusion is not limited to the Americas.
How big do yams get?
Generally sweeter than the sweet potato, this tuber can grow over seven feet in length and top 150 pounds. A staple in African cuisine, yams are most often boiled, roasted or fried.
What is sweet potato used for?
The sweet potato is used in both savory and sweet dishes, most often baked, mashed or fried. When it is pureed it can be used in soups as well as baked goods and desserts, including, of course, sweet potato pie. It has also become a staple on the Thanksgiving table, most often as sweet potato casserole with marshmallows.
What are the different types of sweet potatoes?
There are two main types of sweet potatoes, both of which are elongated yellow or orange tubers that taper to a point at each end. The paler-skinned sweet potato has a thin, light yellow skin and pale yellow flesh. It's not sweet and has a dry, crumbly texture similar to a white baking potato. The darker-skinned variety (which is most often and incorrectly called a yam) has a thicker, dark orange to reddish skin with a sweet, vivid orange flesh and a moist texture. Current popular sweet potato varieties include Goldrush, Georgia Red, Centennial, Puerto Rico, New Jersey, and Velvet. There also is the Purple Sweet Potato .
Where did sweet potatoes originate?
Sweet Potatoes. Sweet potatoes belong to the genus Ipomoea. They are thought to have originated in Central or South America and are popular in the American South and available across the globe.
Where do yam tubers grow?
They are at home growing in tropical climates, primarily in South America and the Caribbean, as well as Africa, where they originated.
Is yam a sweet potato?
The true yam is the tuber of a tropical vine (Dioscorea batatas) and is not even distantly related to the sweet potato. It's a popular vegetable in Latin American and Caribbean markets, with over 150 varieties available worldwide, and slowly becoming more common in the United States.
Which is sweeter, yam or sweetpotatoe?
Sweetpotatoes are almost always sweeter than yams. They have versatile flavor easily altered by cooking methods.
What is a yam called?
What’s in a name? When it comes to the yam, a bit of confusion. The truth is what you’ve been calling a yam is most likely a sweetpotato. Even more, it’s possible that you’ve never even tasted a yam! That sweet, orange-colored root vegetable that you love so dearly is actually a sweetpotato. Yes, all so-called “yams” are in fact sweetpotatoes.
How big do yams get?
Varies considerably. Some yams are the size and shape of small potatoes; others can grow up to 1.5m (5ft) in length and weigh over 100lbs (70kg). Skins may be dark brown or light pink; insides white, yellow, purple, or pink. Nutrition.
Where are sweetpotatoes grown?
Production. In the U.S., over 50% of the country’s sweetpotatoes are grown in North Carolina. Today, yams are grown around the world, but West Africa is still where most yam crops — nearly 95% — are grown.
Where does yam come from?
A true yam is a starchy edible root of the Dioscorea genus, and is generally imported to America from the Caribbean. It is rough and scaly and very low in beta carotene.
Do you label yams as sweetpotato?
Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires labels with the term ‘yam’ to be accompanied by the term ‘sweetpotato.’ Despite the label regulations, most people still think of sweetpotatoes as yams regardless of their true identity.
What is the difference between sweet potatoes and yams?
Yams vs. Sweet Potatoes 1 Sweet potatoes are edible “roots” that are categorized as dicots (plants having two embryonic seed leaves) and are from the Convolvulaceae or morning glory family. 2 They are native to the Americas, growing best in both tropical and warm temperate regions. The sweet potato has long been a favorite crop in the United States, especially in the Southeast. Over 50% of the country’s sweet potatoes are grown in North Carolina. 3 In terms of size, sweet potatoes are generally about 5 inches long and weighing 4.5 ounces; they always taper at the end and have thin skin. Sweet potatoes store in the pantry for about 2 to 3 weeks; never put them in the refrigerator, as they’ll get hard and develop an unpleasant taste. 4 Sweet potato varieties come in different colors (orange, white, yellow, or purple) and have a naturally sweet, creamy, moist texture. Often, it’s served as a colorful side dish, especially around Thanksgiving. 5 Sweet potates are very nutritous, containing protein, calcium, iron, sodium, vitamin A, and beta-carotene.
Why is a yam called a yam?
To differentiate the orange sweet potato from the white and yellow ones, it was called a “yam” because it looked similar to the African vegetable. Today, the name “yam” has stuck as an interchangeable term for orange sweet potatoes in America. Whether you do find white, orange, yellow, or even purple sweet potates, ...
How long do sweet potatoes last in the refrigerator?
Sweet potatoes store in the pantry for about 2 to 3 weeks ; never put them in the refrigerator, as they'll get hard and develop an unpleasant taste.
What family is sweet potato?
Sweet potatoes are edible "roots" that are categorized as dicots (plants having two embryonic seed leaves) and are from the Convolvulaceae or morning glory family.
What is a yam?
Yams are big edible "tubers" that are categorized as monocots (plants having one embryonic seed leaf) and belong to the genus Dioscorea.
Is a yam the same as a sweet potato?
Both the yam and the sweet potato DO grow underground and have yellowish-orange flesh, but there the similarity ends; they are not the same plant species.
Can you buy sweet potatoes in the grocery store?
Whatever you call it, you are mostly likely buying a sweet potato in your grocery store, unless you shopping in an urban Hispanic market or international market. Interestingly, the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires labels with the term “yam” to be accompanied by the term “sweet potato.”.
What is the color of sweet potatoes?
This is the most common sweet potato found in pretty much every grocery store. They have a dusky-red skin color with a deep orange interior. The flesh is a bit juicier than other varieties which makes it so good for baking, boiling, frying, and mashing.
Can sweet potatoes be eaten raw?
Available all year round, these rose-colored sweet potatoes with vibrant orange flesh are long, slender, and small to medium in size. They can be eaten raw, baked, mashed, or roasted.
Which is sweeter, yam or sweet potato?
Sweet potatoes, especially orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, are almost always sweeter than yams, but both vegetables are versatile and can have their flavors and textures altered depending on the method of cooking and ingredients used with them.
What is the difference between yams and sweet potatoes?
Though sweet potatoes and yams are both root vegetables, they taste different, have different nutritional qualities, and come from different plant families. The sweet potato is from the Convolvulaceae family; it is a dicot that is related to flowering morning glory plants. The yam is a monocot from the Dioscoreaceae family that is related to lilies and grasses. In Canada and the U.S., sweet potatoes and yams are sold in most grocery stores and are very popular during both American and Canadian Thanksgiving; however, what is labeled as a yam is often just a soft, orange-fleshed sweet potato.
What are the roots of sweet potatoes?
Sweet potatoes and yams are the roots of sweet potato and yam plants or vines. As there are many different kinds of sweet potatoes and yams , these plants and roots' appearances vary considerably.
Why are yams called sweet potatoes?
West African slaves in the U.S. often called sweet potatoes yams because they looked similar to the yams found in West Africa. In Scottish English, yams have often simply been called potatoes.
Why are sweet potatoes and yams important?
Like many root vegetables, yams and sweet potatoes are important in food insecure areas, especially those affected by seasonal droughts or rains, because they can be stored for long periods of time without needing to be refrigerated. The nutritional value of the root vegetables makes them important as well.
What is a yam in Canada?
In Canada and the U.S., sweet potatoes and yams are sold in most grocery stores and are very popular during both American and Canadian Thanksgiving; however, what is labeled as a yam is often just a soft, orange-fleshed sweet potato.
How big do yams get?
Some yams are the size and shape of small potatoes, while others can grow up to 1.5m (nearly 5ft) in length and weigh over 100lbs (70kg). On the outside, their skins may be dark brown or light pink, while on the inside, their flesh is usually white or yellow, with some occasionally having purple or pink flesh.
What is the skin color of yams?
Yams. Dioscorea Yams. Yam Dioscorea. Yam Dioscorea. Yams have a rough, scaly skin that looks like tree bark and is harder to peel than sweet potatoes. The skin is typically brown with the flesh being white. Some varieties can grow beyond the typical tuber size, up to several feet long and a couple of hundred pounds ...
What is the color of sweet potatoes?
Sweet potatoes come in a variety of colors, but it is the orange-flesh variety that is most popular in the US and Canada. Sweet potatoes are grown from slips, which are root sprouts. Choose slips that are certified “disease-free,” to avoid introducing fungal diseases or pests like sweet potato weevils. Both are very hard to eliminate once they get ...
How long do yams last?
Storage requirements for sweet potatoes and yams are pretty much the same. Both will keep for about 10 days at room temperature. If you have a root cellar that stays about 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, they'll keep for about a month.
How to grow sweet potatoes in a container?
You can also grow sweet potatoes in large containers, letting the vines run or trellising them .
Where are sweet potatoes grown?
Sweet potatoes are native to Central and South America and are now commercially grown in the Southern US and California. Yams are native to Africa and Asia and are still mainly grown there and in parts of the Caribbean and South America. Yams are not grown commercially in the US, so that's why they're not as common as sweet potatoes.
Do yams grow bigger than sweet potatoes?
Markets specializing in Asian and Latin groceries are more likely to sell yams, and because they can grow quite large, the may already be pre-cut. When cooked, sweet potatoes have a similar texture to regular potatoes. Yams are starchier and drier than sweet potatoes, and the taste is sweeter.
Is yam a sweet potato?
Ya ms are not grown commercially in the US, so that's why they're not as common as sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are part of the morning glory family, so they grow like typical tubers, underground with trailing vines above ground. Yams grow more like ornamental grasses and lilies, so they’re a root of a flowering plant.
Variations
Origin
Availability
- Sold year-round, sweet potatoes have an extended shelf life due to a curing process after harvest which increases their storage capabilities over a year. You will find sweet potatoes pre-peeled and cooked and sold in cans or frozen.
Varieties
- There are two main types of sweet potatoes, both of which are elongated yellow or orange tubers that taper to a point at each end. The paler-skinned sweet potato has a thin, light yellow skin and pale yellow flesh. It's not sweet and has a dry, crumbly texture similar to a white baking potato. The darker-skinned variety (which is most often and incorrectly called a yam) has a thicker, dark …
Uses
- The sweet potato is used in both savory and sweet dishes, most often baked, mashed or fried. When it is pureed it can be used in soups as well as baked goods and desserts, including, of course, sweet potato pie. It has also become a staple on the Thanksgiving table, most often as sweet potato casserole with marshmallows.
Overview
- The true yam is the tuber of a tropical vine (Dioscorea batatas) and is not even distantly related to the sweet potato. It's a popular vegetable in Latin American and Caribbean markets, with over 150 varieties available worldwide, and slowly becoming more common in the United States.
Characteristics
- The yam tuber has brown or black scaly skin which resembles the bark of a tree and off-white, purple or red flesh, depending on the variety. They are at home growing in tropical climates, primarily in South America and the Caribbean, as well as Africa, where they originated. In Spanish, they are referred to as batata, boniato, and ñame. Generally sweeter than the sweet potato, this t…
Cuisine
- A staple in African cuisine, yams are most often boiled, roasted or fried. Their long shelf life of 6 months allows them to be a dependable food source during times of poor farming--the yam is a much more difficult crop to harvest than the sweet potato. Purple yams are found in Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines and are often used in desserts. In parts of the United Sta…
Etymology
- From the African words njam, nyami or djambi, meaning \"to eat,\" comes the English word \"yam.\" African slaves in the Americas began calling the indigenous sweet potato \"yam\" because it reminded them of the food staple they knew in Africa. For this reason, throughout the American South, the term is commonly applied to sweet potatoes.
Trivia
- Interestingly, the confusion is not limited to the Americas. The famed \"purple yam\" of Okinawa is also a sweet potato and not a true yam. In Malaysia and Singapore, \"yam\" refers to taro. And in New Zealand, the oca is called a yam.