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Tag: Sweet Potato

Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams

sweet potato
Sweet potatoes
Photo: USDA Flickr

No, they are not the same. In fact, you’ve probably never eaten an actual yam. Here’s the difference.

Sweet potatoes are members of the morning glory family. Fresh sweet potatoes are harvested in the fall. They are sweeter than yams and more slender than a russet potato. Sweet potatoes are available in four colors:

  1. Rose-colored skin with orange flesh.
  2. Pale copper-tan skin with white flesh.
  3. Red skin with dry white flesh.
  4. Purple skin and flesh.

Yams are related to lilies and are very starchy in texture. They are less sweet, larger and have a short shelf life. They look more like logs with a thick skin. Yams must be cooked as they may contain toxins.

When the orange-fleshed sweet potato variety was brought to the U.S., they were referred to the African word “nyami,” “njam,” or “djambi” and labeled as yams.

Learn more from the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission.

 

Baking Perfect Sweet Potatoes

Have you ever baked a sweet potato and it remains hard? Time and temperature are important. So try this method.

Wash and scrub the potato. Poke it with a fork or knife several times. Jump-start the baking in the microwave until the internal temperature reaches 200°F, about 6 to 9 minutes, flipping every 3 minutes. Then, place on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet to allow air circulation. Bake at 425°F for one hour to finish cooking.

The finished potato should be creamy and flavorful. Enjoy!

Source: Cook’s Illustrated, September 2017

For more recipe ideas, see: www.ncsweetpotatoes.com/sweet-potato-recipes/

 

Sweet Potato vs. Yam

YamsWhen searching the canned vegetable aisle, you’ve probably seen cans of yams. Are they the same as sweet potatoes? The truth is, what we call a yam is actually a sweet potato. It is likely you’ve never tasted a yam!

The sweet, orange-colored vegetable is truly a sweet potato. A true yam is from the Dioscorea genus and is imported from the Caribbean. It has a rough, scaly exterior and is more white in color due to low beta-carotene content.

Sweet potatoes can vary in color from white, to orange, to purple. The traditional orange variety was introduced several decades ago and were labeled as “yams” which is the English form of the African word “nyami.”

Test your knowledge of sweet potatoes and yams with this quiz from the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission.