Technically, both sweet potatoes and yams come from flowering plants but they are actually not botanically related. Try sweet potato fries, mashed sweet potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, or loaded baked sweet potatoes to name a few. They can be the same size as an ordinary potato, or they can grow as large as five feet. Learn the difference between sweet potatoes and yams. Peruvian sweet potato remnants dating as far back as 8000 bc have been found. Members of the morning glory family, sweet potatoes originated in central and south america. Sweet potatoes are as different from yams as humans are from snakes. The yam and sweet potato wikipedia fiasco stems from the colonial era when the orange variety of sweet potatoes were called yams. It turns out sweet potatoes are not merely potatoes that happen to be sweet. Sweet potatoes are a surprisingly nutritious vegetable. So whats the difference between yams and sweet potatoes. There are a ton of different kinds of sweet potatoes from beauregard to regal, but its hard to find most of them in the store.
Mazola corn oil, sweet potatoes, brown sugar, lemon juice. Often, the copper skinned sweet potato is referred to as yam, or sweet potato yam, and these are a firmer version of sweet potatoes. Alton brown discusses the difference between sweet potatoes and yams with a nutritional anthropologist, covering their history and varietal differences and even storage methods. Yams and sweet potatoes are not the same thing, heres why. Looks like its a good thing we dont use them for our sweet potato pie. For most vegetable hating kids, sweet potato and potato both have a special spot. Oct 14, 2019 both yams and sweet potatoes offer plentiful carbohydrates 42 grams for yams and 41 grams for sweet potatoes per 1 cup serving. Fiber is abundant in both vegetables as well, with yams supplying 6 grams and sweet potatoes 4 grams. Sep 23, 2016 and when it comes to recipe ideas, the possibilities are endless. Compared to sweet potatoes, yams are less sweet and much more starchy and dry. On the other side, the method used to cook the yams will effect the texture and flavor boiled will have less flavor and be softer than roasted, etc. Whats the difference between yams and sweet potatoes.
Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are soft to the touch. Download the today app for the latest coverage on the coronavirus outbreak. True yams originated in africa, asia, and other tropical areas. Although they are both tubers, sweet potatoes come from south america and are a member of the morning glory family while yams are a member of the lily family and originated in africa.
Types of sweet potatoes with images and why you should. Their flesh is purple or reddish, while their skin is barklike. Although they are both root vegetables, they belong to two different plant familiesthe sweet potato is from the morning glory family while the yam is related to the lily. Actual sweet potatoes have short, smooth skinned roots with tapered ends whereas actual yams are long and cylindrical with rough, scaly skins. Compared with yams, sweet potatoes are lower in calories and have far more betacarotene 11.
Many of us grew up eating yams or sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows and baked until toasty and golden. The sweet potatoes with the lighter skin and yellow insides are softer. Real yams are entirely different root vegetables that. The difference between sweet potatoes and yams videos. Typically only found at international markets, true yams have white flesh and are starchier and drier than sweet potatoes. The sweet potato has been used as a staple food source since before the colonial days. Jun 08, 2019 since the soft sweet potatoes slightly resembled true yams, they picked up the name and became what you see labeled as yams in most u. Aug 03, 2016 not sure what the difference is between a sweet potato and a yam.
And keep an eye out for those illegally labeled yams yam mislabeling is a leading cause of sweet potato discrimination. Has more sugar, protein, calcium, iron, sodium, vitamin a, betacarotene, and water than yams do. In fact, youve probably bought a sweet potato, thinking it was yam. Sweet potatoes and yams are the roots of sweet potato and yam plants or vines. All the varieties described below are technically sweet potatoes, though theyre often called yams. Types of sweet potatoes with images and why you should be. It differs greatly from the sweetpotato in taste, texture, appearance and family. Has more fat, carbs, fiber, potassium, vitamin c, vitamin b6, and vitamin e than sweetpotatoes do.
Department of agriculture requires that the label yam always be accompanied by sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are vining plants which, like african yams, are usually sprouted from root or vine cuttings, rather than from seed. This plant belongs to the convolvulacea or the morning glory family. Many times the names sweet potato and yam are used interchangeably in conversation, in cooking and even at the supermarket, but they are really two different vegetables. Thats because sweet potatoes and yams are in fact very different vegetables that weve come to refer to interchangeably for a number.
First of all, yams and sweet potatoes arent even members of the same family and hail from completely different parts of the world. Sweet potatoes or yams can be used depending on your preference. Nov 09, 2017 thats because sweet potatoes and yams are in fact very different vegetables that weve come to refer to interchangeably for a number of weird reasons over the years. Sweet potato vs yam difference and comparison diffen. Jan 03, 2017 youll find the answers in this video from youtubes how does it grow.
Sweet potatoes are sweet and moist, while yams are starchy and dry. Drain sweet potatoes and pour into a casserole dish. This is the time of year that many americans start planning their thanksgiving dinner. Nov 23, 2015 sweet potatoes are sweet and moist, while yams are starchy and dry. Sweet potatoes are flavorful and moist while yams are often starchy and dry. They both are among the few vegetables that not only. A staple in african cuisine, yams are most often boiled, roasted or fried. Alton brown discuses the difference between sweet potatoes and yams with nutritional anthropologist deb duchon. Nov 16, 2016 sweet potatoes are native to tropical regions of south america. Both yams and sweet potatoes offer plentiful carbohydrates 42 grams for yams and 41 grams for sweet potatoes per 1 cup serving. Yams are typically drier, firmer, and starchier than sweet potatoes, while the latter is softer and sweeter. They are related to lilies, and can be as small as a regular potato or jumbo. A true yam is a starchy edible root of the dioscorea genus, and is generally imported to america from the caribbean. The following information outlines several differences between sweet potatoes and yams.
There are approximately 400 different varieties of sweet potatoes. Nov 01, 2017 sweet potatoes contain calcium, iron, protein, beta carotene, sodium, vitamin a and more sugar and water than yams. Until i became an adult, i never heard of the term yams. Yams are actually related to lilies, and are a root of the dioscorea genus. Sweet potatoes vs yams vs taro vs yuca hilah cooking. The taste of cooked yams is starchy and bland, and it may be slightly sweet. Regular sweet potatoes are creamy, like a yukon gold potato. Incidentally, yams and sweet potatoes are different. Now, yam is basically a marketing term to help people distinguish between the two types of sweet potatoes available. Jan 24, 2015 orangefleshed sweet potatoes are very rich in vitamin a beta carotene, while yams dont contain any. Read about the difference between sweet potatoes and yams, plus. Nov 22, 20 sweet potatoes are as different from yams as humans are from snakes. These are genus dioscoreaceae and are native to tropical and temperate africa, asia and oceana. The sweet potato is in the morning glory family, while yams are related to palms and grasses.
Grocery stores stock up on both canned and fresh yams, sold alongside sweet potatoes. Carbohydrates provide your body with sugars, its preferred fuel source, making both yams and sweet potatoes good. In general, a sweet potato is going to be lower in calories, higher in vitamin c, and higher in betacarotene. Not sure what the difference is between a sweet potato and a yam. Sweet potatoes contain calcium, iron, protein, beta carotene, sodium, vitamin a and more sugar and water than yams. Grocery store labeling yam soft sweet potato with a copper skin and deep orange flesh. Now that you know the difference between sweet potatoes vs yams, you can people who think theyre the same thing that despite how these foods are often marketed, theyve probably never even had a yam before.
Sweet potatoes are from the convolvulaceae morning glory family, and are native to tropical parts of the american continents. Some people think that canned goods taste like can as well. Sweet potatoes range from light brown to reddish pink to deep copper and even purple, with interiors that are anything from a dry, pale ivory to a moist, deep orange. Made with sugar, cinnamon, and mini marshmallows, these candied yamssweet potatoes are sure to be a hit at your next thanksgiving dinner. Sweet potato facts and recipes archives aggie horticulture.
The surprising difference between sweet potato and yam. Do you know the difference between a yam and a sweet potato. The terms sweet potato and yam are often used interchangeably, causing a lot of confusion. It is my moms recipe and one that i have grown up on. Canned yams are frequently packed in syrup, which will make them very sweet. Apr 17, 2012 but when it comes to nutrition, sweet potatoes score much higher. Jun 04, 2019 first of all, yams and sweet potatoes arent even members of the same family and hail from completely different parts of the world. Since the soft sweet potatoes slightly resembled true yams, they picked up the name and became what you see labeled as yams in most u. But when it comes to nutrition, sweet potatoes score much higher. True yams are from tropical and subtropical regions of the world and tend to be larger in size and whiter in flesh than the yams. Most stores and supermarkets label sweet potatoes as yams because theyre traditionally recognized that way, but the usda requires these stores to note somewhere on the same sign that youre really buying a type of sweet potato. Most likely, all yams and sweet potatoes that you use from the grocery store are sweet potatoes. As for how they stack up nutritionally, both vegetables pack a big punch. However, these two vegetables are quite different and are not really related to each other.
Some may look like common potatoes on the outside, some may be much larger with smooth skin and tapered. Mix sugar, butter and water in a saucepan and bring to boil. The true yam is an unrelated species thats quite starchy much more so than the sweet potato and is a staple food for much of asia, africa, and latin america. Hilah settles this ageold thanksgiving table debate and shows you some cooking methods for sweet potatoes. These are what you typically find in the grocery store, even if the label says yam. So it turns out those sweet potato fries are sweet potatoes and those fried yams are sweet potatoes too.
What is the difference between a sweetpotato and a yam. Nov 20, 2015 yams, you see, are an entirely different plant theyre of the family dioscoreacea, while sweet potatoes belong to the family convolvulaceae aka the morning glory family. Sweet potatoes are from the morning glory family and yams are related to lilies and grasses. While the potatoes are cooking, combine the remaining ingredients in. Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a sweet potato and yam. And when it comes to recipe ideas, the possibilities are endless. Of the two most common sorts, those with thin, lightcolored skin and pale, dry yellow flesh are usually called sweet potatoes. Their long shelf life of 6 months allows them to be a dependable food source during times of poor farmingthe yam is a much more difficult crop to harvest than the sweet potato. The terms sweet potatoes and yams are used interchangeably, and are thought to be the same. Difference between yams and sweet potatoes youtube. Why a yam is not a sweet potato smart news smithsonian. Sep, 2017 the skin of a yam left looks kind of like tree bark, while a sweet potato right is more reddishbrown.
Candied yamssweet potatoes thanksgiving food cooking. It is rough and scaly and very low in beta carotene. Grandmas thanksgiving sweet potato yams recipe yams. Sweet potato plants are tender annuals and also require a long growing season, at least 120 days, so that traditionally this crop is grown in the southern united states, although earliermaturing varieties have now. When i got older, i suddenly began hearing so many calling my sweet potatoes yams. We always grew sweet potatoes and we always ate sweet potatoes. All the varieties described below are technically sweet potatoes, though theyre often. As there are many different kinds of sweet potatoes and yams, these plants and roots appearances vary considerably. Orangefleshed sweet potatoes are very rich in vitamin a beta carotene, while yams dont contain any. So why do some people refer to sweet potatoes as yams. Although the terms are generally used interchangeably, the u. Sweet potatoes vs white potatoes nutrition profile comparison. Rest assured ill have this vegetable confusion cleared up for you in no time. A staple item of the holiday table is candied yams.
Back in precivil war america, grocers typically only sold whitefleshed sweet potatoes. The characteristics of sweet potatoes and yams are also different. Yams a staple in some west african countries are native to africa and asia, while the sweet potato. Whats the difference between a sweet potato and a yam. Dec 09, 2010 so it turns out those sweet potato fries are sweet potatoes and those fried yams are sweet potatoes too. A true yam has rough scaly skin and is not related to sweet potatoes. Today, the usda requires that these yams sometimes called american or louisiana yams also be correctly labeled as sweet potatoes. Yams have more fiber, potassium and vitamins c, b6 and e than sweet potatoes. Youll find the answers in this video from youtubes how does it grow. Like ordinary potatoes, sweet potatoes are in the tuber family. Your browser does not currently recognize any of the video formats. You can eat them raw, baked, boiled, steamed, roasted, broiled, grilled, fried and just about any other way you can think of. While both come from groups of flowering plants, yams, which are starchier than sweet potatoes, are in a classification of plants referred to as monocots while sweet potatoes are classified as dicots, murray young explained. According to bauer, a 100gram serving of yams provides about 30 percent of your daily.
Yams, you see, are an entirely different plant theyre of the family dioscoreacea, while sweet potatoes belong to the family convolvulaceae aka the morning glory family. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are both included on the fdas top 20 raw vegetable list. Yams, on the other hand, tend to be starchy and dry when cooked. Nov 14, 2017 yams and sweet potatoes are two different plants. True yams when a person usually thinks of a yam, what comes to mind is a red skinned orange flesh root vegetable that you can get at your grocery store that you roast with brown sugar and marshmallows for a holiday dinner. The skin of a yam left looks kind of like tree bark, while a sweet potato right is more reddishbrown.
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