What’s the Difference Between Sweet Potatoes and Yams? (2024)
If you’re in the U.S., chances are that the “yams” you eat at Thanksgiving are actually sweet potatoes. Shocked? It’s true: yams and sweet potatoes are totally different plants and are not even closely related. In fact, these tasty starchy veggies are actually in two different plant families entirely!
Yams are members of the genus Dioscorea and are in their own special family, Dioscoreaceae. They are tubers, like potatoes, and are mostly cultivated in tropical parts of the world. A number of different yam species are grown for food, and the large tubers range in color from white to yellow, pink, or purple! The skin is typically brown and rough, like tree bark. They vary in taste from sweet to bitter to tasteless and tend to be a bit on the dry, starchy side.
Sweet potatoes, on the other hand, come from the species Ipomoea batatas, in the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. The edible roots are indeed true roots, like carrots or beets, and are typically orange or white inside, though the smooth skin can be a variety of colors. Sweet potatoes are widely grown in the southern United States and are common in tropical America and the warmer islands of the Pacific. They are typically sweet tasting and moist.
So, how did the confusion arise? It seems that enslaved Africans in the United States referred to the soft orange-fleshed sweet potatoes as “yams” because of their similarity to the true yams they knew from their home continent. Growers began using this name to distinguish them from the firm white-fleshed varieties of sweet potatoes, and the name stuck. Although the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires labels with the term yam to be accompanied by the term sweet potato when applicable, many Americans are unaware that true yams are different from sweet potatoes.
Yams and sweet potatoes differ in flavor and appearance, and they are not related. Sweet potatoes are in the morning glory family, while yams belong to the lily family. Yams aren't as sweet as sweet potatoes, and they are starchier and drier. Their texture and flavor are more similar to potatoes or yuca.
Sweet potatoes tend to have a more tapered shape and may be firm or soft with thinner skin. Generally, sweet potatoes taste sweeter than yams. You will more readily encounter sweet potatoes during your regular grocery run, but if you spot a yam, which may be labeled "sweet potato," you'll know the truth.
Although both veggies are very close in fiber, protein, vitamin C, and magnesium, sweet potatoes are the healthier option because they are lower in overall calories, lower in carbohydrates, and higher in beta carotene (vitamin A).
When soft varieties were first grown commercially, there was a need to differentiate between the two. African slaves had already been calling the 'soft' sweet potatoes 'yams' because they resembled the yams in Africa. Thus, 'soft' sweet potatoes were referred to as 'yams' to distinguish them from the 'firm' varieties.
No, the two root vegetables are not really interchangeable. Kaitlin is a freelance lifestyle journalist and seasoned editor with more than 15 years of experience. If you've ever scanned the produce aisle for some sweet potatoes, spotted a sign for yams, and thought, "Well, they're basically the same thing...
Are Yams and Sweet Potatoes the Same? No, yams and sweet potatoes are not the same. Yams have rough, dark brown skin that is often compared to tree bark, and their flesh is dry and starchy like a regular potato. Sweet potatoes have smooth reddish skin, softer flesh (when cooked), and a sweet flavor.
You may not want to substitute true yams in your Candied Yams recipe since their flavor isn't the same as the sweet potatoes in the dish. They can be substituted for sweet potatoes in more savory dishes. Treat them like potatoes to make mashed yams or yam fries.
“Sweet potato, often associated with oven baked, roasted or mashed, can actually be consumed raw,” says Cox. But you'll want to grate the flesh first to make it more palatable: “Grated into a slaw, sweet potatoes are a super source of beta carotene, vitamin C and fibre.”
Sweet potato is a safe, healthy, and natural treat for dogs, offering a range of health benefits (and a sweet flavor they'll likely love). For example, sweet potatoes support a healthy digestive system thanks to their high dietary fiber content. They're also low in fat and contain essential vitamins like B6, C, and A.
The two most common white-fleshed sweet potatoes are Boniato, also called batata, or Cuban sweet potato, and the Japanese sweet potato, also called the satsuma-imo.
In the United States, the terms "yam" and "sweet potato" are used interchangeably, but they are completely different vegetables. 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.
They are also botanically different. Sweet potatoes belong to the morning glory family of plants, called the Convolvulaceae family. Yams belong to a different family, called Dioscoreaceae. The edible parts of sweet potatoes are called roots, and yams are classified as tubers.
Introduction: My name is Arielle Torp, I am a comfortable, kind, zealous, lovely, jolly, colorful, adventurous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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