Hilah settles this ageold thanksgiving table debate and shows you some cooking methods for sweet potatoes. Members of the morning glory family, sweet potatoes originated in central and south america. Nov 14, 2017 yams and sweet potatoes are two different plants. Dec 09, 2010 so it turns out those sweet potato fries are sweet potatoes and those fried yams are sweet potatoes too. 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. In general, a sweet potato is going to be lower in calories, higher in vitamin c, and higher in betacarotene. When i got older, i suddenly began hearing so many calling my sweet potatoes yams. A staple item of the holiday table is candied yams. Incidentally, yams and sweet potatoes are different. True yams originated in africa, asia, and other tropical areas. It is my moms recipe and one that i have grown up on. Your browser does not currently recognize any of the video formats. Sweet potatoes are sweet and moist, while yams are starchy and dry. They are long and skinny where as the sweet potato is plump and stocky.
Whats the difference between yams and sweet potatoes. 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. The sweet potato is in the morning glory family, while yams are related to palms and grasses. Compared to sweet potatoes, yams are less sweet and much more starchy and dry.
Made with sugar, cinnamon, and mini marshmallows, these candied yamssweet potatoes are sure to be a hit at your next thanksgiving dinner. 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. However, these two vegetables are quite different and are not really related to each other. It is rough and scaly and very low in beta carotene. Grocery store labeling yam soft sweet potato with a copper skin and deep orange flesh. But when it comes to nutrition, sweet potatoes score much higher.
Not sure what the difference is between a sweet potato and a yam. For most vegetable hating kids, sweet potato and potato both have a special spot. Today, the usda requires that these yams sometimes called american or louisiana yams also be correctly labeled as sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are a surprisingly nutritious vegetable. Sweet potatoes vs white potatoes nutrition profile comparison. 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. Sweet potatoes are flavorful and moist while yams are often starchy and dry. Whats the difference between a sweet potato and a yam. 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. Nov 16, 2016 sweet potatoes are native to tropical regions of south america. Yams are actually related to lilies, and are a root of the dioscorea genus. Candied yamssweet potatoes thanksgiving food cooking.
Nov 23, 2015 sweet potatoes are sweet and moist, while yams are starchy and dry. Back in precivil war america, grocers typically only sold whitefleshed sweet potatoes. The following information outlines several differences between sweet potatoes and yams. 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. Apr 17, 2012 but when it comes to nutrition, sweet potatoes score much higher. The terms sweet potatoes and yams are used interchangeably, and are thought to be the same. Jan 03, 2017 youll find the answers in this video from youtubes how does it grow. The characteristics of sweet potatoes and yams are also different. Orangefleshed sweet potatoes are very rich in vitamin a beta carotene, while yams dont contain any. The yam and sweet potato wikipedia fiasco stems from the colonial era when the orange variety of sweet potatoes were called yams.
This is the time of year that many americans start planning their thanksgiving dinner. Grandmas thanksgiving sweet potato yams recipe yams. Although the terms are generally used interchangeably, the u. According to bauer, a 100gram serving of yams provides about 30 percent of your daily. They both are among the few vegetables that not only. 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. All the varieties described below are technically sweet potatoes, though theyre often called yams. Sweet potatoes are native to tropical regions of south america. As there are many different kinds of sweet potatoes and yams, these plants and roots appearances vary considerably. Fiber is abundant in both vegetables as well, with yams supplying 6 grams and sweet potatoes 4 grams. 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. Department of agriculture requires that the label yam always be accompanied by sweet potato.
Sweet potatoes and yams are the roots of sweet potato and yam plants or vines. While the potatoes are cooking, combine the remaining ingredients in. All the varieties described below are technically sweet potatoes, though theyre often. Nov 21, 2011 sweet potatoes, on the other hand are members of the convolvulaceae family fyi, neither sweet potatoes nor yams are related to common potatoes, which are in the solanaceae family. 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. Yams, on the other hand, tend to be starchy and dry when cooked. Looks like its a good thing we dont use them for our sweet potato pie. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are both included on the fdas top 20 raw vegetable list. Youll find the answers in this video from youtubes how does it grow. Until i became an adult, i never heard of the term yams. 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. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are soft to the touch. There are approximately 400 different varieties of sweet potatoes.
Sweet potato vs yam difference and comparison diffen. Nov 22, 20 sweet potatoes are as different from yams as humans are from snakes. Why a yam is not a sweet potato smart news smithsonian. Mix sugar, butter and water in a saucepan and bring to boil. It differs greatly from the sweetpotato in taste, texture, appearance and family. The skin of a yam left looks kind of like tree bark, while a sweet potato right is more reddishbrown.
Actual sweet potatoes have short, smooth skinned roots with tapered ends whereas actual yams are long and cylindrical with rough, scaly skins. They are related to lilies, and can be as small as a regular potato or jumbo. Rest assured ill have this vegetable confusion cleared up for you in no time. Both yams and sweet potatoes offer plentiful carbohydrates 42 grams for yams and 41 grams for sweet potatoes per 1 cup serving. A true yam is a starchy edible root of the dioscorea genus, and is generally imported to america from the caribbean. Yams have more fiber, potassium and vitamins c, b6 and e than sweet potatoes.
In fact, youve probably bought a sweet potato, thinking it was yam. 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. These are what you typically find in the grocery store, even if the label says yam. Some people think that canned goods taste like can as well. So whats the difference between yams and sweet potatoes. This dish is a favorite of ours that i learned to make during my first year of marriage. Compared with yams, sweet potatoes are lower in calories and have far more betacarotene 11.
Real yams are entirely different root vegetables that. The difference between sweet potatoes and yams videos. 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. Jan 24, 2015 orangefleshed sweet potatoes are very rich in vitamin a beta carotene, while yams dont contain any. These are genus dioscoreaceae and are native to tropical and temperate africa, asia and oceana. Some may look like common potatoes on the outside, some may be much larger with smooth skin and tapered. Typically only found at international markets, true yams have white flesh and are starchier and drier than sweet potatoes. Sweet potato facts and recipes archives aggie horticulture. The surprising difference between sweet potato and yam.
Learn the difference between sweet potatoes and yams. 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. We always grew sweet potatoes and we always ate sweet potatoes. Carbohydrates provide your body with sugars, its preferred fuel source, making both yams and sweet potatoes good.
It turns out sweet potatoes are not merely potatoes that happen to be sweet. Yams and sweet potatoes are not the same thing, heres why. 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. Nov 01, 2017 sweet potatoes contain calcium, iron, protein, beta carotene, sodium, vitamin a and more sugar and water than yams. 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. Many of us grew up eating yams or sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows and baked until toasty and golden. Thats because sweet potatoes and yams are in fact very different vegetables that weve come to refer to interchangeably for a number. Of the two most common sorts, those with thin, lightcolored skin and pale, dry yellow flesh are usually called sweet potatoes.
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. Sep 23, 2016 and when it comes to recipe ideas, the possibilities are endless. Yams a staple in some west african countries are native to africa and asia, while the sweet potato. 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. Sweet potatoes are as different from yams as humans are from snakes. Technically, both sweet potatoes and yams come from flowering plants but they are actually not botanically related. Sweet potatoes vs yams vs taro vs yuca hilah cooking.
This plant belongs to the convolvulacea or the morning glory family. Alton brown discusses the difference between sweet potatoes and yams with a nutritional anthropologist, covering their history and varietal differences and even storage methods. As for how they stack up nutritionally, both vegetables pack a big punch. Drain sweet potatoes and pour into a casserole dish. Sep, 2017 the skin of a yam left looks kind of like tree bark, while a sweet potato right is more reddishbrown. Mazola corn oil, sweet potatoes, brown sugar, lemon juice.
Aug 03, 2016 not sure what the difference is between a sweet potato and a yam. They can be the same size as an ordinary potato, or they can grow as large as five feet. 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. Difference between yams and sweet potatoes youtube. The taste of cooked yams is starchy and bland, and it may be slightly sweet. And keep an eye out for those illegally labeled yams yam mislabeling is a leading cause of sweet potato discrimination. Sweet potatoes contain calcium, iron, protein, beta carotene, sodium, vitamin a and more sugar and water than yams.
The terms sweet potato and yam are often used interchangeably, causing a lot of confusion. Now, yam is basically a marketing term to help people distinguish between the two types of sweet potatoes available. Read about the difference between sweet potatoes and yams, plus. Sweet potatoes or yams can be used depending on your preference. Types of sweet potatoes with images and why you should be.
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. Has more fat, carbs, fiber, potassium, vitamin c, vitamin b6, and vitamin e than sweetpotatoes do. Peruvian sweet potato remnants dating as far back as 8000 bc have been found. Sweet potatoes are vining plants which, like african yams, are usually sprouted from root or vine cuttings, rather than from seed. 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. Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a sweet potato and yam. 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, on the other hand are members of the convolvulaceae family fyi, neither sweet potatoes nor yams are related to common potatoes, which are in the solanaceae family. Grocery stores stock up on both canned and fresh yams, sold alongside sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are from the morning glory family and yams are related to lilies and grasses. Their flesh is purple or reddish, while their skin is barklike. Try sweet potato fries, mashed sweet potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, or loaded baked sweet potatoes to name a few. And when it comes to recipe ideas, the possibilities are endless.
A true yam has rough scaly skin and is not related to sweet potatoes. Alton brown discuses the difference between sweet potatoes and yams with nutritional anthropologist deb duchon. Canned yams are frequently packed in syrup, which will make them very sweet. So why do some people refer to sweet potatoes as yams. Most likely, all yams and sweet potatoes that you use from the grocery store are sweet potatoes. 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. A yam is not a sweet potato and a sweet potato is not a yam. Yams are typically drier, firmer, and starchier than sweet potatoes, while the latter is softer and sweeter. Do you know the difference between a yam and a sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are from the convolvulaceae morning glory family, and are native to tropical parts of the american continents.
First of all, yams and sweet potatoes arent even members of the same family and hail from completely different parts of the world. While the potatoes are cooking, combine the remaining ingredients in a saucepan. Regular sweet potatoes are creamy, like a yukon gold potato. You can eat them raw, baked, boiled, steamed, roasted, broiled, grilled, fried and just about any other way you can think of. The sweet potato has been used as a staple food source since before the colonial days. Download the today app for the latest coverage on the coronavirus outbreak.
Types of sweet potatoes with images and why you should. A staple in african cuisine, yams are most often boiled, roasted or fried. Like ordinary potatoes, sweet potatoes are in the tuber family. Has more sugar, protein, calcium, iron, sodium, vitamin a, betacarotene, and water than yams do. Often, the copper skinned sweet potato is referred to as yam, or sweet potato yam, and these are a firmer version of sweet potatoes.
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