Sweet Potatoes and Yams 101
Is it a sweet potato or a yam? Your confusion ends here, with SupermarketGuru's 101 on these tasty tubers
What are Sweet Potatoes and Yams?
Yams and sweet potatoes are botanically unrelated. Yams are tubers from Africa or Asia; sweet potatoes are native to the Caribbean or Latin America.
Yams and sweet potatoes are botanically unrelated. Yams are tubers from Africa or Asia; sweet potatoes are native to the Caribbean or Latin America.
How to Buy:
Choose yams and sweet potatoes with tight, unwrinkled, firm skins and no blemishes. Avoid potatoes with bruises that cannot be cut away, as they impact flavor and nutrition. Prime season is October to January. Sweet potatoes are available fresh and canned (often labeled erroneously as yams).
Choose yams and sweet potatoes with tight, unwrinkled, firm skins and no blemishes. Avoid potatoes with bruises that cannot be cut away, as they impact flavor and nutrition. Prime season is October to January. Sweet potatoes are available fresh and canned (often labeled erroneously as yams).
How to Read the Label:
Although stores may call products “garnet yams” or yams, nearly all “yams” sold in the US are actually sweet potatoes. The range of color of the flesh is from white to yellow to red, purple or orange red. Most US varieties are soft which cook up soft and moist. True yams are starchier and drier and have a rough skin; sweet potatoes have smooth skins.
Although stores may call products “garnet yams” or yams, nearly all “yams” sold in the US are actually sweet potatoes. The range of color of the flesh is from white to yellow to red, purple or orange red. Most US varieties are soft which cook up soft and moist. True yams are starchier and drier and have a rough skin; sweet potatoes have smooth skins.
How to Use:
Cook and use as you would any potato: bake, stir fry, or steam and serve whole, in pieces or slices, mashed or however you desire. Sweet potatoes can be eaten raw, but never true yams.
Cook and use as you would any potato: bake, stir fry, or steam and serve whole, in pieces or slices, mashed or however you desire. Sweet potatoes can be eaten raw, but never true yams.
How to Store:
Yams and sweet potatoes can be stored in a dry cool (55 F) cupboard up to 3-4 weeks. Do not refrigerate. Cooked potatoes may be refrigerated in a covered container for 4-5 days. May be frozen in airtight container; leave ½ inch and store at 0 F for 10-12 months.
Yams and sweet potatoes can be stored in a dry cool (55 F) cupboard up to 3-4 weeks. Do not refrigerate. Cooked potatoes may be refrigerated in a covered container for 4-5 days. May be frozen in airtight container; leave ½ inch and store at 0 F for 10-12 months.
Health Benefits:
Sweet potatoes are high in vitamins A and C, calcium, iron and fiber. Yams pale in comparison, but are still a good source of potassium, manganese, vitamin C and fiber.
Sweet potatoes are high in vitamins A and C, calcium, iron and fiber. Yams pale in comparison, but are still a good source of potassium, manganese, vitamin C and fiber.
Smart Shopping:
If seeking true yams, check Latin American or Caribbean markets where they are sometimes called boniato and have brown or black skin, similar to tree bark and off white, purple or red flesh depending on the variety. Has higher moisture content and more natural sugar than the sweet potato. Raw yams are toxic.
If seeking true yams, check Latin American or Caribbean markets where they are sometimes called boniato and have brown or black skin, similar to tree bark and off white, purple or red flesh depending on the variety. Has higher moisture content and more natural sugar than the sweet potato. Raw yams are toxic.
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