[recipe] sweet potatoes amd yams , there is a difference

[Guest guest]

I had to look this up because I watched something on tv about it. Did

you know that what we call yams here in the US is actually a sweet

potatoe? It's actually very rare to find a true yam.

 

Check out this information, which can be found at this website

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/cooking_with_the_seasons/82898 :

 

It seems that most people get confused as to what is a sweet potato

and what is a yam! In fact, in the United States, most people use both

terminologies to refer to a sweet potato, when neither of these two

vegetables is related!

 

The sweet potato is found in tropical America and is a part of the

Morning Glory family.

 

The yam is a tuber (a bulb) of a tropical vine found in Central &

South America, as well as the West Indies, Africa and Asia.

 

Varieties There are mainly two varieties of sweet potato. The pale

sweet potato has a very thin yellow skin with a bright yellow flesh.

This variety is neither sweet nor moist, but more the texture of a

white baking potato. The darker skinned sweet potato has a thicker

orange skin with a sweet moist flesh.

 

The true yam is not marketed or grown widely in the United States.

Where it is marketed, is usually in Latin American markets. A yam can

be as small as a potato and can grow as large as 7 feet and weigh over

120 pounds! The flesh can range in color from off-white to yellow to

pink to purple! The skin color can be from off-white to a dark brown.

 

Season Both the sweet potato and the yam are available fresh from

October through March.

 

How to Select When trying to choose a sweet potato, choose a medium

sized variety with smooth unbruised skin.

 

You will want to choose an unblemished yam with unwrinkled skin.

 

Storage Store your sweet potatoes in a dry, dark 55 degree F (12 – 13

degrees C) area for approximately a month. Otherwise, use your sweet

potato within the week. Never place a sweet potato in the refrigerator.

 

Store your yam in a cool, dark, dry place up to 2 weeks. Never place

your yam in the refrigerator.

 

Nutritional Qualities Sweet potatoes have high Vitamins A and C.

 

Yams have higher sugar content.

 

, purplepassion

<thelilacflower> wrote:

>

> Now it's like making a Sweet Potato Pie with sweet potates instead

of yams. I did that once and the yams make the pie so why isn't it

called a yam pie? The sweet potatoes make the pie bland and a very

ugly color (I won't go there........) LOL (:-O Donna

>

>

> You are right Donna, there are many varieties of pumpkin. When I

> cook with the jack o lantern, I roast the flesh, so it's a little

> sweeter and richer than if I steam it or boil it. But you're right,

> it isn't the same as getting a pie pumpkin!