Apr 17, 2012 but when it comes to nutrition, sweet potatoes score much higher. The skin of a yam left looks kind of like tree bark, while a sweet potato right is more reddishbrown. This version is firmer with a golden skin and light yellow flesh. Sweet potatoes are from the morning glory family and yams are related to lilies and grasses. Types of sweet potatoes with images and why you should. Your browser does not currently recognize any of the video formats.
Sweet potato vs yam difference and comparison diffen. Sep, 2017 the skin of a yam left looks kind of like tree bark, while a sweet potato right is more reddishbrown. Sep, 2016 sweet potatoes are more moist and sweet than a yam, and can come in a variety of colors with red or light skin and orange or white flesh. The difference between yams and sweet potatoes is structural. They are both tuberous root vegetables that come from a flowering plant, but they are not related and actually dont even have a lot in common. The sweet potatoes and yams you see in a regular grocery store are really just different varieties of the same sweet vegetable. There are approximately 400 different varieties of sweet potatoes. Weve bought yams which are really sweet potatoes that were indeed labeled as sweet potatoes.
Actual sweet potatoes have short, smooth skinned roots with tapered ends whereas actual yams are long and cylindrical with rough, scaly skins. Skin colors can be white, yellow, red, copper and even purple. Most people seem to be under the impression that yams and sweet potatoes are the same vegetable. Convolvulaceae morning glory family grown in tropical america moist mouth feel sweet taste yam name. The satsumaimo trumps the idaho white with fewer carbs 24. According to the national academies of sciences, the recommended daily allowance for vitamin a for women is 700 micrograms and 900 micrograms for men. According to all about sweet potatoes, there are more than 6,500 varieties of the spud.
Compared with yams, sweet potatoes are lower in calories and have far more. What is the difference between sweet potatoes and yams. Sep 21, 2017 goldenskinned, palefleshed sweet potatoes. Nov 14, 2017 yams and sweet potatoes are two different plants. Learn the difference between a yam and a sweet potato.
On the left is a typical yam sold in the us actually a variety of sweet potato, and on the right is a sweet potato. Compared to sweet potatoes, yams are less sweet and much more starchy and dry. Sweet potatoes are a surprisingly nutritious vegetable. Mazola corn oil, sweet potatoes, brown sugar, lemon juice. The characteristics of sweet potatoes and yams are also different. Although sweet potatoes live up to their name when it. It tends to have a drier texture and is less sweet than darkskinned sweet potatoes. These are what you typically find in the grocery store, even if the label says yam. Jan 31, 2017 stirfried with garlic and soy bean paste, sweet potato leaves and the peeled stems, together make a rice meal more satisfying and nutritious. Depending on the variety, sweetpotato flesh can vary from white to orange and even purple.
Yams require more oil, cream, or butter when cooked and are. You begin to believe each sixsecond loop contains infinite utterances of the phrase yams. Whats the difference between yams and sweet potatoes. Nov 21, 2011 well when it comes to the sweet potato and yam side dishes and desserts we typically think of, it really makes no difference. Yams a staple in some west african countries are native to. Rest assured ill have this vegetable confusion cleared up for you in no time. Sweet potatoes have thin, smooth skin and orange or white flesh. Preparation is a timeconsuming process involving several minutes of pounding and boiling to remove toxins. Know what kind of sweet potato you want for your recipe, and be alert to the yam sweet potato labeling concept, but also use your eyes to look at the color of the skin and the flesh, if possible. Aug 03, 2016 not sure what the difference is between a sweet potato and a yam. Dioscoreaceae a tuber or bulb of a tropical vine grown central. Learn the difference between sweet potatoes and yams. 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. Not only can you tell a sweet potato by its color, the end is sometimes tapered and thin and usually the skin is smooth.
These are genus dioscoreaceae and are native to tropical and temperate africa, asia and oceana. Download beyond candied yams sweet potato pie free books. It differs greatly from the sweetpotato in taste, texture, appearance and family. Some may look like common potatoes on the outside, some may be much larger with smooth skin and tapered ends. A yam is not a sweet potato and a sweet potato is not a yam. When choosing yams and sweet potatoes, select ones that feel firm and have unwrinkled flesh. But when it comes to nutrition, sweet potatoes score much higher. They can have orange, cream, white or even purple flesh. The mild flavored yam, on the other hand, is relatively less. It is rough and scaly and very low in beta carotene. Oct 14, 2019 sweet potato nutrition includes high vitamin a content. Dec 09, 2010 a 12 cup serving of baked yam versus baked sweet potato reveals that the sweet potato is higher in calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium 36 mg versus 5. What is the difference between a sweetpotato and a yam. The truth is we all have probably called a yam a sweet potato and vice versa.
Department of agriculture requires that the label yam always be accompanied by sweet potato. According to the north carolina sweet potato commission, the. Alton brown discuses the difference between sweet potatoes and yams with nutritional anthropologist deb duchon. In fact, youve probably bought a sweet potato, thinking it was yam. A 12 cup serving of baked yam versus baked sweet potato reveals that the sweet potato is higher in calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium 36 mg versus 5. Ships transporting enslaved africans to america were provisioned with true yams dioscorea, a large hairy root of tropical origins. A 1 cup serving of sweet potato supplies 1840 micrograms of this vitamin while the same amount of yams only supplies 8 micrograms. With plants, it is important to be certain of the scientific names when studying, growing, or eating them. Pretty sweet deal since the vitamin plays a big role in eye health, muscle and.
Stirfried with garlic and soy bean paste, sweet potato leaves and the peeled stems, together make a rice meal more satisfying and nutritious. At loop 370, you notice the sweet potato yams between the sweet potato yams. Once considered as the poor mans vegetable, sweet potato leaves are increasingly in demand in the western countries nowadays. In asia and new zealand, purple and yellow sweet potatoes can be found as well. Jun 08, 2019 lets clear up one very important point. Yams have more fiber, potassium and vitamins c, b6 and e than sweet potatoes.
Sep 23, 2016 according to chef marc bauer, master chef at the international culinary center, a yam is characterized by dark and sometimes rough skin, though the flesh is whiter in shade and dry. Sweet potatoes vs yams vs taro vs yuca hilah cooking. How to tell the difference between yams and sweet potatoes ehow. Yams have a cylindrical shape with blackish or brown, barklike skin and white, purple, or reddish flesh. Can you tell the difference between a sweet potato and a yam. Alton brown discusses the difference between sweet potatoes and yams with a nutritional anthropologist, covering their history and varietal differences and even storage methods. The purple tuber, known as satsumaimo, is similar to a regular sweet potato, high in antioxidants and healthier than a white potato. How to tell the difference between yams and sweet potatoes. Hilah settles this ageold thanksgiving table debate and shows you some cooking methods for sweet potatoes. The truth is that the former, the supermarket yam, is not a yam at all but a type of sweet potato. Roast them with other veggies for a delicious side dish, dice them up into a hearty yam stew, or, if youve got a sweet tooth, try a batch of candied yams coated in butter. So whats the difference between yams and sweet potatoes. The surprising difference between sweet potato and yam.
Nov 09, 2017 however, there are lots of different soft and firm varieties of sweet potato, which come in a number of different color varieties both inside and out white, yellow, red, and even purple. Not sure what the difference is between a sweet potato and a yam. What is the difference between a sweet potato and a yam. The sweet potato is in the morning glory family, while yams are related to palms and grasses. You can distinguish a yam from a sweet potato before you even bite in. Ships transporting enslaved africans to america were provisioned with true yams dioscorea, a. Yams do not contain as much vitamin a and c as sweet potatoes. If i were to use a sweet potato diet thinking they were yams to correct my infertility diagnosis i would be frustrated, to say the least. Unlike the sweet potato, yams must be cooked to eat safely. However, there are lots of different soft and firm varieties of sweet potato, which come in a number of different color varieties both inside and out white, yellow, red, and even purple. If there is one question that everyone i meet seems to have, it is the difference between yams and sweet potatoes. Technically, both sweet potatoes and yams come from flowering plants but they are actually not botanically related.
The sweet potato, a member of the morning glory family, is grown around the world, although its indigenous to the americas and is especially popular in the southern united states. Why a yam is not a sweet potato smart news smithsonian. 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. Its creamy, almost like a yukon gold potato, and slightly sweet. According to chef marc bauer, master chef at the international culinary center, a yam is characterized by dark and sometimes rough skin, though the flesh is whiter in shade and dry. Why americans have been confused about this for hundreds of years. True yams have rough, scaly skin and often purple or red flesh, can grow up to five feet, and are starchier than sweet potatoes. Difference between yams and sweet potatoes youtube.
To avoid confusion, the usda has made it a requirement. Thanks for a great article on the differences between sweet potatoes and yams. Sweet potatoes are from the convolvulaceae morning glory family, and are native to tropical parts of the american continents. Although the terms are generally used interchangeably, the u. Although they may look and taste very similar, the true yam and sweet potato are not botanically related. Traditionally made with ube filipino sweet potato, this recipe will work with any purple or orange sweet potato or yam. Terri milligan, milwaukee journal sentinel published 6. A true yam is a starchy edible root of the dioscorea genus, and is generally imported to america from the caribbean. Sweet potato nutrition includes high vitamin a content. Real potatoes like your trusty russet belong to the nightshade family. Yams a staple in some west african countries are native to africa and asia, while the sweet potato. Jun 04, 2019 cooked orangefleshed sweet potatoes have a similar texture to that of a yam, however the whitefleshed variety are not as sweet and have more of a grainy texture, like a regular potato. As there are many different kinds of sweet potatoes and yams, these plants and roots appearances vary considerably. Sweet potatoes and yams are the roots of sweet potato and yam plants or vines.
The big difference is the amount of vitamin a you get from a sweet potatoone serving gives you 270 percent of your daily vitamin a needs. It turns out sweet potatoes are not merely potatoes that happen to be sweet. Unlike the sweet potato, yams must be cooked to be safely eaten. Whats the difference between a sweet potato and a yam. Yams and sweet potatoes are well loved around the world but many people do not know the difference between the two. That confusion is twofold and centuries old, beginning with the slave trade. Sweet potatoes are not a type of yam, and yams are not a type of sweet potato. The difference between sweet potatoes and yams the cookful. Nov 25, 2015 sweet potatoes are from the morning glory family and yams are related to lilies and grasses. 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. As there are many different kinds of sweet potatoes and yams, these plants and roots appearances vary considerably in canada and the u. Dorling kindersleygetty images real yams are entirely different root vegetables that are. This is probably what most of you picture when you think of a sweet potato light tan skin, slightly yellow interior.
Sweet potatoes contain calcium, iron, protein, beta carotene, sodium, vitamin a and more sugar and water than yams. Nov 01, 2017 sweet potatoes contain calcium, iron, protein, beta carotene, sodium, vitamin a and more sugar and water than yams. Most sweet potato varieties there are around 400 have at least one tapered end and a fairly smooth surface. There are many types of sweet potatoes ranging from white, yellow, red, purple. Basic sweet potatoes are strong sources of betacarotene, manganese, and copper. Compared with yams, sweet potatoes are lower in calories and have far more betacarotene 11. Read about the difference between sweet potatoes and yams, plus. Get more out of the cookful with this popular video. Sweet potatoes are more moist and sweet than a yam, and can come in a variety of colors with red or light skin and orange or white flesh. Cooked orangefleshed sweet potatoes have a similar texture to that of a yam, however the whitefleshed variety are not as sweet and have more of a grainy texture, like a regular potato. The following information outlines several differences between sweet potatoes and yams.