Hello and welcome to the Focused on Story Blog by J.Q. Rose. Are you a word lover? Then you're at the right place. All this month I'll be revealing words that fascinate me during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.
~yam~
: the edible starchy tuberous root of various plants (genus Dioscorea of the family Dioscoreaceae) used as a staple food in tropical areas; also : a plant producing yams
a moist usually orange-fleshed sweet potato, Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Yams vs. Sweet Potatoes
Yams are yummy. Sorry, I just had to get those Y’s in there because this IS Y Day. And I’m getting a bit punchy as we near the end of this daily April blogging challenge.
I bet what you think of as a yam is actually a sweet potato. So here’s the “dish” on the difference between a yam and a sweet potato.
According to the North Carolina Sweet Potatoes site (NCSP): “That sweet, orange-colored root vegetable that you love so dearly is actually a sweet potato. Yes, all so-called “yams” are in fact sweet potatoes. Most people think that long, red-skinned sweet potatoes are yams, but they really are just one of many varieties of sweet potatoes.”
 |
| Sweet potatoes Photo courtesy of pixabay |
So why all the confusion? According to NCSP, “A true yam is a starchy edible root of the Dioscorea genus, and is generally imported to America from the Caribbean. It is rough and scaly and very low in beta-carotene.
Depending on the variety, sweet potato flesh can vary from white to orange and even purple. The orange-fleshed variety was introduced to the United States several decades ago. In order to distinguish it from the white variety everyone was accustomed to, producers and shippers chose the English form of the African word “nyami” and labeled them “yams.”
So when you gather round the table for a delicious ham and yam dinner, you can educate your family/friends, they are most probably eating sweet potatoes topped off with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, not yams!
If you’d like more recipes, visit the NCSP site for “52 Ways to Enjoy Sweet Potatoes.”
Do you like sweet potatoes? I really like sweet potato wedges, tossed in Virgin Olive Oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, and baked in the oven at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Place the wedges on a foil-lined baking sheet for easy clean up. Enjoy!
of all participants who signed up
for the #AtoZchallenge 2018.
4 comments:
Only eat yams once a year Thanksgiving or Christmas, not one of my faves.
Thanks for clearing that up. The distinction for these has bugged me for years. We love 'em. And they are huge in the vitamin department.
OK, now I get it!
I always thought they were the same thing, but I guess not.
Thanks for the informative post!
Hey, JQ. Love sweet potatoes. You don't even have to put butter in the baked ones. They are a really healthy thing to eat. My Georgia relatives have a great recipe for Candied Yams (both with sweet potatoes) that involves lots of butter, brown sugar and pecans. One of my daughters usually makes them for Thanksgiving. They are really sweet. I skip in favor of my pumpkin pie. I've shared. :)
Post a Comment