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