Yams are tropical vines with edible tubers grown extensively in Africa, Polynesia, and South America. They are often misnamed as sweet potatoes in the US. Yams come in various shapes, sizes, and colors and are not related to potatoes or sweet potatoes. They are hardy and require sun or partial shade and plenty of water with drainage.
Yams are sprawling tropical vines with edible tubers, grown extensively as a primary food source in Africa, Polynesia, and South America. Americans sometimes misname sweet potatoes, because some sweet potato varieties are marketed as yams, but in reality, real sweet potatoes are hard to find in the United States unless sought after in a specialty store. Over 150 species of Dioscorea, the yam genus, are grown worldwide and vary widely in shape, size and color, though all have sprawling vines with heart-shaped leaves and delicate flowers.
The name “yam” comes from a Wolof word, nyam, which means “something to eat” or “taste”. When the Portuguese asked the Africans about the large edible tubers which made up a large part of the African diet, the Africans misunderstood the question and replied that the tubers were nyam. The word was adopted by the Portuguese and picked up by other nations as well when the tuber was introduced.
True yams come in a range of colors including off-white, yellow, pink, and purple. They can range in size from very small tubers to impressive specimens measuring more than seven feet (just over two meters) long. Many of them have starchy flesh that needs to be cooked to be palatable, and some species will actually cause serious stomach upsets if eaten raw or undercooked. Most African species must be laboriously processed through a series of topping and pounding to be edible, and even true yams taste a bit bland, with a few exceptions.
While potatoes, yams, and sweet potatoes are all edible tubers, none of them are actually related. Yams are in the genus Dioscorea, while potatoes are in the genus Solanum. Sweet potatoes are part of another botanical group, Ipomoea. All are edible and all provide valuable nutrition and starch, but they are entirely separate plants with different growing habits and flavours. Americans, in particular, often find themselves awed by the flavor of real sweet potatoes.
Yams are hardy through USDA zone five, depending on the species. They prefer sun or partial shade and do well with plenty of water as long as they have drainage. For this reason, yams are typically planted and staked in large mounds, which prevents them from sitting in standing water. Potatoes are planted when the tubers start producing shoots, usually around February, and are ready to harvest when the vines are completely dead. They should be stored in a cool, dry place and the edible samples will be wrinkle-free and firm to the touch.
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