YAMS VS. SWEET POTATOES Often North Americans use the words “yam” & “sweet potato” interchangeably. However, a true yam is a starchy, edible tuber, generally with a drier taste than a sweet potato.
Why do Americans say yams?
Americans have been calling the orange-fleshed variety of sweet potatoes "yams" since colonial times when Africans saw familiarities in them to the tuberous variety. The USDA decided to label them as "yams" to differentiate the two varieties.
Are there yams in the United States?
In the U.S., over 50% of the country's sweetpotatoes are grown in North Carolina. Today, yams are grown around the world, but West Africa is still where most yam crops — nearly 95% — are grown.
Why do American call sweet potatoes yams?
In the United States, firm varieties of sweet potatoes were produced before soft varieties. ... African slaves had already been calling the 'soft' sweet potatoes 'yams' because they resembled the yams in Africa. Thus, 'soft' sweet potatoes were referred to as 'yams' to distinguish them from the 'firm' varieties.
What are yams called in UK?
The American yam is not commonly found in the UK, yet the term is often used in the US to refer to what the British call a sweet potato; the Brits eat theirs roasted (as they do most things) and have not yet warmed to the American dish of “marshmallow yams.”
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